Clementine Carter

West Coast Grenache is better than ever, thriving among the coastal ranges and valley of the Central Coast. Santa Barbara County is really coming to the fore, and winemaker Sonja Magdevski has created a style all of her own that has the critics purring, and the wines selling our in no time. Welcome to the new generation of Grenache!

  • Region: Santa Barbara County
  • Winery Location: Lompoc
  • Owner: Sonja Magdevski
  • First Vintage: 2015
  • Winemaker: Sonja Magdevski

Story

In 2004, Sonja helped plant a tiny vineyard to Pinot Noir in an area called Point Dume, in Malibu (Los Angeles). While the almost tropical climate of Malibu was never going to be conducive to truly great wines, garagiste winemaking and viticulture exploration quickly led Sonja just a couple of hours north to the epic terroir of Santa Barbara Wine country, where she started sourcing Rhône varietals. That tiny vineyard in Malibu no longer exists as of 2015, so Clementine Carter was born, named after the character in Sonja’s favourite Western, “My Darling Clementine.” Clementine Carter was a woman on a journey to achieve her dreams she had never anticipated. Thus…Clementine Carter was a natural addition to carry the name of Sonja’s journey.

Vineyards

Sonja utilises the full depth of the Santa Ynez Valley, sourcing from outstanding vineyards from Los Alamos, to Sta. Rita Hills, to Ballard Canyon and beyond. They include some powerhouse addresses includeing Spear Estate, Lerner Vineyard, and Kimsey Vineyard.

Winemaking

Sonja’s gorgeous wines have received critical acclaim, and show the feminine, elegant side of Californian reds. She very selectively sources her fruit from some of the most exciting vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley, and crafts the wines alongside husband Greg Brewer at the renowned Brewer-Clifton winery, based in the town of Lompoc. From budbreak to bottle, Sonja leads every aspect of Clementine Carter with aplomb, and her wines are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Latest arrivals from Clementine Carter

2018 Clementine Carter, Grenache, Sta. Rita Hills 1x75cl

JD90
Blend: 100% Grenache Vintage production: 220 cases There are two sides to Grenache: the rich, deep and peppery wines, and those driven by elegance, purity and vibrancy. One of the best exponents of... the latter, more feminine style is winemaker Sonja Magdevski and her Clementine Carter label. Perfectly described as "Pinot Noir lover's Grenache" by Jeb Dunnuck, Sonja's wines are utterly joyous and unlike anything else in our cellar. Best of all, despite vineyard production topping out at just over 300 cases, they are astonishingly well-priced. Sonja produces tiny volumes of incredible Grenache, based around some brilliant vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Kimsey and Larner Vineyards are in Ballard Canyon, and in addition to Sonja, their fruit is sourced by some of THE greatest winemakers in California, including Jim Binns for his Andremily wines. Sonja also sources some awesome fruit in Sta. Rita Hills for her third cuvée.
£31 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £40.99 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days

2018 Clementine Carter, Larner Grenache, Santa Ynez Valley 1x75cl

JD93
Blend: 100% Grenache Vintage production: 125 cases There are two sides to Grenache: the rich, deep and peppery wines, and those driven by elegance, purity and vibrancy. One of the best exponents of... the latter, more feminine style is winemaker Sonja Magdevski and her Clementine Carter label. Perfectly described as "Pinot Noir lover's Grenache" by Jeb Dunnuck, Sonja's wines are utterly joyous and unlike anything else in our cellar. Best of all, despite vineyard production topping out at just over 300 cases, they are astonishingly well-priced. Sonja produces tiny volumes of incredible Grenache, based around some brilliant vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Kimsey and Larner Vineyards are in Ballard Canyon, and in addition to Sonja, their fruit is sourced by some of THE greatest winemakers in California, including Jim Binns for his Andremily wines. Sonja also sources some awesome fruit in Sta. Rita Hills for her third cuvée.
£39 / BottleDuty Status: Duty PaidAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days

2018 Clementine Carter, Kimsey Grenache, Santa Ynez Valley 1x75cl

JD92
Blend: 100% Grenache Vintage production: 317 cases There are two sides to Grenache: the rich, deep and peppery wines, and those driven by elegance, purity and vibrancy. One of the best exponents of... the latter, more feminine style is winemaker Sonja Magdevski and her Clementine Carter label. Perfectly described as "Pinot Noir lover's Grenache" by Jeb Dunnuck, Sonja's wines are utterly joyous and unlike anything else in our cellar. Best of all, despite vineyard production topping out at just over 300 cases, they are astonishingly well-priced. Sonja produces tiny volumes of incredible Grenache, based around some brilliant vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Kimsey and Larner Vineyards are in Ballard Canyon, and in addition to Sonja, their fruit is sourced by some of THE greatest winemakers in California, including Jim Binns for his Andremily wines. Sonja also sources some awesome fruit in Sta. Rita Hills for her third cuvée.
£36 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £46.40 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days

2018 Clementine Carter, Grenache, Sta. Rita Hills 12x75cl

JD90
Blend: 100% Grenache Vintage production: 220 cases There are two sides to Grenache: the rich, deep and peppery wines, and those driven by elegance, purity and vibrancy. One of the best exponents of... the latter, more feminine style is winemaker Sonja Magdevski and her Clementine Carter label. Perfectly described as "Pinot Noir lover's Grenache" by Jeb Dunnuck, Sonja's wines are utterly joyous and unlike anything else in our cellar. Best of all, despite vineyard production topping out at just over 300 cases, they are astonishingly well-priced. Sonja produces tiny volumes of incredible Grenache, based around some brilliant vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Kimsey and Larner Vineyards are in Ballard Canyon, and in addition to Sonja, their fruit is sourced by some of THE greatest winemakers in California, including Jim Binns for his Andremily wines. Sonja also sources some awesome fruit in Sta. Rita Hills for her third cuvée.
£365 / Case£30.42 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £483.50 / Case, £40.29 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days