The last 2.5 years (in pictures)

Life and work catch up with you sometimes. Alas, a break from this blog for the past 2.5 years. In the interest of catching up, below is a photo log of the fascinating wine journeys I've taken in that time. I've continued writing notes on Cellartracker (MattMauldin), and post most of my wine stuff on Instagram (Matt_Mauldin). Cheers!

Bien Nacido Vineyard- August 2013

Syrah at Zaca Mesa finishing veraison- August 2013

Wine & Fire, Santa Rita Hills- August 2013

Wrapped & ready at Clos Pepe Vineyard- Sept 2013

Syrah coming in at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2013

Vineyard tour at Clos Pepe with Wes Hagen- Nov 2013

Transcendent- Dec 2013

Bud break in Santa Maria Valley- February 2014

Grenache Blanc vines in bloom in front of the winery at Zaca Mesa- April 2014

Unforgettable dinner at Ma Cuisine in Beaune- with a 2005 Louis Latour Corton-Grancey- April 2014

Tasting Clos des Lambrays in the cellar at Domaine des Lambrays- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

DRC- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Transcendent tasting at Chapoutier- April 2014

At the top of Cornas while visiting Alain Voge

Saint-Joseph (north toward Condrieu)- April 2014

Chateau Grillet- April 2014

Cote-Rotie- April 2014

Gigondas- May 2014

Chateauneuf-du-Pape- May 2014

Concrete fermenters at Domaine de Monpertuis, CDP- May 2014

Fruit set and coulure and Zaca Mesa- May 2014

Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge, Sonoma Coast- July 2014

Last harvest of Chardonnay from the Zaca Mesa vineyard- August 2014

Sangiovese vines at Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon- August 2014

Destemming at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2014

Syrah aging in clay amphora at Zaca Mesa - Oct 2014

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills - November 2014

Grenache Blanc, ready for bud break - early March 2015

In Pursuit of Balance in SF - March 2015

Frog's Leap, Napa Valley- March 2015

Eric Mohseni at Zaca Mesa showing off Grenache vines - June 2015

Black Bear Block Syrah, planted 1978, Zaca Mesa - June 2015

Cristom, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley- June 2015

K Vineyard, Phil Lane, Walla Walla- June 2015

Fiddlestix Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, August 2015

Thomas Fogarty Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, Sept 2015

Morning fog in the Santa Maria Valley, as seen from Foxen Canyon, Sept 2015

First Fall rains at Zaca Mesa, November 2015

Tasting 2015 Zaca Mesa from barrel, clay amphora, concrete and tank- with Dane & Kristin

The Winehound's annual European import tasting

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!

New direction

After a year and a half sabbatical from full-time employment in the wine industry, ironically due to a cross country move to a wine producing area, I'm happy to say that my career path is once again clear. I've taken a California Regional Manager position with Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards here in Santa Barbara County. 

I'm not sure what I want to do with the blog going forward. I'll add content that I feel good about and have time to write (time being the key factor), but the writing I'm sure will take a different approach. If you've checked in and read my posts over the past two years- thank you! I hope to see you out in wine country sometime soon!

Complex summer whites

When I think of summer whites, I tend to think of light and refreshing quaffers. Summer's a carefree time of year, and al fresco picnics, summer barbecue, or hanging out by the pool isn't always the time to sit and think about your wine. But if you are looking for something with a little more complexity and versatility, I've had two wines recently that can work in either direction.

Dirty & Rowdy Family Wines 2012 Skin and Concrete Fermented Semillon, Yountville, Napa Valley is 2nd release of this skin-macerated 100% Semillon. It's a little less viscous than the inaugural release, but still has that wonderful complexity, tannic structure, and acid backbone that I liked in the 2011. It's a cloudy bright gold color with perfumy aromas of lemon and orange zest, savory spice, earth, and frommage. The palate is bright, adding mineral depth to compliment the melange of flavors. There's a nice rich feel and presence on the palate, gaining a slight bitterness and salinity on the finish that adds a nice dimension. This would be great with brie, or a citrusy halibut.

A visit to the Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley was a nice refresher on their wonderful lineup of Sauvignon Blanc. The Brander 2011 Estate Sauvignon Blanc au Naturel, Santa Ynez Valley is notable for its 24 hours of skin contact during fermentation, giving the wine added complexity and depth before finishing fermentation and aging in stainless steel. The bright grapefruit and gooseberry is there, but is balanced by layered notes of dried herb, lavender and hints of spice. This is a great California Sauvignon Blanc. I'd like this with a grilled barbecue chicken and a summer salad.