Claudia Springs Winery

In the spring of 1989, Claudia and Bob Klindt were traveling through the Anderson Valley during a weekend trip. At the time, Bob, who was employed as a social worker in Santa Clara County, had already demonstrated winemaking prowess with several prizewinning homemade wines. Somewhere near the rural community of Philo, surrounded by Anderson Valley's vineyards and conifer and oak covered hills, they discovered a home and 20 acres for sale. The property was offered by Anderson Valley wine pioneer Milla Handley and included an assortment of winemaking equipment. The Klindts had dreamt of leaving the fast pace of city life, and it didn't take long for ideas to spring. By the fall of that year, the Klindts had sold their San Jose home, purchased Milla's old property, and Claudia Springs Winery was born.

With winemaker Bob Klindt at the barrels, the winery produced 550 cases of Chardonnay in the first year.  Bob coupled his own experience with extension classes in enology at U.C. Davis, and his Chardonnay evolved over ensuing vintages, culminating with a gold medal at the Mendocino County Fair Commercial Wine Competition.  The winery began expanding into the Pinot Noir and Zinfandel varietals.  These wines have garnered more than their share of gold and double gold medals in recent years.  In 2001 and 2002 their Zinfandels were named to the Wine Enthusiast list of Top 100 Wines of the Year.

In 1998, Bob and Claudia formed a partnership with extended family members to develop 13 acres of vineyards.  The initial planting consisted of 8 acres of Pinot Noir and 2 acres of Pinot Gris. 

From those initial 550 cases, Claudia Springs has grown to an annual production of 2,500 cases. Every bit of the work, from crushing and pressing to bottling, is done by Bob and Claudia.  Their hands-on approach maintains strict, personal quality control.  This philosophy, steeped in sound winemaking techniques and friendly business principals, has allowed them to build a solid customer base ranging from individual wine lovers to some of the West's finest restaurants and retail outlets. 

Klindt Estate

Anderson Valley

The Klindt Vineyard lies at the extreme western end of the beautiful and remote Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. Known as the "deep end" in the Boontling lingo of the valley's early residents, this is the coolest and most fog prone portion of the appellation.  Running up from the valley floor in what is referred to as the Guntly Draw, there is a stretch of small vineyards which have been gaining in stature as being among the valley's elite.  The Klindt Vineyard lies at the top of this draw, and on the back side Pete's Pasture Gulch runs westward returning to the valley floor.  It is up this gulch that the cold air and occasional fog that move up the Navarro River from the ocean 17 miles away find their way to the vineyard.  This helps define the unique micro-climate that contributes to the intense favors, firm acid and fine structure of the ensuing wines.    

Planted in 1998, the vineyard consists of 8 ½ acres of Pinot Noir and 2 acres of Pinot Gris on a south by southwest facing slope. The soil consists of about 18 inches of heavy clay loam overlying a layer of fractured rock.  These marginal soils, coupled with the cold climate, cause the vines to struggle and naturally limit production to an average of 2.6 ton an acre.  The carefully selected Pinot Noir consists of 35 % Pommard clones 4 and 5 which provide the core of the wines with their contribution of red and black fruit and firm acid.  20% is clone 115 which adds bright fruit tones, aroma and depth, and 20 % is clone 113, from which comes structure, spice and aromatics.  The remaining smaller blocks are 667 and 777 with red fruit, chocolate and earth notes.  The Pinot Gris is clone 152. 

Farmed sustainably, the Klindt family has worked diligently to improve what was already a great site.  Regular additions of compost and annual cover crops of sweet pea, fava beans and barley rye, have brought to the soil essential nutrients and structure which enable the vines to mature the fruit consistently.  Careful pruning, deficit watering and crop thinning ensure the concentration of flavors highly sought after by Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris enthusiasts.