Who says Santa Barbara is always provincial about its wine?
On July 20th, while The
Chardonnay Symposium and Bacon & Barrels were
in full swing to the north, the Winehound in Santa Barbara featured its
annual import tasting. Held at the SoHo nightclub, it featured a vast selection
of Spanish, French and Italian wines. There were some heavy hitters, but this
was also highlighted by a nice selection of good value wines in the $15-30
range featuring regions throughout Spain, France and Italy. Featured importers
included Martin Scott Wines, Eric Solomon Imports and Bedford International, among
others.
I posted a full
list of tasting notes on Cellartracker, but a few quick highlights included
the 2010
Château de Puligny-Montrachet Puligny-Montrachet for
its earthy bright citrus fruit and nice richness and structure; the 2012 AziendaAgricola
Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore for
its silky forward white floral fruit and massive structure; the 2010 Domaine de Marcoux
Châteauneuf-du-Pape for its layers of complex floral,
earthy mineral and cherry flavors; and the 2009 Hacienda
Monasterio Ribera del Duero Crianza for its wonderful depth, structure, and
notes of cherry, leather, tea and spice.
It was tough missing the
events that day in Santa Barbara Wine Country, but I enjoyed catching up with
some great wines from the old world!
