Larry Schaffer of tercero wines
The world of tercero wines is unexpected. Yes, it’s Santa Barbara County wine. Yes, there’s a focus on Rhône varietals. Yes, there’s also some Pinot Noir made. But that’s where all the yesses end, and the journey begins. Foot stomping, whole cluster fermentation, neutral oak aging, single clonal Pinot Noir bottlings, and tinkering with lesser known grape varietals, it’s all part of owner/winemaker Larry Schaffer’s approach. And what he did in the past vintage year, throw out that play book and try something new in the following year, evolves the knowledge a step further. It’s all part of Schaffer’s inner compass, to remain curious and produce wines that he finds very interesting. So, get ready to step outside of your comfort zone, take the road less traveled, and discover incredible experiences, all within the context of wine, with tercero wines. And in case you think I’ve made a mistake, it’s absolutely correct that tercero has no Capital “T”, as Larry wished, another path less traveled.
Larry Schaffer, Courtesy of tercero wines
Larry Schaffer came to winemaking later in his life. Always his passion, he returned to school and graduated from UC Davis with an MS in Viticulture and Enology. In 2005, he put down roots in Santa Barbara County’s wine country, gaining experience at Fess Parker Winery. Eventually, he launched tercero wines, focusing on small lot, hand-crafted wines from top vineyards in the county. And that’s where the real story begins.
Courtesy of tercero wines
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Courtesy of tercero wines
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Courtesy of tercero wines
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Schaffer began tinkering, experimenting with various winemaking techniques and “off the beaten path” wine grape varietals, all in an effort to achieve the most pure expression of that particular grape. For Larry, “the beauty of wine is that there is no one way, but multiple paths”, and he has explored many. Buying fruit that is usually used for blending, and making single-varietal wines, such as Counoise, is one example. Harvesting the grapes with just the right amount of acidity preserves their structural components. Foot stomping and whole cluster fermentation in either stainless steel or neutral oak marks the wines with that grape varietal’s signature essence of aromas and flavors, and puts the emphasis on textural mouthfeel. Throw in some carbonic maceration for fun and see the difference between the still and “Nouveau” version. Over two dozen wines showcase the potential of grape varietal and terroir in characterful, truly handcrafted wines that are exciting and fun to drink.
Schaffer continuously evolves his winemaking philosophy, adapting to the conditions of a vintage year, addressing the numerous variables that go into the bottle. He refers to himself as an “acoustic winemaker”, intuitively directing the winemaking process as a symphony, conducting his very best expression for that snapshot in time. And he couldn’t be in a better place than Santa Barbara County, where everything is possible.
ampelos vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
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Santa Barbara wine country is a sweet spot of climate, soils, geology and geography, that gives rise to a diversity of wine that would make Noah and his Ark proud. Seven American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) define the region, with over 70 wine grape varietals grown, of which a current emphasis is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And although more than 275 wineries attempt to bottle their own special magic from this cornucopia, tercero wines is divining their winemaking path from the lesser planted varietals, coloring in the margins to create something interesting and special.
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Larry Schaffer of tercero wines
Larry Schaffer came to Los Angeles several months ago, and shared his unique perspective and a dozen wines with the LA Wine Writers at AOC Brentwood. He explained that he is a curious person, and always wants to make different wines, as evidenced by the many unusual bottles he poured. Finding that “wine is unexpected” and that he doesn’t care about repeating what he did in the past, he strives to explore new paths, especially in his love affair with Rhône varietals. Starting and beginning with white wines, there couldn’t be a clearer comparison drawn, both Rhône varietals but very different in their expression. In respect to Larry, who feels that tasting notes are “leading the witness”, I will speak of the way the wines are produced, leaving it to the readers imagination and hopeful pilgrimage to his Los Olivos tasting room to discover for themselves their kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors.
We started with two white wines that served as aperitifs. The Clairette Blanche 2021, which Schaffer considers his “oysters and mussels” wine, is crisp, clean and high acid. The fruit was picked early and fermented in neutral oak to give it some body and dial down the acidity a bit. It was followed by The Outlier 2021, a dry Gewurztraminer with such aromatic intensity and weight, definitely a wow moment. This wine demonstrated Larry’s desire to not pigeonhole wine, since the varietal is not listed on the label. He didn’t want any preconceptions about what you might think about Gewurztraminer to cloud your perception of this truly fascinating wine. One-third of the grapes were foot-stomped by Larry, which he finds extracts many different aromatics, kept overnight on the skins and then pressed and fermented separately from the rest of the lot, which was direct pressed with no skin contact. According to Larry, the final blend demonstrated added aromatic complexity and weight.
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The first course, a Chicories, Windrose Apples, Buttermilk and Mint salad was accompanied by two Mourvèdre wines. The Mourvèdre Rose 2021 may seem light if you focus on the color, but it packs aromatics, flavor and texture beyond its hue. Earthy tropical fruit aromas float on the textured body, finishing with a wonderful mouthfeel. And now for something completely different, the Nouveau Mourvèdre 2021, a three week carbonic fermentation that was produced like a white wine, pressed at the end with no skin contact before final fermentation. Served chilled, it’s a fun wine, bright and wildly aromatic, like a party in your mouth.
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Second course, a Winter Greens Focaccia, with Meyer Lemon Ricotta and Santa Barbara Pistachios was served with two tercero wines. The Cabernet Franc 2020 is an homage to the Loire Valley’s Chinon region, foot stomped, whole cluster ferment, pressed and aged in 4+ year old French oak barrels, bright and spicy, a very nice wine with an herbal note on the finish. The Counoise 2021 is bright and fresh, peppery and rich with good acidity and only 12% ABV, yummy! Counoise are very large grapes, which Larry foot stomped, fermented whole cluster, pressed and aged in neutral 500L barrels for over a year, he likens this wine to first of the season strawberries with spice.
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Third course, a Hanger Steak, with Red Kuri Purée, Mustard Cream and Horseradish was paired with a Pinot Noir and GSMC blend. The Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, 2020 is a blend of three clones, 115, 114, and Pommard. The year 2020 launched Larry’s first time making Pinot, a request from his wife, and his Pinot Noir project was born, designed with his typical inquisitive nature. And in true Larry fashion, he bought not just top quality fruit from Kessler-Haak vineyard, but three clones, of which he bottled three single clonal wines and one blend, just to see the differences. Structure and spice frame the fruit and herbal notes of the three clone blend, it’s a beautiful wine with food and on its own. The Verbiage Rouge 2014 is a Rhône-style blend with a nod to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, made up of 46% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre and 4% Cinsault. Each varietal was processed separately, which means foot stomping and whole cluster fermentation, then pressed and aged separately for 3 years in older French oak barrels. The Verbiage Rouge is a complex, earthy wine, with great fruit, acidity and structure, and a long lingering finish, perfect with food or on its own.
We also had the opportunity to taste the three single clonal bottlings of tercero’s Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir 2020 in this group. Larry finds Pinot Noir is like Grenache, “transparent, with a sense of place, and each clone brings something different”. The tercero Clone 115 Pinot Noir 2020 is classic Sta. Rita Hills, bright red fruit, spice and vibrant acidity. The tercero Pommard Clone Pinot Noir 2020 is more dark berry fruit and less acid, seemingly more powerful and structured. The tercero Clone 114 Pinot Noir 2020 is more earthy and textured, elegant with more structure and tannin, spice and perfectly ripe fruit round out this pinot “geeks” favorite.
Fourth and final course, a Cheese Plate allowed the Marsanne 2016 to shine. Larry was very excited about this wine, “I love both Marsanne and Roussanne, they are such atypical white varieties. I think they are thinking peoples’ whites because they fall outside of expectations”. He explained why the wine was served at room temperature, “This wine doesn’t have acid, so if I pour this wine cold, I’m trying to accentuate something that doesn’t exist, so it’s going to dumb down everything else that makes this wine beautiful. This wine is all about texture, though I will say that aromatically I’m pretty excited about it.” Larry compared his first white wine served, the Clairette Blanche, with this last white, the Marsanne, “side by side, they are the yin and the yang. The Clairette Blanche is all about acid, crispness and cleanness. This is all about weight, sticking it on your tongue and feeling how heavy it really is. Mouthfeel, it’s unctous and mouthcoating”. And it was rich, textural and aromatic, such a delight
Larry Schaffer with his tercero "The Outlier" wine
The wines of tercero are certainly a revelation, so lively and distinctive, and they encapsulate the essence of their maker, Larry Schaffer, who feels “the best is yet to come”. It’s been a time of “explosive exploration” for him and his wines, which is a key ingredient in where he is today, ecstatically happy and excited for the journey and the future.
Larry Schaffer in his Los Olivos tasting room, Courtesy of tercero wines
*** Visit Larry in his tercero wines tasting room, located in downtown Los Olivos, Thursday - Monday 11am-5pm, reservations recommended, and taste for yourself that wine road less traveled ***