I'm a sucker for lists. To satisfy my end of the year listing urge, I've made note of a few wines that I've had over the last year (mostly since I've started this blog) that stood out as special. I've linked back to original posting that mentioned them. Here's to more great wines in 2010!
Favorite Wines-
~Melville Terraces Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2006-
~Mount Langi "Ghiran Langi" Grampians Shiraz 2005-
~Everything I tasted at Chappellet-
~Beckmen Santa Ynez Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008-
~Adelaida Anna's Vineyard Paso Robles Syrah 2006-
~Clos Du Marquis Saint-Julien 1996-
~Chateau De Pez Saint-Estephe 2005-
~Ferraton "Le Parvis" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005-
~Juan Gil Jumilla Monastrell 2006-
~Pewsey Vale "Contours" Eden Valley Riesling 2003-
~Produttori del Barbaresco "Ovello" Barbaresco Riserva Piedmont 2004-
~Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Toscana 2004-
~Melville Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnay 2007-
~Dutton-Goldfield McDougal Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007-
~Dutton-Goldfield Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2007-
~Smith Madrone Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004-
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sonoma photos
These were the last photos that I needed to organize from the summer. Included in this last link are photos from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley; as well photos of the drive out to Sonoma Coast Beach. Wineries photographed include Robert Young, Quivira, Preston, Russian Hill, and Balletto/Dutton-Goldfield. Thanks for checking them out.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Napa Valley- Day 1 pics
I'm on a role on flickr.com- trying to get my photos from the summer uploaded and labeled. Click the link for more Napa Valley photos taken at Silverado, Rubicon, and Smith-Madrone. There's also a few from taken at Matanzas Creek in the Bennett Valley of Sonoma. Thanks for checking them out!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Paso Robles Pics
I finally was able to get my Paso Robles Wine Country photos uploaded, tagged, and put into a set on flicker. These photos are from the visit covered in an earlier post. We hit some high spots on the west side of Paso Robles starting on Adelaida Road and then down Vineyard Drive back to Hwy 46.
**Coming soon I'll have the remainder of my notes from Napa and Sonoma as well as pics.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Northern Sonoma Wine Country
After Paso Robles we headed over to the coast, through Big Sur & Monterey, and through San Francisco. Two days later, we were ready to head into Northern Sonoma. The plan was to hit some highlights in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the Russian River Valley.
Stop #1 was a tour and tasting at Robert Young Estate Winery in Alexander Valley. We met our guide and headed into the tour. Robert Young was a pioneering grape grower and among the first to grow wine grapes in the Alexander Valley. His vineyards were converted from prune orchards. Sadly, Mr. Young had passed away a few days prior to our visit. Several big-name wineries have been buying his chardonnay grapes for years, which are grown on the valley floor. The winery makes a serious Cabernet-based blend called Scion from hillside grapes. All of the wines are Alexander Valley estate grown.
The tour was a quick walk through the winery and into the caves; then it was on to the tasting. The only white wine they make is their Chardonnay. It was definitely of the big, buttery, and oaky style- with barrel and maloactic fermentation. I thought the buttery vanilla notes were a bit overbearing on the fruit, but there's definitely an audience for this style. We also had the Merlot which was nice but not overly memorable; and the Red Winery Road which is a Cab Franc dominated blend that I thought came off a little too lean and green. Where this stop was made was tasting an '03, '04, & '05 vertical of the Scion. All three were big, juicy, and complex Cabs with loads of dark fruit & spice braced with gripping tannins- completely enjoyable and reasonably priced in the high $50 range. All were drinking well- the '04 seemed the most ageworthy. The estate has beautiful views of the valley and the tasting/tour is a mere $5, a great little stop in Alexander Valley.
Next it was on to Dry Creek Valley for stops at Quivira Winery and Preston Vineyards & Winery. Quivira is known not only for their Zinfandel, but also for their commitment to sustainable environmental practices and biodynamic farming. Their Zinfandels included a Dry Creek Valley appellation and two single vineyard bottlings- Wine Creek Ranch & Anderson Ranch. The style of the Zins gives you that hedonistic big fruit on the front, but is balanced on the back with plenty of vanilla and peppery spice with well structured tannins. My favorite was the Wine Creek Ranch bottling- $34 for a single vineyard Zin. The Dry Creek Valley Zin is a steal for $20 as well. They also make Rhone-style varietals and Sauvignon Blanc- all that we tasted were good wines but the Zins are the star here. It was also a great stop to walk around and see Wine Creek and the great views of the valley.
Preston is a neat & homey little organic farm and winery. They make a full assortment of wines including Zinfandel, Rhone Varietals, Italian Varietals, and Sauvignon Blanc; and they take a minimalist approach in their winemaking. The standouts were definitely the Vin Gris, a Cinsault and Mourvedre-based Rose that was bright and crisp with lots of tart red fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc was a standout- lots of citrus fruit, stone & grassiness. Of the reds- they had a nice Zinfandel and Barbera. The last wine I tasted was a Syrah, it had a vegetal characteristic and wasn't quite up to par with the others. Overall another solid stop though, and they also make some really tasty olive oil. Wine prices are in the $20 and $30 range.
Taking scenic Westside Road from Dry Creek Valley down into Russian River Valley, we headed to Russian Hill Winery and then to the Dutton-Goldfield Winery tasting room at Balletto Winery. Russian Hill is located south of the river right in the middle of the appellation, next door Sonoma Cutrer's "Cutrer" Vineyard. They specialize in food-friendly Pinot Noir; also making Chardonnay, Syrah, and Viognier. They weren't pouring any of their single vineyard Pinots, but both the Russian River Valley and the Estate Vineyards Pinots were outstanding- great acidity and texture with bright fruit and some earthiness. The Russian River Valley bottling was a newly released 2007 vintage. Both were in the $30 range and excellent quality in the price range. The Viognier was stainless steel fermented without maloactic fermentation- very floral with nice ripe fruit, good acidity & body. It stood out the most other than the Pinot Noir. The winery has a nice little patio with awesome views of the vineyards below.
The Dutton-Goldfield tasting room is located at Balletto Winery on the south end of the appellation. They make mostly single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a few other varietals thrown in. As for the Pinots, there were two different styles being poured- the Dutton Ranch Pinot from Russian River Valley was the more fruit forward, and the McDougal Ranch Pinot from the cool reaches of the Northern Sonoma Coast was bigger, richer, and earthier wine. $38/2007 and $55/2006 respectively. Both were awesome wines. The 2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a solid Burgundian style with judicious notes of oak and lots of acidic fruit. There was also an awesome Russian River Valley Zinfandel- very elegant and complex; and Green Valley Gewurztraminer that was nice and tasty. Probably the most impressive lineup of the day overall, and many thanks to our friendly pourer for the free shipping box!
This day was probably the best overall of the trip. There was such a great variety of wines, friendly people, and great scenery. We were able to cap the day off with a drive following the river out to the coast. Pretty spectacular stuff.
Robert Young Winery, Alexander Valley
Robert Young Chardonnay Vineyards
Alexander Valley
View into the vineyards at Quivira, Dry Creek Valley
The tasting room at Preston, Dry Creek Valley 
Vineyards in Russian River Valley, north near Dry Creek Valley
View into the vineyards at Russian Hill Winery, Russian River Valley
The tasting room at Baletto/Dutton-Goldfield, Russian River ValleyTuesday, July 28, 2009
Paso Robles- Westside- June 2009
There was half of a day to do a quick jaunt into Paso Robles wine country as we headed out to the coast. I chose a few westside spots partly for convenience, but mainly because the westside was my primary interest... the general idea being that the east side of Paso is where you'll find the big, full, & sometimes overripe red wines, and that the west side is where you'll find a more balanced style with a little more finesse due the influence of slightly cooler air.
The first stop was Adelaida Cellars in the "Far Out" area up in the mountains toward the coast. Quickly out of Paso Robles you get into the twisting mountainous Adelaida Road and then to Adelaida Cellars. Arriving soon after they opened, we had sharp palates and the full attention of the tasting room staff. Adelaida is one of those wineries that runs the whole gamut as far as varietals go. Sometimes this can be a negative, but in this case it works very well. The mountains west of Paso Robles provide a great degree of geographic diversity within close range. They have a vineyard (HMR) who's elevation and proximity to the ocean moderate the temperature making it very suitable for Burgundian grapes. Also, HMR runs along a limestone shale underground that makes it very suitable for Rhone varietals like Syrah. Their Viking Estate Vineyard is located nearby on the south end of the Santa Lucia Mountains. The high elevation sunshine and 50 degree diurnal temperature variations help produce very complex and elegant Cabernet.
We tasted through a lineup that included standouts Pavanne; a Rousanne & Grenache Blanc based white that mixes in small amounts of Viognier and Chardonnay. It was a beautiful wine with loads of generous fruit, moderate acidity, and a complex & floral nose... I picked up a bottle for around $20. The HMR Estate Chardonnay (around $30) was a nice Burgundian style Chardonnay showcasing minerality and acidity. The Anna's Estate Syrah (around $30) was right there with any of the Syrah that I had in Santa Barbara. It was that perfect mix of cool climate finesse and ripe fruit tannins that I had been looking for... all laced with peppery spice, leather, and olive notes. Finally, the Viking Estate Reserve Cabernet was truly exceptional. Like the Syrah, it did a great job balancing finesse and power. Dark fruits, mint, coffee, and ripe tannins beautifully structured together. At $75, I made the mistake of passing on a bottle (Napa was still ahead on the itinerary), but this baby was easily as good as any of the Cabs still to come. They also make a very well regarded Pinot Noir... not being poured when we were there. Everything was very solid all the way around, and with the variety this would make a good choice for a wine club membership in my opinion.
Next it was on to Tablas Creek. It was founded in the late 80's as a joint partnership between the Perrin family of Southern Rhone fame (Chateau de Beaucastel) and American importer Robert Haas. Since its inception it's been at the forefront of Rhone varietal growing and winemaking in the U.S. (they were using Tablas clones at Beckmen in Santa Ynez). They chose the hills west of Paso Robles as an ideal place to grow Rhone varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Marsanne, Rousanne, etc. All of the grapes are estate grown and organically farmed ( as were many of the wineries I visited on the trip). Like wines from the Southern Rhone Valley, most of their wines are blends of several varietals.
It was another good choice of places to visit, and the wines were all very solid. Standouts included an excellent limited edition unoaked Chardonnay that would make an excellent food pairing wine- very much a Chablis style with pronounced mineral notes & acidity coupled with bright notes of pear. It's one of the few non-Rhone varietal wines they make. Of course, their signature Esprit de Beaucastel (Mourvedre-based) red was a real treat... in the style of a Chateauneuf du Pape but with a little more vibrant red fruit. I also liked their Rose (Mourvedre-based). Also of interest, they make a Tannat if you're interested in trying something different... it's a tannic red grape from SW France. The wines were all priced appropriately between $25 to just under $50.
After a scenic route down Vineyard Drive, we hit the bustling Peachy Canyon Winery tasting room off of Highway 46 to try some Zins. We had several of their single vineyard Zinfandels, all of them showcasing the terroir of various sites around Paso Robles. Their style tends to show generous herb and spice notes nicely balanced with the fruit. Generally not the overripe and high alcohol style. We enjoyed them all and I left with a bottle of the Mustang Ranch Zin ($34).
Hey, I know that I'm doling out alot of praise... I live in Georgia and get maybe one crack a year to head west for wine tasting. I have to make it count... so alot of research and thought went into the stops. Thankfully, the thought payed off in Paso Robles and elsewhere, so the notes are mostly positive. From there, we headed west and north up through Big Sur and then up to Napa and Sonoma.
Adelaida Cellars, Paso Robles
Tablas Creek, Paso Robles
Old Zinfandel vines, Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles
Peachy Canyon Tasting Room @ Old School House Vineyard
The first stop was Adelaida Cellars in the "Far Out" area up in the mountains toward the coast. Quickly out of Paso Robles you get into the twisting mountainous Adelaida Road and then to Adelaida Cellars. Arriving soon after they opened, we had sharp palates and the full attention of the tasting room staff. Adelaida is one of those wineries that runs the whole gamut as far as varietals go. Sometimes this can be a negative, but in this case it works very well. The mountains west of Paso Robles provide a great degree of geographic diversity within close range. They have a vineyard (HMR) who's elevation and proximity to the ocean moderate the temperature making it very suitable for Burgundian grapes. Also, HMR runs along a limestone shale underground that makes it very suitable for Rhone varietals like Syrah. Their Viking Estate Vineyard is located nearby on the south end of the Santa Lucia Mountains. The high elevation sunshine and 50 degree diurnal temperature variations help produce very complex and elegant Cabernet.
We tasted through a lineup that included standouts Pavanne; a Rousanne & Grenache Blanc based white that mixes in small amounts of Viognier and Chardonnay. It was a beautiful wine with loads of generous fruit, moderate acidity, and a complex & floral nose... I picked up a bottle for around $20. The HMR Estate Chardonnay (around $30) was a nice Burgundian style Chardonnay showcasing minerality and acidity. The Anna's Estate Syrah (around $30) was right there with any of the Syrah that I had in Santa Barbara. It was that perfect mix of cool climate finesse and ripe fruit tannins that I had been looking for... all laced with peppery spice, leather, and olive notes. Finally, the Viking Estate Reserve Cabernet was truly exceptional. Like the Syrah, it did a great job balancing finesse and power. Dark fruits, mint, coffee, and ripe tannins beautifully structured together. At $75, I made the mistake of passing on a bottle (Napa was still ahead on the itinerary), but this baby was easily as good as any of the Cabs still to come. They also make a very well regarded Pinot Noir... not being poured when we were there. Everything was very solid all the way around, and with the variety this would make a good choice for a wine club membership in my opinion.
Next it was on to Tablas Creek. It was founded in the late 80's as a joint partnership between the Perrin family of Southern Rhone fame (Chateau de Beaucastel) and American importer Robert Haas. Since its inception it's been at the forefront of Rhone varietal growing and winemaking in the U.S. (they were using Tablas clones at Beckmen in Santa Ynez). They chose the hills west of Paso Robles as an ideal place to grow Rhone varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Marsanne, Rousanne, etc. All of the grapes are estate grown and organically farmed ( as were many of the wineries I visited on the trip). Like wines from the Southern Rhone Valley, most of their wines are blends of several varietals.
It was another good choice of places to visit, and the wines were all very solid. Standouts included an excellent limited edition unoaked Chardonnay that would make an excellent food pairing wine- very much a Chablis style with pronounced mineral notes & acidity coupled with bright notes of pear. It's one of the few non-Rhone varietal wines they make. Of course, their signature Esprit de Beaucastel (Mourvedre-based) red was a real treat... in the style of a Chateauneuf du Pape but with a little more vibrant red fruit. I also liked their Rose (Mourvedre-based). Also of interest, they make a Tannat if you're interested in trying something different... it's a tannic red grape from SW France. The wines were all priced appropriately between $25 to just under $50.
After a scenic route down Vineyard Drive, we hit the bustling Peachy Canyon Winery tasting room off of Highway 46 to try some Zins. We had several of their single vineyard Zinfandels, all of them showcasing the terroir of various sites around Paso Robles. Their style tends to show generous herb and spice notes nicely balanced with the fruit. Generally not the overripe and high alcohol style. We enjoyed them all and I left with a bottle of the Mustang Ranch Zin ($34).
Hey, I know that I'm doling out alot of praise... I live in Georgia and get maybe one crack a year to head west for wine tasting. I have to make it count... so alot of research and thought went into the stops. Thankfully, the thought payed off in Paso Robles and elsewhere, so the notes are mostly positive. From there, we headed west and north up through Big Sur and then up to Napa and Sonoma.
Adelaida Cellars, Paso Robles
Tablas Creek, Paso Robles
Old Zinfandel vines, Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles
Peachy Canyon Tasting Room @ Old School House VineyardThursday, July 23, 2009
Santa Barbara Wine Country- June '09
2009's wine country road trip started with a flight into LA on a Thursday morning and a quick jaunt up into Santa Barbara. By the time we finally made our way over the San Marcos Pass and into Santa Ynez Valley, we had time for a quick stop at Beckmen Vineyards to kick things off.
I had enjoyed their Cuvee Le Bec before (a Southern Rhone style blend) and had read about them otherwise, so I was looking forward to the stop. Walking in, the winemaker Steve Beckmen and the pourer were engaged with another party, so we looked over the two tasting options and opted for the basic tasting. Getting into the tasting we were able to get quite a few pours from the reserve list, so it all worked out.
Having just gotten off of a long early morning flight, talking to the winemaker was kind of blowing my mind... and my palate wasn't really connecting either. With that in mind, what I did enjoy were a couple of really good Sauvignon Blancs. The 2007 and 2008 Estates both were great wines. The 2007 being an explosive tropical fruit style not unlike a New Zealand SB, with the 2008 switching to a more traditional California style with notes of tree fruit and grassiness. Of the other wines I tasted, I was really taken by their Grenache. There was a Rose, an Estate bottling, and a Purisma Mountain vineyard bottling. The reds really over-delivered on grip and tannins- more than I expected from a Grenache. I also tasted a reserve and a Purisma Mountain Syrah. Opposite of the Grenache, the Syrahs gave less tannin and grip than expected, but the finesse was nice. I thought the Estate Syrah was a pretty good buy... would have to revisit the Purisma Mountain Syrah another time to get a good opinion on it.
Beckmen's wines are all in the $20-$50 price range, and they hold their own in their price points. The question with them is style. To me, their Rhone varietal reds have alot of mellow fruit and sweet spice notes. On the syrahs, they're lighter on the tannins and peppery notes that you might expect.
We ate dinner that night at the Hitching Post II. The steak was awesome as advertised. The wines on the other hand were a little disappointing. I tried the Santa Rita's Earth Pinot Noir and the Syrah. Both were all fruit, and seemed deflated by a lack of acidity and tannins. I probably should have tried the Highliner Pinot Noir to get a real feel for them. Again, it was long day and my palate could have been off...
The next day started with a tour at Melville Winery in Santa Rita Hills. Like Beckmen, Melville is all estate grown. Like most in Santa Rita Hills, Burgundian varietals are the focus. I'd been to the winery before and was already a fan; this trip further solidified my fandom. The tasting room manager hooked us up with a great tour that included a little jaunt out into the vineyards. We got to see newly formed clusters of chardonnay and syrah as she pointed out the differences between them.
As for the wines- we tasted though the Verna's & Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnays. Melville's Chardonnays are barrel fermented in mostly neutral oak and with just a little bit of maloactic fermentation, you get alot of nuanced fruit, minerality, and acidity... a Burgundian style that's really pleasing. The Pinot Noirs were from the estate small lot collection- Carrie's and The Terraces. Both of these wines are big and extremely complex- completely fantastic wines that you'll want to hang onto for a while. North of $50 per bottle, they're more than worth the price. There's alot of technical information on their website on the clones, vineyard practices, and winemaking practices for these wines (http://www.melvillewinery.com/)... too much to get into here. As for their other wines, they make a few Syrahs. We tasted the Estate Syrah... it's nice but a little anticlimatic after the Pinot's. Cool climate, lighter in style, finesse. I tend to like Santa Ynez Syrah over the Santa Rita Hills ones. The Verna's Viognier was really good- great aromatics, fruit, enough acidity... really nice. Thanks again Melville for a great visit.
As for the rest of the day, we hit the tasting room at Lafond in Santa Rita Hills. Some quick notes on Lafond- big, buttery, oaky Chardonnays, one was from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard... good but not my favorite style; solid Pinot Noir- generous red fruit but nice balance with earthiness & spice- nice value on the Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir at $27; I wasn't big on the Syrah- felt like it needed more tannins. Overall I liked Lafond, but I would gravitate to the SRH line in the $20 range- really good values from a small collection of vineyards in Santa Rita Hills. Their single vineyard wines were good too, but the SRH line really delivers on bang for the buck.
Next we were at River Bench Winery in Santa Maria Valley. It is all estate grown fruit from the long standing River Bench Vineyard. They made a Pinot Noir Rose which I wasn't really into; three different Chardonnays that ranged from an unoaked style to a fully oaked maloactic style- all very good; and two Pinot Noirs. I liked their Pinot Noir. Differing from what I had in Santa Rita Hills, this was lighter in color & a little more fragrant with a really pronounced spice notes & acidity- the tannins and earthiness lurking in the background. All these wines ranged from $24 to $42- all fairly priced.
Finally on our way out of SB County we stopped at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley. It was "free tasting Friday" so we just tasted through some of the basics. The n/v Brut sparkler was very nice; they had a great little Pinot Gris; and their Pinot Noirs delivered as well. It was the end of the day, so my palate wasn't as sharp... I'd love to revisit and spend a little more time at Laetitia...
And then it was on to Paso Robles....
So putting this visit to Santa Barbara County into a synapsis... The Pinot Noirs excelled in both Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. The Chardonnay's were solid as well. I didn't find a Syrah (or other Rhone varietal) that I loved at any of the stops... I'd try Beckmen again and next time I'll get to Zaca Mesa and the Qupe tasting room.... Didn't try any Bordeaux varietal (other than Beckmen's excellent Sauv Bl) or Cal/Ital styles this time... Beckmen has a Cab on their list but wanted to pour something else instead.
At Beckmen, Santa Ynez Valley.
Melville Winery & Vineyards, plus newly formed chardonnay clusters- Santa Rita Hills
At Lafond, Santa Rita Hills.
The tasting room and vineyards at Riverbench Winery in Santa Maria Valley.
The tasting room and vineyards at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley.
I had enjoyed their Cuvee Le Bec before (a Southern Rhone style blend) and had read about them otherwise, so I was looking forward to the stop. Walking in, the winemaker Steve Beckmen and the pourer were engaged with another party, so we looked over the two tasting options and opted for the basic tasting. Getting into the tasting we were able to get quite a few pours from the reserve list, so it all worked out.
Having just gotten off of a long early morning flight, talking to the winemaker was kind of blowing my mind... and my palate wasn't really connecting either. With that in mind, what I did enjoy were a couple of really good Sauvignon Blancs. The 2007 and 2008 Estates both were great wines. The 2007 being an explosive tropical fruit style not unlike a New Zealand SB, with the 2008 switching to a more traditional California style with notes of tree fruit and grassiness. Of the other wines I tasted, I was really taken by their Grenache. There was a Rose, an Estate bottling, and a Purisma Mountain vineyard bottling. The reds really over-delivered on grip and tannins- more than I expected from a Grenache. I also tasted a reserve and a Purisma Mountain Syrah. Opposite of the Grenache, the Syrahs gave less tannin and grip than expected, but the finesse was nice. I thought the Estate Syrah was a pretty good buy... would have to revisit the Purisma Mountain Syrah another time to get a good opinion on it.
Beckmen's wines are all in the $20-$50 price range, and they hold their own in their price points. The question with them is style. To me, their Rhone varietal reds have alot of mellow fruit and sweet spice notes. On the syrahs, they're lighter on the tannins and peppery notes that you might expect.
We ate dinner that night at the Hitching Post II. The steak was awesome as advertised. The wines on the other hand were a little disappointing. I tried the Santa Rita's Earth Pinot Noir and the Syrah. Both were all fruit, and seemed deflated by a lack of acidity and tannins. I probably should have tried the Highliner Pinot Noir to get a real feel for them. Again, it was long day and my palate could have been off...
The next day started with a tour at Melville Winery in Santa Rita Hills. Like Beckmen, Melville is all estate grown. Like most in Santa Rita Hills, Burgundian varietals are the focus. I'd been to the winery before and was already a fan; this trip further solidified my fandom. The tasting room manager hooked us up with a great tour that included a little jaunt out into the vineyards. We got to see newly formed clusters of chardonnay and syrah as she pointed out the differences between them.
As for the wines- we tasted though the Verna's & Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnays. Melville's Chardonnays are barrel fermented in mostly neutral oak and with just a little bit of maloactic fermentation, you get alot of nuanced fruit, minerality, and acidity... a Burgundian style that's really pleasing. The Pinot Noirs were from the estate small lot collection- Carrie's and The Terraces. Both of these wines are big and extremely complex- completely fantastic wines that you'll want to hang onto for a while. North of $50 per bottle, they're more than worth the price. There's alot of technical information on their website on the clones, vineyard practices, and winemaking practices for these wines (http://www.melvillewinery.com/)... too much to get into here. As for their other wines, they make a few Syrahs. We tasted the Estate Syrah... it's nice but a little anticlimatic after the Pinot's. Cool climate, lighter in style, finesse. I tend to like Santa Ynez Syrah over the Santa Rita Hills ones. The Verna's Viognier was really good- great aromatics, fruit, enough acidity... really nice. Thanks again Melville for a great visit.
As for the rest of the day, we hit the tasting room at Lafond in Santa Rita Hills. Some quick notes on Lafond- big, buttery, oaky Chardonnays, one was from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard... good but not my favorite style; solid Pinot Noir- generous red fruit but nice balance with earthiness & spice- nice value on the Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir at $27; I wasn't big on the Syrah- felt like it needed more tannins. Overall I liked Lafond, but I would gravitate to the SRH line in the $20 range- really good values from a small collection of vineyards in Santa Rita Hills. Their single vineyard wines were good too, but the SRH line really delivers on bang for the buck.
Next we were at River Bench Winery in Santa Maria Valley. It is all estate grown fruit from the long standing River Bench Vineyard. They made a Pinot Noir Rose which I wasn't really into; three different Chardonnays that ranged from an unoaked style to a fully oaked maloactic style- all very good; and two Pinot Noirs. I liked their Pinot Noir. Differing from what I had in Santa Rita Hills, this was lighter in color & a little more fragrant with a really pronounced spice notes & acidity- the tannins and earthiness lurking in the background. All these wines ranged from $24 to $42- all fairly priced.
Finally on our way out of SB County we stopped at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley. It was "free tasting Friday" so we just tasted through some of the basics. The n/v Brut sparkler was very nice; they had a great little Pinot Gris; and their Pinot Noirs delivered as well. It was the end of the day, so my palate wasn't as sharp... I'd love to revisit and spend a little more time at Laetitia...
And then it was on to Paso Robles....
So putting this visit to Santa Barbara County into a synapsis... The Pinot Noirs excelled in both Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. The Chardonnay's were solid as well. I didn't find a Syrah (or other Rhone varietal) that I loved at any of the stops... I'd try Beckmen again and next time I'll get to Zaca Mesa and the Qupe tasting room.... Didn't try any Bordeaux varietal (other than Beckmen's excellent Sauv Bl) or Cal/Ital styles this time... Beckmen has a Cab on their list but wanted to pour something else instead.
At Beckmen, Santa Ynez Valley.
Melville Winery & Vineyards, plus newly formed chardonnay clusters- Santa Rita Hills
At Lafond, Santa Rita Hills.
The tasting room and vineyards at Riverbench Winery in Santa Maria Valley.
The tasting room and vineyards at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley.Sunday, July 19, 2009
Santa Barbara County Pictures
Last month I took a week-long jaunt through some of the highlights of California wine country. The trip included stops in Santa Barbara County, Paso Robles, Sonoma County, and Napa Valley. My son took tons of pictures, many of them turned out quite good. I'll end up using many of the pictures while writing about the wineries in various posts, but if you're interested I have all my Santa Barbara pictures up and tagged on flickr... check them out... http://www.flickr.com/photos/35155188@N06/.
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