A few tastings of current Spanish releases in recent weeks, including the Spanish Wine Cellar trade show last month, have driven home for me two facts: Spanish wines are not only great bargains, they are also ideally suited to the American palate.

Spain is the world’s third largest wine producer, after France and Italy. In 2010, Spain produced 13.6% of the world’s wine. By comparison, the U.S., the world’s fourth largest producer, was responsible for 10.6% of world production.

Wine production in Spain is somewhat unique in several respects. The wineries there tend to be bigger than wineries elsewhere, owning much more vineyard acreage than the average producer in other countries. Yields are also lower in Spain than elsewhere. This is due both to the advanced age of many vineyards, as well as to the relatively arid conditions in many wine regions, which led them to be more sparsely planted, at least until vineyard irrigation was legalized in 1996.

vineyards in Rioja, photo courtesy VibrantRioja.com

Spanish producers also traditionally age their red wines much longer, to ensure they are ready to drink when purchased. Finally, the proportion of American oak barrels used for aging tends to be much higher than elsewhere, where more expensive French oak has become the norm. Increasing amounts of French oak are, however, also being used in Spain.

One can buy sparkling wines, refreshing dry whites, mature reds that are ready to drink, and sweet wines from Spain for a fraction of the cost of similar wines from most other countries—we’re talking wines ranging from $7 to $17. And due to the extensive aging, American consumers who typically want a red wine they can enjoy with dinner right after they bring it home can count on that kind of maturity with a Spanish wine, especially at the Reserva and Gran Reserva levels, as explained below.

Yes, there are more expensive wines from Spain too. Most of those tend to be modern, international style wines that have received high ratings from Robert Parker, or his Spanish critic for awhile, Jay Miller. Those wines are generally flashy, highly concentrated, fruit forward wines, virtually indistinguishable from the kind of wines Parker has rated highly from everywhere else.

The bargains can be found in the 98% of everything else that Spain produces, including wines from indigenous varieties found only in Spain.

In selecting Spanish wines, it’s important to know something about the predominant grape varieties, the leading regions, and the classifications—both those that indicate the amount of barrel aging as well as those intended to indicate quality levels.

Although Spain claims to have over 600 indigenous grape varieties, 80% of production is based on only 20 varieties. The red grape commonly associated with Spain, Tempranillo, is only the second most widely grown grape, after Airen, a white grape whose production is largely for brandy. Other major red grapes are Garnacha (known as Grenache in most of the rest of the world, but originally from Spain), Cariñena (known as Carignan elsewhere), Monastrell (known as Mourvèdre elsewhere) and Graciano. The primary white grapes that produce the dry, flavorful, good white wine values from Spain are Albariño, Verdejo and Macabeo (also known as Viura).

a selection of Cavas

The sparkling Cavas are traditionally made from a combination of Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada, although some Chardonnay is also being used these days. The grapes that are the basis for Sherry, fortified wines from southern Spain that range from very dry to intensely sweet, are Palomino and Pedro Ximénez.

Sherry

International varieties have also been increasingly planted in Spain in the last two decades. The most important of those are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

The leading wine region traditionally in Spain, where many of the largest and most important producers are still to be found, is Rioja. Rioja got a boost from a lot of French investment and advice in the late 1800s, when the phylloxera louse began to devastate French and other European vineyards decades before it reached the middle of Spain. Tempranillo blends, long aged mainly in American oak, continue to dominate production here, and lots of good values can be found.

great older Riojas

Ribera del Duero is another major region known primarily for its Tempranillo and Tempranillo blends. The Priorat is a newer wine growing region where Grenache dominates, often in blends including international varieties.

The great sources of white wines are Rías Baixas in the cooler, northwest region of Galicia, and the Penedès in Catalonia on the northeastern coast.

Two indications of quality are the classifications DO, for Denominación de Origen, and DOCa, for Denominación de Origen Calificada. There are now 66 regions with DO status, but only two DOCa’s so far–the newer category for DOs that have a consistent track record for quality. The two DOCa’s are Rioja and Priorat.

Most of the DOs have their own controlling bodies that dictate regulations for that DO, governing everything from viticultural practices to the minimum requirements for barrel and bottle aging. The primary categories established by law indicating the amount of barrel aging, however, are Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.

“Joven,” meaning young, are white, red or rosé wines sold the year following the vintage, with little or no time in oak. These tend to be lighter, fruitier wines made for drinking within a year or two. Some producers may add the term “Roble,” meaning oak, to indicate when such wines have spent some time in barrel or cask, but less than the six months required for Crianzas.

The “Crianza” label on red wines indicates they have been aged at least 24 months, at least six months of that in oak and the rest in bottle. In Rioja and Ribera del Duero, the regulatory authorities raised that to at least 12 months in oak. Crianza whites and rosés require at least 12 months aging, at least six of that in oak.

one producer’s Gran Reserva, Reserva and Crianza

Climbing up the ladder of cellar aging, and usually quality, are “Reserva” wines. Reds with this labeling must be aged at least 36 months, at least 12 of those in oak. White and rosé reservas, which are rarer, must be aged at least 24 months, with a minimum of six in oak.

“Gran Reservas” are made only in the best vintages, or from the best selection of grapes in a given vintage. Red Gran Reservas will have spent at least five years aging, at least 18 months of that in oak. Many producers age them for considerably longer than the minimum required time. Gran Reserva whites and rosés require only four years of aging, at least six of which are in oak.

For recommendations on great producers and wines from Rioja, see my report here on a tasting last year of nearly 200 wines. For recommendations on producers from throughout Spain that were represented at last month’s Spanish Wine Cellar Trade Show in San Francisco, see my full report below.

The Spanish Wine Cellar trade event is an annual showcase of up-and-coming producers seeking representation in the U.S. Over 40 producers were represented this year, from 19 wine regions, including Rioja, La Macha, Rueda, Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Jumilla, Ribiero and Valdeorras.

I tasted 113 wines at this event, and the quality was quite consistent over all, with an average score of 87.88 points. I rated 16 wines 90 points or higher.

The best sparkling wines at the tasting were Cavas from Castell d’Age and Torre Orio. The best white wines were from Bodegas Agnusdei, Agricola Catellana, José Pariente, Groupo Pazo Do Mar and Vinigalicia. The best reds were from Finca de Refugio, Bodega Los Aljibes, Bodegas del Medievo, Vega Clara, Viñedos de Alfaro and Bodegas Vitulia.

The wines I rated 90 points or higher were:
2011 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas You & Me White Experience – 90 points
2010 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas – 90+ points
2008 Castell d’Age Cava Anne Marie Comtesse Reserva – 90 pts.
2008 Castell d’Age Cava Reserva Brut Nature – 90+ pts.
2011 Castell d’Age Penedès L’Essència del Xarel-lo – 90+ pts.
2011 Agricola Castellana Sauvignon Blanc Rueda Cuatro Rayas – 90+ points
2009 Finca el Refugio Vino de la Tierra de Castilla – 90 points
2009 Bodega José Pariente Rueda Fermentado en Barrica – 91+ points
2007 Bodega Los Aljibes Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Selectus – 91+ points
2006 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Gran Reserva – 90+ points
2011 Bodegas Pazo Das Tapias Godello Monterrei Finca os Cobatos – 91+ points
N.V. Torre Oria Brut Cava – 90+ points
2009 Vega Clara Ribera del Duero Mario – 90+ points
2005 Viñedos de Alfaro Graciano Rioja – 92 points
2011 Vinigalicia Albariño Rías Baixas Terra Mundi – 91 points
2006 Bodegas Vitulia Ribera del Duero Reserva – 90 points

For complete details and tasting notes on all the wines I tasted at this event, see below:

Agnusdei

• 2011 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas You & Me White Experience – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; aromatic, tart pear, floral nose; tasty, juicy, tart pear, floral, tart peach palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas You & Me White Experience – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; chalk, tart pear nose; tart pear, tart citrus palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, tart apple nose; tasty, tart citrus, tart apple palate with lively, medium acidity; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Agnusdei Albariño Rías Baixas – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; tart pear, tart apple nose; tasty, tart pear, tart apple palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Agnusdei Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Me & You – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Medium dark ruby color; fresh, aromatic, ripe currant, violets nose; fresh, ripe currant, violets palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Alanis

• 2011 Bodega Alanis Ribeiro Gran Alanis – Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro
  Very light yellow color; mineral, tart apple, lightly oxidized apple nose; tart apple, mineral, lightly oxidized apple, tart peach palate; medium finish 88+ points (blend of Treixadura and Godello) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Bodega Alanis Ribeiro San Trocado – Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro
  Light yellow color; chalk, tart citrus nose; soft, ripe lime, citrus palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2011 Bodega Alanis Ribeiro Monte Lourido – Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro
  Light lemon yellow color; tart citrus, ripe lime nose; tart lime palate with good texture; medium finish (blend of Palomino and Treixadura; great value at about $5) (89 pts.)

Carabal

• 2009 Bodega Carabal Ribera del Guadiana Carabal – Spain, Extremadura, Ribera del Guadiana
  Dark ruby color; baked plum, oak nose; baked plum, oak palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (53% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano; 10 mos in both French and American oak) (88 pts.)
• 2007 Bodega Carabal Ribera del Guadiana Carabal – Spain, Extremadura, Ribera del Guadiana
  Dark ruby color; tart black fruit nose; solid, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (80% Syrah, 20% Tempranillo; 5 mos. in French oak) (88 pts.)

Castell d’Age

• 2008 Castell d’Age Cava Anne Marie Comtesse Reserva – Spain, Catalunya, Cava
  Light peach yellow color; tart peach, floral nose; tasty, tart peach, tart apple, yeasty, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (40% Xarel-lo, 40% Macabeo, 20% Parellada; aged at least 15 mos in bottle) (90 pts.)
• 2008 Castell d’Age Cava Reserva Brut Nature – Spain, Catalunya, Cava
  Light yellow color with lots of medium sized bubbles; yeasty, tart apple, tart pear nose; tart apple, saline, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (min age of 20 mos in bottle) (90 pts.)
• 2011 Castell d’Age Penedès L’Essència del Xarel-lo – Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
  Light yellow color; lifted, tart apple, ripe pear nose; appealing, tart pear, green apple, floral, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Castellana

• 2011 Agricola Castellana Verdejo Rueda Azumbre – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart apple, mineral nose; tart citrus, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium finish 86+ points (100% Verdejo, from 80 yr old ungrafted vines; grown at 800 meters altitude) (86 pts.)
• 2011 Agricola Castellana Verdejo Rueda Cuatro Rayas Centenarios – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; focused, tart citrus, tart lime nose; tart citrus, mineral, tart lime palate; medium-plus finish (vineyard is more than 100 yrs old) (89 pts.)
• 2011 Agricola Castellana Verdejo Rueda Cuatro Rayas – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart citrus nose; fresh, tart citrus palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (30 yr old vines) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Agricola Castellana Sauvignon Blanc Rueda Cuatro Rayas – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; smoky, tart gooseberry nose; very tart gooseberry, smoke, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Compañia General de Vinos de Cadiz

• 2009 Compañia General de Vinos de Cadiz Alberite – Spain, Andalucía, Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz
  Dark ruby color; lifted, baked cherry, cinnamon nose; ripe berry, cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (87 pts.)

Covides

• NV Duc de Foix Cava Reserva Especial – Spain, Catalunya, Cava
  Light yellow with lots of small bubbles; earthy, reduction, tart green fruit nose; tangy, tart green fruit, mineral, citrus, reduction palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (60% Xarel-lo, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Macabeo; aged a minimum of 30 mos in bottle) (86 pts.)
• NV Xenius Cava Brut Seleccion – Spain, Catalunya, Cava
  Light yellow color with small bubbles; fresh, tart citrus, lime nose; tasty, fresh, tart citrus, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (45% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-lo, 15% Parellada; aged 12 mos in bottle) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Covides Penedès Duc de Foix Rosado – Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
  Dark pink color; herbaceous, tart currant nose; herbaceous, tart currant, green olive palate; medium finish (88 pts.)

Dominio del Bendito

• 2010 Dominio del Bendito Toro El primer paso – Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
  Medium dark ruby color; oak, herbaceous nose; tart plum, oak palate; medium finish (84 pts.)
• 2008 Dominio del Bendito Toro Las Sabias – Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
  Dark ruby color; violets, ripe plum nose; violets, ripe plum palate; medium finish (88 pts.)

Encomienda de Cervera

• 2009 Encomienda de Cervera Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Vulcanus – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Medium ruby color; lifted, ripe berry, baked berry nose; baked berry, black fruit palate; medium finish (aged 6 mos in American and French oak) (87 pts.)
• 2009 Encomienda de Cervera Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Poker de Tempranillos – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Dark ruby color; nice black fruit, oak nose; baked black fruit, spice, black fig palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos in both American and French oak) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Encomienda de Cervera Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Maar de Cervera – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Medium dark ruby color; baked berry, oak nose; baked berry, oak palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos in both American and French oak) (86 pts.)

Estancia Piedra

• 2006 Bodegas Estancia Piedra Toro Platino Selección – Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
  Dark ruby color; tart berry, oak nose; tasty, tart berry, oak palate; medium-plus finish (12 mos. in oak, 85% Grench, 15% American) (88 pts.)

Finca el Refugio

• 2010 Finca el Refugio Tempranillo Legado Roble – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Dark ruby color; lifted, tart cherry, red berry nose; tart cherry, red berry palate; medium finish 87+ points (aged 3 mos. in French oak and 6 mos. in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2010 Finca el Refugio Verdejo Legado – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Light yellow color; mineral, tart green fruit nose; fresh, tart lime aid, quinine palate; medium finish (85 pts.)
• 2007 Finca el Refugio Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Legado – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Dark red violet color; nice, tart plum, herbaceous, pencil lead nose; tart plum, herbaceous, pencil lead palate; medium-plus finish (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot; aged 14 mos. in French oak and 18 mos. in bottle; terrific value at about $5) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Finca el Refugio Vino de la Tierra de Castilla – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Dark ruby color; focused, tart black fruit, pencil lead nose; tasty, tart black fruit, tar palate; medium-plus finish (Petit Verdot; great value) (90 pts.)

Gallegas

• 2011 Bodegas Gallegas Albariño Rías Baixas Miudino – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; lifted, tart citrus, mineral nose; tart citrus, mineral, grapefruit palate; medium finish 86+ points (86 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Gallegas Ribeiro Gran Campino – Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro
  Light yellow color; floral, tart apple nose; floral, tart apple, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)

Gardel

• 2011 Bodegas Gardel La Mancha Dominio de Gardel – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Medium dark ruby color; violets, tart berry nose; tart berry, violets palate; medium-plus finish (50/50 Tempranillo/Syrah) (87 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Gardel La Mancha Dominio de Gardel Rosado – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Medium pink color; appealing, light cherry, strawberry nose; strawberry cream, tart cherry palate; medium finish (89 pts.)

Habla

• 2007 Bodegas Habla S.L. Vino de la Tierra Extremadura Nº 7 – Spain, Extremadura, Vino de la Tierra Extremadura
  Medium dark ruby color; tart cherry, plum nose; tart cherry, plum palate; medium-plus finish (40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Tempranillo, 20% Petit Verdot; aged 13 mos in French oak) (89 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Habla S.L. Vino de la Tierra Extremadura No 8 – Spain, Extremadura, Vino de la Tierra Extremadura
  Dark ruby color; baked plum, baked berry, clove nose; baked plum, baked berry, clove palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (100% Syrah; aged 13 mos in French oak) (88 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Habla S.L. Vino de la Tierra Extremadura Del Silencio – Spain, Extremadura, Vino de la Tierra Extremadura
  Very dark ruby color; porty, baked cherry nose; porty, baked cherry, oak palate; medium finish (50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tempranillo; aged 6 mos in French oak) (83 pts.)

Hizan

• 2010 Hizan Ribera del Duero – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Medium dark ruby color; herbaceous nose; herbaceous, tart black fruit palate; medium finish (84 pts.)

Javier Sanz

• 2011 Javier Sanz Rueda Villa Narcisa – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light lemon yellow color; ripe lime, tart green melon nose; ripe lime, tart green melon, chalk palate; medium finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2010 Javier Sanz Rueda Colección V1863 – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; aromatic, tart pear, nectarine nose; tart pear, mineral, oak palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (ungrafted vines, 4 mos on fine lees) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Javier Sanz Sauvignon Blanc Rueda Villa Narcisa – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart gooseberry nose; tart gooseberry, tart lime palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

José Pariente

• 2011 Bodega José Pariente Verdejo Rueda – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart citrus nose with a little reduction; simple, tart citrus, lime palate; medium finish 87+ points (30 yr old vineyards) (87 pts.)
• 2011 Bodega José Pariente Sauvignon Blanc Rueda – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart gooseberry, smoke nose; flavorful, tart gooseberry, smoke, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2009 Bodega José Pariente Rueda Fermentado en Barrica – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light golden yellow color; appealing, chalk, tart apple, hay nose; very tasty, tart lime, white flower, green pear, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (100% old vine Verdejo; 6 mos. in new and used French oak) (91 pts.)

Larchago

• 2011 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rueda Valle de Orón – Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
  Light yellow color; tart lime, apple nose; tart lime, apple palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Ribera del Duero Valle de Orón Crianza – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; herbaceous, tobacco nose; herbaceous, tobacco palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos. in American and French oak) (88 pts.)
• 2005 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rioja Izarbe Reserva Selección – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
  Medium dark red violet color; mature, tart black fruit, meaty nose; tasty, mature, tart black fruit, meaty, iodine palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2001 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rioja Izarbe Gran Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Dark red violet color; mature, baked plum, black fruit, roasted plum nose; tasty, mature, baked plum, black fruit, roasted plum palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rioja Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Dark ruby color; oak, tart plum nose; tart plum, oak palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rioja Blanco – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Light yellow color; tart green pear, green apple nose; tart green pear, green apple palate; medium finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2005 Bodegas Larchago (Chavarri) Rioja Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Dark ruby color; tart black fruit, tart plum nose; mature, tart black fruit, dried black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (aged 12 mos in American and French oak and 24 mos. in bottle) (88 pts.)

Loa

• 2007 Bodegas Loa Rioja – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium dark ruby color; tar, tart black fruit, French oak nose; tar, tart black fruit, French oak palate; medium-plus finish (aged 24 mos in new French oak casks and 18 mos in bottle) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Loa Rioja Spes – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium ruby color; baked plum, oak nose; baked plum, oak palate; medium-plus finish (aged 16 mos in both French and American casks, 12 mos in bottle) (87 pts.)

Los Aljibes

• 2011 Bodega Los Aljibes Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Viña Aljibes Rosado – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Bright medium pink color; lifted, bright cherry, hibiscus, floral nose bright cherry, hibiscus, floral palate; medium finish (100% Syrah) (89 pts.)
• 2007 Bodega Los Aljibes Cabernet Franc Vino de la Tierra de Castilla – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Medium dark red violet color; tart black fruit, pencil lead nose; tasty, tart black fruit, pencil lead, tar palate; medium-plus finish (aged 14 mos. in French oak; great value at about $10) (89 pts.)
• 2007 Bodega Los Aljibes Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Selectus – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Medium dark ruby color; intense, tart currant, coffee nose; intense, tart currant, coffee, tar palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; aged 18 mos. in new French oak and 12 mos. in bottle) (91 pts.)

Medievo

• 2010 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Selección Especial – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium ruby color; tart currant nose; tart currant palate; medium finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium ruby color; tart cherry, red berry nose; tart cherry, red berry palate; medium-plus finish (80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo, 5% Graciano; aged 12 mos. in French oak and 6 mos. in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2007 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Tart currant, tart plum nose; tart currant, tart plum palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2006 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Gran Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Dark ruby color; deep black fruit, baked black fruit, baked cherry nose; tasty, mature, tart cherry, tart plum palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2009 Bodegas del Medievo Graciano Tuerce Botas Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium dark ruby color; bright, lifted, ripe currant nose; ripe currant, violets palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos. in French oak, 6 mos. in bottle) (89 pts.)

Pago de Larrainzar

• 2006 Pago de Larrainzar Navarra – Spain, Navarra
  Medium ruby color; tart cherry, tart berry nose; tart cherry, tart berry palate; long finish (50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha; 15 mos. in French oak) (89 pts.)
• 2007 Pago de Larrainzar Navarra Raso de Larrainzar – Spain, Navarra
  Medium ruby color; baked plum nose; tasty, baked plum palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Pazo Do Mar (Grupo)

• 2011 Pazo Do Mar Ribeiro Expresión – Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro
  Light yellow color; light, ripe pear nose; tasty, ripe pear, mineral, ripe citrus palate; medium finish (89 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Pazo Das Tapias Godello Monterrei Finca os Cobatos – Spain, Galicia, Monterrei
  Light golden yellow color; appealing, mineral, tart peach, citrus nose; tasty, mineral, tart citrus, lime palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Pazo Das Tapias Monterrei Alma De Tinto – Spain, Galicia, Monterrei
  Medium dark cherry red color; ripe currant nose; ripe currant palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)

Príncipe de Viana

• 2007 Bodegas Príncipe de Viana Navarra Albret La Viña de Mi Madre – Spain, Navarra
  Medium dark ruby color; olive, herbaceous nose; tart currant, herbaceous, green olive palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot; aged 21 mos. in new French oak casks and 27 mos. in bottle) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Príncipe de Viana Navarra Príncipe de Viana Edición Limitada – Spain, Navarra
  Dark ruby color; herbaceous, olive nose; herbaceous, olive palate; medium finish (50% Merlot, 25% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14 mos in 75% French oak, 25% American oak, 22 mos in bottle) (85 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Príncipe de Viana Navarra Albret Crianza – Spain, Navarra
  Medium dark ruby color; herbaceous, olive nose; herbaceous, olive palate; medium finish (86 pts.)

Prinur

• 2006 Bodegas Prinur Cariñena Viñas Viejas – Spain, Aragón, Cariñena
  Medium dark ruby color; aromatic, baked berry, French oak nose; baked berry, black fruit, French oak palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, 100 yr old Grenache, Carinena and Vidadilo; aged 20 mos in French and American oak casks) (88 pts.)
• 2005 Bodegas Prinur Cariñena Selección Calar – Spain, Aragón, Cariñena
  Dark ruby color; aromatic, ripe berry, tart cherry nose; fresh, ripe berry, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and 100 yr old Grenache; aged in French oak casks for 20 mos.) (88 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Prinur Macabeo Cariñena – Spain, Aragón, Cariñena
  Light yellow color; aromatic, tart pear, mineral nose; tart pear, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Puente de Rus

• 2011 Bodegas Puente de Rus Airen – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Light yellow color; ripe pear nose; ripe pear palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2007 Bodegas Puente de Rus Tempranillo Crianza – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Medium dark ruby color; nice, tart cherry, tart currant nose; tart cherry, tart currant palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos. in French oak casks and 6 mos. in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Puente de Rus Syrah – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Dark ruby color; tart cherry, tart plum nose; tart cherry, tart plum palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (86 pts.)

Purisima Concepcion

• 2007 Purisima Concepcion Sociedad Cooperativa Ribera del Júcar SIGNUM Teatinos Crianza – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Ribera del Júcar
  Dark ruby color; tart cherry nose; simple, tart cherry palate; medium finish 85+ points (85 pts.)

Romero de Ávila Salcedo

• 2011 Bodegas Romero de Ávila Salcedo La Mancha Portento – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Very dark ruby color; tart cherry, red berry nose; tasty, tart cherry, tart black cherry palate; needs 1 yr; medium finish (no oak) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Romero de Ávila Salcedo La Mancha Portento – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Light yellow color; light grapefruit nose; tart grapefruit palate with medium acidity; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Romero de Ávila Salcedo La Mancha Portento Crianza – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Dark ruby color; aromatic, American oak, dill, tart cherry nose; dill, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish (aged 12 mos in oak casks and 12 mos in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2008 Bodegas Romero de Ávila Salcedo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Testigo – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
  Dark ruby color; tart cherry, light dill nose; tart cherry, light dill palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah) (87 pts.)

Rosalía de Castro

• 2011 Soc. Coop. Vitivinícola Arousana SCG Albariño Rías Baixas Paco & Lola – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, chalk nose; tasty, tart citrus, tart pear, chalk, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (no malo) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Rosalía de Castro Albariño Rías Baixas Lolo – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light medium yellow color; tart apple, tart pear nose; tasty, tart apple, citrus palate with medium acidity; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2010 Rosalía de Castro Navarra Paco – Spain, Navarra
  Medium ruby color; tart cherry nose; ripe cherry, ripe red berry palate; medium finish (blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha old vines; 3 mos. in French & American oak) (87 pts.)

San Dionisio

• 2007 Bodegas San Dionisio Jumilla Señorio de Fuentealamo Crianza – Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
  Dark ruby color; tart cherry, berry nose; fresh, tart cherry, tart red berry, juniper palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (60% Monastrell, 40% Syrah; aged 8 mos in American oak casks) (88 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas San Dionisio Monastrell Jumilla Santonegro Selección – Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; tart cherry, red berry nose; youthful, tart cherry, red berry palate; needs 1-2 years; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2006 Bodegas San Dionisio Jumilla Mainetes Selección – Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
  Dark ruby color; tart berry, violets nose; tasty, tart berry, violets palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 88+ points (33% Monastrell, 33% Syrah, 33% Merlot; aged 10 mos in French oak casks) (88 pts.)

Santa Cruz de Alpera

• 2011 Santa Cruz de Alpera Almansa – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa
  Very light yellow color; lifted, floral, tart lime, citrus nose; tart lime core, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2011 Santa Cruz de Alpera Almansa – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa
  Dark ruby color; banana, ripe cherry nose; banana, ripe cherry palate; medium finish (85 pts.)
• 2011 Santa Cruz de Alpera Almansa Apiarum Tinto – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa
  Medium dark ruby color; baked cherry nose; simple, baked cherry palate; medium finish (85 pts.)
• 2009 Santa Cruz de Alpera Almansa Albarroble Crianza – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa
  Dark ruby color; light reduction, oak nose; ripe currant palate; medium finish (85% Garnacha Tintorera and 15% Monastrell; aged 12 mos in French oak, 6 mos in bottle) (86 pts.)

Torre Oria

• NV Torre Oria Brut Cava – Spain, Catalunya, Cava
  Light golden yellow color with lots of small bubbles; slightly oxidative, tart apple, tart peach nose; flavorful, tart peach, yeasty, tart citrus palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (terrific value at about $8) (90 pts.)
• 2007 Torre Oria Utiel-Requena Reserva – Spain, Valencia, Utiel-Requena
  Medium cherry red color; tart cherry, ripe currant nose; tasty, tart cherry, ripe currant, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (18 mos in French and American oak; very good value if you can find it) (89 pts.)
• NV Torre Oria Utiel-Requena Cava Brut Reserva – Spain, Valencia, Utiel-Requena
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, oxidative, lemon rind nose; juicy, tart lemon rind, grapefruit rind, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (90% Macabeo, 10% Parellada; 15 mos secondary fermentation in bottle) (89 pts.)

Vega Clara

• 2009 Vega Clara Ribera del Duero Mario – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; espresso, oak, ripe plum nose; espresso, berry, ripe plum palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (75% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; aged 14 mos in oak–33% American, 33% French, 33% Hungarian) (90 pts.)

Vidal del Saz

• 2010 Bodegas Vidal del Saz La Mancha Buyanté – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Light yellow color with a few bubbles; aromatic, quinine, oxidative, lime nose; quinine, oxidative, lime, tangy palate with a finish reminiscent of cottage cheese; medium-plus finish 87+ points (blend of Airen and Moscatel) (87 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Vidal del Saz La Mancha Selección White – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Light yellow color; tart citrus nose; light, tart citrus palate; medium finish (blend of Macabeo, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo) (86 pts.)
• 2009 Bodegas Vidal del Saz La Mancha Crianza – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Black tinged dark ruby color; ripe currant nose; tart currant palate with medium acidity; medium finish (aged 12 mos in oak, plus 6 mos in bottle) (86 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Vidal del Saz La Mancha Rosé Selección – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Medium pink color; herbaceous nose; herbaceous, tart currant palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (blend of Merlot and Syrah) (89 pts.)
• 2010 Bodegas Vidal del Saz La Mancha Roble – Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
  Dark ruby color; tart currant nose; tasty, tart currant palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Viña Tuelda

• 2009 Viña Tuelda S.L. Ribera del Duero Crianza – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; berry, black fruit, vanilla nose; vanilla, ripe black fruit, berry palate; medium-plus finish (aged 15 mos in French and American oak casks) (89 pts.)
• 2010 Viña Tuelda S.L. Ribera del Duero Joven – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; aromatic, plum, berry nose; plum, berry, stewed plum palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Viña Tuelda S.L. Ribera del Duero Roble – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; aromatic, tart cherry, red berry nose; tasty, tart cherry, red berry palate with lowish acidity; medium-plus finish (aged 2 mos in French and American oak casks) (88 pts.)

Viñedos de Alfaro

• 2007 Viñedos de Alfaro Rioja Conde del Real Agrado Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium dark ruby color; oak, red berry, plum nose; ripe plum, berry, integrating oak palate; medium finish (blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano; aged 12 mos in French and American oak plus 6 mos in bottle) (88 pts.)
• 2010 Viñedos de Alfaro Rioja Real Agrado – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium dark ruby color; tart berry, violets nose; tart berry, violets palate; medium finish (blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha; no oak aging, minimum of 4 mos in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2005 Viñedos de Alfaro Rioja Conde del Real Agrado Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Medium ruby color; rich, ripe berry, tart black fruit nose; tasty, tart black fruit, tart berry palate with integrating oak; medium-plus finish (40% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 15% Mazuelo, 15% Graciano; aged 18 mos in French and American oak and 18 mos in bottle) (89 pts.)
• 2005 Viñedos de Alfaro Graciano Rioja – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Dark ruby color; lifted, ripe cherry, baked cherry nose; very tasty, baked cherry, ripe cherry palate; medium-plus finish (3 yrs in bottle) (92 pts.)

Vinigalicia

• 2011 Vinigalicia Albariño Rías Baixas Terra Mundi – Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Light yellow color; nice, aromatic, tart pear nose; tasty, tart pear, floral, citrus, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2011 Vinigalicia Valdeorras Verdes Castros – Spain, Galicia, Valdeorras
  Light yellow color; focused, tart lime nose; tart lime, mineral, chalk palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2010 Vinigalicia Ribeira Sacra Via Romana – Spain, Galicia, Ribeira Sacra
  Medium dark ruby color; light oak, tart red berry nose; light oak, tart red berry, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (minimum of 6 mos in tanks, plus 6 mos in bottle) (88 pts.)

Vitulia

• 2007 Bodegas Vitulia Ribera del Duero Crianza – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Medium dark ruby color; baked black fruit, oak nose; baked black fruit, oak palate; medium-plus finish (aged 16 mos in 70% French and 30% American oak casks; 12 mos in bottle) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Bodegas Vitulia Ribera del Duero Roble – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; baked berry nose; soft, baked berry palate; medium finish (aged 11 mos in 70% French and 30% American oak casks, 12 mos in bottle) (87 pts.)
• 2006 Bodegas Vitulia Ribera del Duero Reserva – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Dark ruby color; vanilla, ripe berry nose; tasty, ripe berry, black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (aged 24 mos in 78% French 22% American oak casks, 18 mos in bottle) (90 pts.)

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is one of the Northern Rhone’s most important producers, along with Chapoutier and Thierry Allemand. The Chaves are also one of the world’s great winemaking dynasties, like the Antinoris in Tuscany and Hugels in Alsace. Chave produces not only excellent red Hermitage—a blend of grapes from parcels in seven different sections of that summit of Syrah—but also one of the world’s great white wines—Chave Hermitage Blanc.

The domaine’s origins go back to 1481 when the family started growing grapes in what is now the St. Joseph appellation. The current winemaker, since 1995, is Jean-Louis Chave, the sixteenth generation of the Chaves to grow grapes and make wine.

Jean-Louis didn’t start out planning to carry on the family tradition. He was originally thinking about a career on Wall Street when he got his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Connecticut. He then spent a year at U.C. Davis, however, after which he joined his father, Gerard, in the family business in 1992.

In 2003, Jean-Louis married Erin Cannon, a St. Louis, Missouri, native who had worked for Kermit Lynch, Chave’s California importer. Erin visited Silicon Valley’s Vin Vino Wine last October for a tasting of both Domaine Chave wines and Chave’s negoçiant offerings, J.L. Chave Selection.

Erin is a wonderfully charming, articulate and engaging spokesperson for Chave. She’s also the mother of Jean-Louis’s son, Jean-Louis, a potential 17th generation winemaker. It was a treat to taste through the line up with her and to hear her perspective on the family and its long-range approach to planting vineyards and making wine. I’ve included a few video clips of Erin talking about the wines in this report.

In this tasting, we started with the negoçiant wines. Erin told us that the J.L. Chave Selection, which her husband launched in 1995, was aimed at giving people reliable, introductory level Rhone Valley wines at a good QPR level. Originally the grapes for these wines came entirely from other producers, but the negoçiant operation has now also become an outlet for younger domaine vines, since Jean-Louis’s policy is that vines for the Domaine’s wines have to be a minimum of 20 years old.

Negociant bottlings

The Céleste bottling comes from a vineyard with vines close to 80 years old. It is a clos, or walled vineyard, with four hectares planted to Syrah and Roussanne in a beautiful amphiteater, according to Erin. After buying fruit for some years from this vineyard, which was owned by a family of homeopaths who never used chemicals, the Chaves ultimately purchased the vineyard itself in 2009. Jean-Louis named the wine for the goddess of the moon. With the vineyard’s old vine Roussanne plantings, Erin suggests there may be a Domaine St. Joseph Blanc coming up with the 2010 vintage or thereafter.

The Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur is a project Jean-Louis started in 1998 at the request of a Las Vegas hotel. Erin says Jean-Louis loves the freedom of Cotes du Rhone. The Mon Coeur is Grenache and Syrah, with declassified Villages level fruit from Rasteau, Cairanne and Vinsobres. Sometimes it’s more Syrah or more Grenache. The ’09 is 60/40 Syrah/Grenache. All the Syrah comes from north facing parcels that aren’t as ripe and jammy as south facing parcels tend to be in the Southern Rhone.

The Crozes-Hermitage Silene is named after Bacchus’s drunken father-in-law. Most of Crozes is on the valley floor, on clay, but the Chave’s parcel sits on the east-facing rear flank of Hermitage, so it has more granite mixed with the clay, on a steep hillside. The parcel came from the family’s purchase of Domaine de l’Ermite in 1981. Gerard Chave purchased it for its Hermitage vineyards, but it came with this piece of Crozes that Gerard never did anything with. Jean-Louis was going through the planting rights, which expire in France after 20 years if you don’t use them. In 2002, Jean-Louis realized they were on the verge of losing their planting rights there, so Jean-Louis ripped out the oaks and terraced the hills for planting. The Crozes Silene is therefore about 70% Domaine juice and 30% purchased grapes. Erin claims this Crozes tends to be “fleshy, flashy and bright.”

St. Joseph became an appellation in 1956. Before then there was vin de Mauves, vin de Tournon or vin de St. Epines, from the cluster of hillsides around Mauve. These vineyards all lie just across the Rhone from the hill of Hermitage. The original appellation was centered on these hillsides. The appellation was expanded in the 1970s and ‘80s, however, so that it now starts where Condrieu stops, goes down to Cornas, jumps Cornas, and keeps going south.

As Erin reports, Jean-Louis always says “St. Joseph means nothing,” because the appellation’s current boundaries are so extensive and take in such a variety of terroirs. St. Joseph from the original hillsides around Mauve, however, appears to mean a lot to Jean-Louis personally. It is where his family began growing grapes back in the 1400s. Jean-Louis has been replanting vineyards on those original hillsides and Erin predicts we will be seeing a lot of great things from the Domaine from St. Joseph over the next 10 years.

In 1995, at the request of Kermit Lynch, Jean-Louis launched Offerus, the J.L. Chave Selection St. Joseph offering. It was originally all purchased fruit, but now there’s also quite a bit of domaine fruit in it. About half of the wine comes from the hillsides of Mauves and Tournon. The wines see no or very little new oak. There is some stem inclusion in the St. Joseph, whereas the Hermitage grapes are usually entirely destemmed.

As Erin explained, Jean-Louis is always the last to harvest in the area, waiting for full ripeness, including ripening of the stems. Some fault him for this, arguing that unlike the classic Hermitage wines his father Gerard made, Jean-Louis’s seem aimed more at Robert Parker’s palate—i.e., that critic’s well-established preference for ripe, concentrated, fruit-forward wines. I think this is a bit of an exaggeration, however, as I still find a lot of elegance and minerality in the current Chave wines, although they do show more fruit than they did before Jean-Louis took over winemaking in 1995.

Erin claims that St. Joseph, “loves anything you can throw at it that’s a pig product, or anything with a little fat on it,” like steak and lamb chops. The fruit forward character, along with the minerality and acidity, seems to make that a particularly good pairing.

Here’s a video of Erin describing St. Joseph:

The Selection Hermitage bottling, Farconnet, is one of their newer offerings. The name comes from a nobleman who was prominent in Hermitage in the 1800s. The Domaine Hermitage is a blend from the family’s seven parcels on Hermitage, which varies from year to year. The remaining grapes that aren’t used for the Domaine Hermitage were, in the past, sold off in bulk. There is some great Hermitage from their parcels that doesn’t make it into the blend for that year, so they are using that for the Farconnet, as well as sourcing from a couple of other producers.

They consider this bottling an “introduction to Hermitage.” The 2007 we tasted could definitely use another three years of bottle age.

The final Selection bottling we tried was the Hermitage Blanche, named after Blanche de Castile. She was the queen who allowed the first vines to be planted on Hermitage. It is about 65% Marsanne, 35% Roussanne. Erin explained that some of the family’s white grape vines are so old it is virtually impossible at this point to distinguish whether they Marsanne or Roussanne, so the percentages are always approximate.

• 2008 J.L. Chave Sélection St. Joseph Céleste – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
  Light lemon yellow color; lovely, apple, mineral, lightly floral nose; medium bodied, tight, tart apple, mineral palate; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 J.L. Chave Sélection Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
  Dark red violet color; tart berry, plum, light violet nose; a little tight, poised, tart berry, tart plum, mineral palate; approachable now and could go 4-5 years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (60/40 Syrah/Grenache; Syrah from north facing parcels) (90 pts.)
• 2009 J.L. Chave Sélection Crozes-Hermitage Silene – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
  Dark purple red violet color; appealing, tart berry, mineral, light violet nose; tight, tart berry, tart black fruit, minerally palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2005 J.L. Chave Sélection St. Joseph Offerus – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
  Very dark red violet color; berry, oak, light olive, baked berry, tart plum nose; maturing, tart plum, black fruit, tart berry, light olive, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2007 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Farconnet – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Very dark red violet color; appealing, tart black fruit, dried berry, oak nose; tasty, tight, roasted berry, tart black fruit, soft, meaty, mineral, roasted plum palate with roast coffee showing toward finish; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2007 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Bright light yellow color; focused apple, tart pineapple, mineral, subtle peach nose; maturing, tart apple, mineral, tart peach, light almond palate; medium-plus finish (about 65% Marsanne, 35% Roussanne) (92 pts.)

Chave St. Joseph

Moving to the Domaine wines, we started with the Domaine St. Joseph bottling.

According to Erin, Jean-Louis is on a crusade to make St. Joseph from the original sites of that appellation, and the family has about five hectares of vineyards spread across four communes. The oldest vines are on the Touron hillside. Since 1995, Jean-Louis has been replanting a steeply terraced vineyard near where the family originally started in the 15th century around Lemps. The two hectare vineyard is called Bachasson, and its planting took 15 years. Its vines are too young yet to go into the Domaine’s St. Joseph, but Erin told us to look for it to come on line by 2015 or thereafter.

• 2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
  Very dark red violet color; lovely, lifted, pepper, minerally, tart black fruit nose; vibrant, pepper, tart black fruit, mineral palate; nice now but could use 2-plus years and go 10+; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)

Chave Hermitage

We then proceeded to a five-vintage vertical of red Hermitage, from the current ’08 release back to Jean-Louis’s first vintage as solo winemaker, the ’95. My favorites were the ’08 and ’07.

The Chave family purchased its first Hermitage vineyards in the late 1800s, leaving their home vineyards in St. Joseph after phylloxera hit.

Here’s a video clip of Erin describing Hermitage and its vineyards:

Hermitage has a multitude of different soils. The Chaves have a total of 10 hectares of Syrah in Hermitage in seven parcels on different soils. The furthest west and largest parcel is Bessards, which is on granite. This is the backbone for their Hermitage, giving it tannins and minerality. They have a parcel in Méal, with its river stones and riper, jammy fruit. Baume is based on puddingstones—pebbles that were crushed, to the point they look like concrete—that Erin claims gives a velvety texture to the wine. Below Baume is their monopole, Péléat, on clay and sand, which Erin says brings a lot of finesse to the wine. Behind Péléat is L’Hermite, their second largest parcel, which consists of granite, rolled river stones, clay and loess. Erin claims it brings a lot of spice to the wine. The remaining parcels are in Diognières and Vercandières.

Erin stressed the family motto that when you drink a Chave Hermitage, you’re not drinking “Chave,” you’re drinking Hermitage. They see Hermitage as a whole hill, with different parcels and soils contributing different aspects to the wine. So their Hermitage is always a blend of the parcels—unlike the single vineyard Hermitages that some produce.

As to the vintages, Erin described 2008 as a beautiful vintage that reminds her very much of ’91. She let us in on a secret of her marriage, explaining that the ’91 is the “doghouse wine,” the one Jean-Louis pours for her to make up for something he regretted doing or saying, since he knows it’s her favorite.

She claimed that Hermitage vintages are either based on the sun, like 1990, or the soil, like ’91. The 2008 has the purity and classical lines of the ’91, while 2007, which experienced an Indian summer, is more lush and concentrated, like ’90. Erin quoted a common saying in the area that the month of August makes the grape, while the month of September makes the wine. September 2007 was beautifully warm in Hermitage. Erin doesn’t expect the ’07 to shut down, since it has so much flesh and fruit. The 1995, by contrast, was a vintage of tight tannins that did shut down for some years.

Erin explained that the nature of the vintage also depends on some degree on the flower set in Spring. In 2008 they had a very small flower set because it was very windy at the time. There were also three days of rain at the beginning of September, followed by three weeks of sun.

2006 also experienced an Indian summer, but the wines have more acidity than ’07.

2002 was a difficult vintage, with lots of rain in September. 1992 had been similar, but Erin reports it’s showing very well now. The 2002 seems like it needs much more bottle age.

1995 expresses the granite part of the soil, according to Erin, with very tight but not dry tannins. It has a beautiful “tram, “ or dart-like precision, to it. It has good definition. While lacking flesh, the essentials are there. Erin indicated that it has really been opening up starting this past year.

• 2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Dark red violet color; tart berry, mineral, violet nose with a sense of herbs; tight, tart berry, tart plum, light pepper, mineral, savory palate; needs 4-5 years; long finish (94 pts.)
• 2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Very dark red violet color; appealing, tart berry, herbs, mineral, charcoal nose; tight, tasty, tart berry, tart black fruit, violet palate, luscious but restrained; needs 4 years; long finish 93+ points (93 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Dark purple red violet color; toast, tart currant, mineral, tart plum nose; tasty, tight, tart currant, smoky, very tart plum, mineral palate with incipient bacon fat; needs 3 years; long finish 92+ points (92 pts.)
• 2002 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Dark red violet color; reticent, tart berry, tart plum, charcoal nose; a little tight, tart berry, mineral, tart black fruit, tart currant palate; needs 4-5 years; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Dark purple red violet color; nice green peppercorn, green olive, mineral nose; tasty, maturing, roasted fruit, olive, green peppercorn, roasted olive, mineral, bacon fat palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)

Chave Hermitage Blanc

We concluded with two vintages of Hermitage Blanc. The Domaine has five hectares of white grapes planted in Hermitage, in four parcels. They make a total of 12,000 bottles of Hermitage Blanc.

Erin reminded us that, for Thomas Jefferson, the greatest wines in the world were Chateau d’Yquem and Hermitage Blanc. He wrote a whole chapter about the wines from this hill, ending with the line, “and they make red wine too.”

Hermitage Blanc is often misunderstood these days because unlike other great white wines, which are known for their acidity, Hermitage Blanc is all about glycerol, mouthfeel and texture. Erin claims that it goes well with rich food–based on cream, butter, truffles, or sweetbreads, for example–thanks to its minerality.

The most important of their four white parcels is Rocoules, which usually makes up about 50% of the blend.

Erin recommends not serving Hermitage Blanc as cold as other whites. If too cold, it loses some of its opulence and can seem shut down.

We tasted the 2007, a ripe vintage, that has concentration and will likely have a honeyed note when it is mature. Right now it is wonderfully rich and complex, showing subtle spices. The 1996 definitely shows the honey, along with hazelnut, nutmeg and poached pear. A truly gorgeous wine and mouth feel experience. Erin reports the ’95 is also drinking very well now. 1952 is a favorite vintage for her.

Erin explained that Hermitage Blanc is beautiful when young, but that it then goes through a sullen, adolescent phase, so that it really shouldn’t be touched when it is five to 10 years of age. It then reopens, with complexity and expressiveness, 10 to 15 years from the vintage. It then shows hazelnuts, almond, wax and honey. They just bottled ’08, so ’07 is still quite young. The ‘05s and ‘04s are now shutting down. It can age for many, many years, thanks to its glycerol. Erin has tasted old vintages at the domaine, from bottles that were hidden from the Nazis by Jean-Louis’s grandfather. She reports that wines from the 1860s are still going strong, with lots of minerality.

When they replant, the Chaves don’t use clones—everything is field selected massalle. They take a cutting from the vineyard that needs replanting, raise it in their nursery, and plant it back into that parcel. In other words, Bessards goes back to Bessards, and Méal to Méal.

Here’s a last clip of Erin talking about Hermitage Blanc:

• 2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Light golden yellow color; baked apple, pear, poached pear, mineral, nutmeg nose; tasty, rich, creamy textured, medium bodied, baked apple, subtle spice, nutmeg, poached pear palate; long finish (94 pts.)
• 1996 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Light medium golden yellow color; rich, poached pear, yeasty, almond, apple nose; tasty, rich, baked apple, mineral, hazelnut, honeyed, poached pear, nutmeg palate; long finish 95+ points (95 pts.)

I’ve been tasting and studying wine seriously for over 10 years now. I take notes, read about it, attend seminars, write about it, and taste over 6,000 wines a year. What still so fascinates me, though, is not the minutiae of a wine’s production or the rich stories that arise as one digs into a particular wine’s origin.

What is intriguing to no end for me about the phenomenon of wine is the sheer unknowable wonder of it. I am constantly in awe of the impenetrable mystery at wine’s core.

Why does wine evoke so much passion in those driven to produce it? In those of us who follow it? In those who sometimes spend fortunes acquiring and cellaring the most sought after examples?

Tasting in the cellar at David Niederauer’s Los Gatos home

How can it be, at times, so inspiring? Occasionally even life changing? How does it interact in such fascinating ways with food, adding a level of depth and completeness to the meals it accompanies? How can it speak so much of a place that it is almost invariably true that the wine from some part of the world goes perfectly with that region’s cuisine?

How can a beverage be so variable, from year to year, from vineyard parcel to parcel, even from vine to vine? How can it be so complex? What makes it so varied in texture, taste, nuance, depth, and in the lingering taste in the mouth?

Even as I study it, daily, trying to fathom what distinguishes one wine from another, one vineyard from another, one maker’s wines of a single year from those of another vintage, I know I’ll never know, ultimately, how it all happens–what can make a particular wine so amazingly good.

Thanks to science, we are constantly learning new things about wine grapes, their biology and chemistry, the origins of certain varieties and the nature of their clones, how to better grow them, control their leafy canopies, and the intricacies of how they interact with soil and other inputs. The more we learn, however, the more it seems we’re just scratching the surface.

For example, how did a one-celled fungus–the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae—come to exist to convert a wine grape’s sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohols, making possible all wine as we know it?

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

And what makes wine from a particular place or region so unique? Try as one might, growing Grenache and the other grapes allowed in France’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape region elsewhere around the globe—even within France–never yields wine with the allure and garrigue-like herbs and spices of Grenache grown in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And Nebbiolo grown outside of a relatively small, hillside region of Northern Italy never matches the exquisite complexity and ageability of the grape’s expression as Barolo and Barbaresco.

vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

There are many more examples of this phenomenon—the flinty, mineral quality of Chardonnay grown in Chablis that is found nowhere else; the sweet but scintillatingly acidic Rieslings peculiar to the Mosel; the floral and minerally Viognier unique to the tiny Condrieu appellation; and the complex, aromatic and structured version of Sangiovese Grosso that comes only from hilly Brunello di Montalcino.

Wine as we know it today is the result of a multitude of fortuitous historical, geographical and cultural developments. I regularly try to mention at least the most significant of these when I write about particular types of wines, or wine regions.

On top of these factors, however, are the physical and chemical aspects of what happens in the vineyard, the winery and in our noses, mouths and brains that all combine to generate our experience of any particular wine.

Jamie Goode's The Science of Wine

There one can learn, for example, about the impact of various types of oak barrels on wine and the importance of just the right amount of sulphur dioxide in winemaking—not too much and not too little—so as to avoid oxidation and the build up of unwanted fungi and bacteria.

Jamie even writes about what science has so far been able to figure out about how individuals process the smell and taste of wine, how our brains make sense of the electrical signals they receive from our tongues and noses.

Ultimately, though, as Jamie readily acknowledges, the more we learn, the more questions arise. And I love his admission that, “Chemically, wine is bewilderingly complex.”

What Jamie doesn’t write about is why a moderate amount of wine makes most of us feel more relaxed and uplifts our mood. Or why, for us wine lovers, some of the most profound and memorable experiences of our lives are related to particular wines, and how they made a moment more special, somehow transcendent, causing us to feel more in touch with something ineffable—ultimately “more alive.”

One can enjoy wine on so many levels—the aroma, the mouth feel, the flavors, the feelings it engenders, the history and lore of it, and now the science too. Yet, like so many of the greatest things in life, there remains, ultimately, the wonder of it.

Planting vines in the cool, high altitude Santa Cruz Mountains is a quixotic endeavor. Trying to grow and make great wine out of notoriously fickle Pinot Noir in these climes is particularly challenging.

Nonetheless, a few driven producers over the years have made some brilliant, minerally, complex, cool climate Pinot in these parts.

Santa Cruz Mountains was recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1982. It stretches from Half Moon Bay south to Mount Madonna. It was the nation’s first AVA to be defined by a mountain range, and its rules require a minimum vineyard elevation on the ocean side of 400 feet, with a minimum of 800 feet on the inland side.

Kevin Harvey, surveying one of Rhys’s Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards

Vineyards are planted as high as 3200 feet, but the amount of land actually containing vines in this vast area is quite small—only about 1500 acres. Of that amount, about 25%, or roughly 375 acres, is planted to Pinot Noir. An equivalent amount of acreage is devoted to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest being planted to an array of other grapes.

The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association sponsors an annual event, Pinot Paradise, spotlighting the variety that represents about a quarter of the AVA’s production. I’ve attended four of these events over the years, and particularly enjoy the morning technical sessions, offered for the region’s grape growers and winemakers.

My tasting through wines from over half of the AVA’s more than 70 producers at this event last month reinforced a few conclusions I’ve reached about Pinot Noir from this region.

Unlike prime locations for Pinot Noir in California–e.g., Sta. Rita Hills and the true Sonoma Coast– where almost all the Pinot Noirs produced are at a very strong level, Santa Cruz Mountains currently has only two exceptional producers, Mount Eden and Rhys. There are several other producers making some very good wines, in limited quantities, which I will list below. The majority of Pinots from this region, however, score from average to below average.

By “average,” I’m referring to my average score for California Pinot Noir. According to CellarTracker, based on my 3,566 tasting notes so far on California Pinots, my average score is 89.35 points, so 89-90 points. The majority, or 44, of the wines at the Pinot Paradise tasting scored (for me) at that level or below. That’s significantly below the results compared to when I taste Pinots from other major regions (e.g., Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Lucia Highlands, Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast). At a recent tasting of an equivalent number of wines from Sta. Rita Hills, for example, that were mainly but not exclusively Pinot, of the 72 wines I tasted, I scored 28, or 39%, 92 points or higher. At Pinot Paradise, of the 71 Pinots I tasted, I scored only 10, or 14%, 92 points or higher.

I think the reasons are a combination of factors, including the weather; the fact that Dijon clones may not be the ideal clonal material here as compared to heritage clones, such as the Mount Eden clone; and the fact that some of the area’s winemakers are primarily hobbyists, and not professionals, whose wines do not appear to be as “clean” as they should be. The latter, of course, tends to be true of many wine regions.

Winegrowing in this area started in the mid-1850s, but Pinot Noir didn’t arrive until nearly the end of the 19th century, when Frenchman Paul Masson imported budwood from Burgundy (reputedly from the Grand Cru Corton vineyard) for his hillside vineyard La Cresta, above the town of Saratoga.

Martin Ray purchased La Cresta in 1936. Following the advice of his mentor, Paul Masson, he subsequently sold the Masson Winery to Seagram’s and planted his own eponymous vineyard further up the hill from La Cresta, using budwood from La Cresta.

When Martin Ray lost control of his winery in the early 1970s, most of the vineyard he had planted went to the successor entity, Mount Eden. A small adjacent vineyard was, however, retained by the Ray family. This is the Peter Martin Ray Vineyard.

Most of the greatest Pinot Noirs from this region I’ve tasted over the years have some connection to Martin Ray: Martin Ray’s own Pinots from the ‘50s to the early ’70s, the Pinots from Mount Eden; and the Pinots that Duane Cronin, now deceased, made from the Peter Martin Ray vineyard.

The other greatest Pinot Noir producer in this region is a relatively new project, Rhys, owned by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Kevin Harvey. I’ve written a few times here about Rhys, including this piece that describes the vineyards they’ve planted in the northern part of the AVA.

Two other very good producers weren’t represented at this year’s Pinot Paradise, McHenry and Windy Oaks. The producers responsible for one or more Pinots I rated 92 points or higher at this event were Beauregard, Big Basin, Clos LaChance, Mount Eden, Nicholson, Pleasant Valley, Silvertip, Soquel and Villa del Monte. For more information on each of these producers–two of which, Silvertip and Villa del Monte, were brand new to me, and may be new names even to others who follow the Santa Cruz Mountains wine scene–see below.

The best Pinots of the 71 I tasted at this event, which I scored 92 points or higher, were:
2010 Beauregard Byington Vineyard – 92+ points
2009 Big Basin Woodruff Family Vineyard – 92 points
2008 Clos LaChance Erwin – 92+ points
2009 Mount Eden Estate – 93 points
2009 Nicholson Peter Martin Ray Vineyard – 92 points
2009 Pleasant Valley Dylan David Willa Louise’s Block Lester Family Vineyards – 92 points
2008 Silvertip – 92+ points
2009 Silvertip – 92 points
2009 Soquel Estate – 92 points
2010 Villa del Monte Regan Vineyard – 92 points

For my complete tasting notes and ratings on all the wines, see below:

Alfaro Family

• 2009 Alfaro Family Pinot Noir Lindsay Paige – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; berry, blackberry, black cherry nose; ripe berry, blackberry palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Alfaro Family Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; intense, ripe cherry, black cherry nose; tight, black cherry, black raspberry palate; needs 2 years; medium finish 88+ points (88 pts.)

Bargetto

• 2010 Bargetto Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark ruby color; ripe berry, black fruit nose; ripe berry, black cherry, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2010 Bargetto Pinot Noir Reserve Regan Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz County
  Medium dark ruby color; floral, wild berry, cherry nose; ripe cherry, raspberry puree palate; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Beauregard

The Beauregard family has been growing grapes in the western edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in what is now the Ben Lomond AVA within the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, since Amos Beauregard purchased the family’s first property there in 1949. That original vineyard now comprises 13 acres planted mostly to Pinot Noir. Emmett (Bud) Beauregard took over when his father Amos passed away in the ’70s, continuing to grow grapes on a “purely recreational” basis. Jim Beauregard, who had previously run Felton Empire Winery in the late ’70s and early ’80s (Felton is now Hallcrest Winery) took over as viticulturalist when Bud retired in 2002. Jim had also been instrumental in the establishment of the Ben Lomond Mountain appellation in 1988. Jim’s son Ryan, the fourth generation of the Beauregards involved in the family business, made his first wine from family owned grapes in 1998. The Beauregard Vineyards family partnership for winemaking was subsequently established in 1999. Besides the original family vineyard, known as Beauregard Ranch, the partnership’s other three estate vineyards are Bald Mountain, Neyley and Nora’s. Bald Mountain, planted in 1993, is the largest vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 38 acres. Nine of these are planted to Pinot, and the rest to Chardonnay. Neyley is planted entirely to Chardonnay, and Nora’s is the most recent addition. Its 20 acres at an elevation of 1200 feet were planted entirely to Pinot Noir by Jim Beauregard in 2008. The first vintage from this vineyard will be 2011. In the meantime, the 2010 Pinot from the original Beauregard Ranch vineyard was very good, with floral qualities. It was the non-estate Pinot, from fruit purchased from Byington Vineyard, however, that most impressed me at this tasting.

• 2010 Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Noir Beauregard Ranch – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Ben Lomond Mountain
  Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, roses, hibiscus, peony nose; tart cherry, floral, baked cherry, baked raspberry, light cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (30% new American oak) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Noir Byington Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Clara County
  Medium cherry red color; floral, tart cherry nose; tasty, balanced, tart cherry, tart raspberry, floral palate with medium acidity; medium-plu finish 92+ points (30% new American oak) (92 pts.)

Big Basin

Big Basin was founded in 1988 in Santa Cruz Mountains next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park on a site that had originally planted to grapes in the early 1900s but that had been abandoned as a vineyard since 1965. Bradley Brown is the owner and winemaker. I’ve been very impressed by his Pinot Noirs, intensely flavored Syrahs and red blends over the years. The estate vineyards include Rattlesnake Rock (planted to Syrah) and Homestead (planted in 2007 to Grenache, Roussanne and Syrah). They also source from other vineyards, like Woodruff Family and Alfaro Family, both located in the Corralitos region of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts in small, open-top fermenters. In the case of the Alfaro Family bottling, 8% whole clusters were used; for Woodruff Family it was 25%. The wine was then aged in French oak barrels, 50% new, for 16 months prior to bottling. Both bottlings were good, but I slightly favored the Woodruff, from vines originally planted in 1988, making it one of the older Pinot plantings in the area.

• 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Woodruff Family Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; floral, tart strawberry, baked strawberry nose; tart strawberry, baked strawberry, floral, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
• 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Alfaro Family Vineyards – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium ruby color; ripe cherry, baked cherry, baking spice nose; baked cherry, baking spice, baked raspberry palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Black Ridge

• 2008 Black Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; narrow, black cherry nose; light bodied, black cherry, cola palate; medium finish (86 pts.)

Burrell School

• 2008 Burrell School Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark cherry red color; ripe cherry, red fruit nose; tart cherry, rhubarb, floral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 89+ points (89 pts.)
• 2007 Burrell School Vineyards Pinot Noir Principal’s Choice Estate Reserve – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; maturing, floral, berry nose; tart cherry, blue fruit, wild berry palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

Clos LaChance

Bill and Brenda Murphy (nee LaChance) planted a few rows of Chardonnay in their Saratoga backyard in 1987. A few years later, when the wine made from these grapes proved to be of good quality, they decided to start a commercial winery. Their first commercial release, of only 200 cases, consisted of wine from the 1992 vintage. Their acreage has grown from the 3/4 acre backyard vines to 150 acres of vines, producing 80,000 cases of wine and employing 20 full-time employees. In 1996, the couple established CK Vines, a vineyard maintenance and installation company specializing in backyard vineyard development. Most of their vineyard acreage consists of backyard vineyards of various sizes for which they charge homeowners an installation fee (in 2004, that was $30,000 per acre) as well as an annual maintenance fee. The maintenance fee is more than offset by Clos LaChance’s per acre purchase price for the resulting grapes. Another large source of their grapes is a residential development in San Martin with 36 three-acre sites that was designed with these vineyards as part of the plan. There Clos LaChance installed and maintains the vineyards, at no charge to the residents, and processes the grapes. The homeowners don’t participate in any winery profits, but get to enjoy the beauty of the vineyards on their property. In 2008, along with bottlings of other varieties, Clos La Chance produced at least three Pinots. I was underwhelmed with the regular Santa Cruz Mountains bottling, which exhibited some of the smoke taint for which the ’08 vintage has become infamous, but the Biagini Vineyard designate was a major step above that and the Erwin bottling was one of the best of the tasting. The Erwin vineyard is a four-acre vineyard planted by owner Elmer Erwin in 1993. It’s at an elevation of 2,800 feet. Clos La Chance only releases an Erwin bottling when the grapes are in optimal condition—the last previous Erwin vintage was 2005. This one was aged for nine months in 33% new French oak. Stephen Tebb, who had previously been assistant winemaker at Artesa in Napa, is the Director of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations at Clos LaChance.

• 2008 Clos LaChance Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; floral, oak nose; oak, baked berry, light smoke palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2008 Clos LaChance Pinot Noir Biagini Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Black tinged dark garnet color; floral, tart cherry, black cherry, spice nose; silky textured, tasty, rounded, tart cherry, floral, oak spice, tart raspberry, earthy palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2008 Clos LaChance Pinot Noir Erwin – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark garnet red color; earthy, loam, mushroom, black raspberry nose; silky textured, savory, tasty, tart cherry, black cherry, black raspberry palate with medium acidity; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 92+ points (vineyard is at an elevation of 2800 feet; 100% destemmed) (92 pts.)

Clos Tita

• 2009 Clos Tita Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Slightly cloudy medium dark cherry red color; oak, black cherry, soy sauce nose; stewy, weedy, black cherry, oak palate with cliff finish; medium finish (84 pts.)
• 2009 Clos Tita Pinot Noir Cuvée – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Cloudy opaque red violet color; ethyl acetate, tart cherry nose; blecch; medium finish (NR/flawed)

Dancing Creek

• 2008 Dancing Creek Winery Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark cherry red color; spicy tomato sauce, bay leaf nose; tart cherry, bay leaf, tangy palate; medium-plus finish (with 15% Nebbiolo from Santa Barbara County) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Dancing Creek Winery Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; cherry cola, cola nose; cherry cola, cherry syrup palate; medium finish (86 pts.)

Domenico

• 2007 Domenico Wines Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; herbal, red berry nose; tart red berry, herbal palate with medium acidity; medium finish 85+ points (85 pts.)
• 2008 Domenico Wines Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color; tart red fruit, red berry nose; tart red berry, light cinnamon palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2009 Domenico Wines Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Barrel sample – medium dark cherry red color; red berry, floral nose; ripe cherry, wild berry palate; medium-plus finish 87-88 points (2 years in oak seems too long for this wine) (87 pts.)

Hallcrest

• 2006 Hallcrest Vineyards Pinot Noir Mr. and Mrs. Smith Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Light medium red color with pale meniscus; ripe strawberry, tart strawberry, floral nose; focused, tart cherry, tart strawberry, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2008 Hallcrest Vineyards Pinot Noir Vista Del Mare Single Barrel Selection – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; odd, tart strawberry, saline nose; tart cherry, rosehips palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Heart O’ the Mountain

• 2009 Heart O’ the Mountain Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Cloudy medium dark cherry red color; a little VA, tart cherry nose; tart cherry, tart red fruit palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2009 Heart O’ the Mountain Pinot Noir Estate Reserve – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Slightly cloudy dark cherry red color; a little VA, tart cherry nose; tart cherry, tart red fruit, cinnamon palate; medium finish (87 pts.)

House Family

This is a new producer, which also makes a Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Mount Eden’s Jeffrey Patterson is the winemaker.

• 2010 House Family Winery Pinot Noir Chateau Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Clara County
  Medium cherry red color; lifted, floral, roses nose; tart cherry, floral, rosehips, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Hunter Hill

• 2010 Hunter Hill Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; floral, tart red fruit, tart strawberry jam nose; very tart strawberry jam, rosehips palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (86 pts.)

Kings Mountain

• 2002 Kings Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir Kings Mountain – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; mature, tart cherry, roses, light brett nose; mature, light bodied, brett, tart cherry, rosehips palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)
• 2008 Kings Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir Kings Mountain – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; floral, tart cherry nose; baked cherry, tart red fruit, light cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)

Mount Eden

I’ve devoted an entire post here to the wonderful wines of Mount Eden, including the vineyard’s original ownership and planting by California Pinot Noir pioneer Martin Ray. To view that post, click here.

• 2010 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; tart cherry, tart strawberry, roses nose; tasty, tart cherry, tart strawberry, roses, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; lovely, floral, tart cherry, earthy nose; tasty, tart cherry, tart strawberry, mineral palate with medium acidity; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)

Mountain Winery

• 2009 Mountain Winery Pinot Noir Reserve – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; floral, rosehips nose; tart cherry, rosehips, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2007 Mountain Winery Pinot Noir Reserve – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color; mature, floral nose; tart red fruit, rosehips palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Muccigrosso

• 2007 Muccigrosso Vineyard Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; tart red berry, cinnamon nose; tart red berry, cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2006 Muccigrosso Vineyard Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Light medium red color with pale meniscus; tart red berry, red clay nose; tart red berry, red clay, light cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Muns

• 2008 Muns Vineyard Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; floral, tart strawberry, tart cherry nose; tart cherry, tart strawberry, strawberry syrup palate; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (clones 114, 115, 667 and 777) (90 pts.)
• 2006 Muns Vineyard Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Bricking medium red color with pale meniscus; mature, ripe cherry, baked cherry, loam nose; light-medium bodied, loam, tart cherry, baked cherry palate; medium-plus finish (30% new Hungarian oak) (90 pts.)

Nicholson

Brian and Marguerite Nicholson, pictured above, are the proprietors of this winery, whose initial estate vineyard was planted in 1996. The winery was established in 2004. The estate vineyard has a southwest exposure at an elevation of 700 feet, and its four acres are planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They also source additional fruit from other vineyards, including the famous Peter Martin Ray Vineyard, originally planted by Martin Ray. It was the bottling from this vineyard that most stood out at this tasting, but the Santa Cruz Mountains Cuvee was also a good buy at only $30.

• 2009 Nicholson Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvée Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; lovely, lifted, floral, tart cherry nose; very tart red fruit, tart strawberry, light cinnamon, baking spice palate; medium-plus finish (decent value at $30) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Nicholson Vineyards Pinot Noir Peter Martin Ray Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; focused, ripe cherry, baked cherry, black cherry nose; tight, tart black cherry, mineral, floral palate; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Odonata

• 2009 Odonata Pinot Noir Domani Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; black cherry, oak spice, black raspberry nose; tight, tart cherry, tangy, tart strawberry palate with medium acidity; needs 2-plus years; medium-plus finish (1 acre vineyard planted in ’02 to 7 different clones; 1900 ft elevation; 33% new French oak; 12.5% alcohol) (91 pts.)

Pelican Ranch

• 2009 Pelican Ranch Pinot Noir Amaya Ridge – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; baked cherry, baking spice nose; tight, tart cherry, baking spice palate; with medium acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (French oak) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Pelican Ranch Pinot Noir Meadowridge Vinyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; lifted, stewed cherry, berry nose; ripe cherry, cherry syrup, berry palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Pelican Ranch Pinot Noir (Oregon Oak) Amaya Ridge – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; baked cherry, baked berry nose; tart cherry, baked cherry palate with balance; needs 2-plus years; medium-plus finish (raised in Oregon oak) (90 pts.)

Pleasant Valley

Craig and Cathy Handley started this small, family-run production in 1996. Their two small vineyards, on five acres, are planted to Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Craig is the winemaker, and the wines are made and bottled on the family’s property. The wines are named after their grandchildren, grand niece and grand nephew. The bottling that most impressed me in this flight was from the Willa Louise’s Block of Lester Family Vineyards, which is planted entirely to Dijon clone 667. The pricing, however, is steep–from $60 for that bottling to $95 for the Reserve.

• 2006 Pleasant Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Dylan David Family Estate Reserve – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Bricking medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; lifted, floral, hibiscus, tart cherry nose; mature, tart cherry, floral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Pleasant Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Dylan David Willa Louise’s Block Lester Family Vineyards – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; tart cherry, light herbs, soy sauce nose; focused, tart cherry, tart black cherry, floral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
• 2009 Pleasant Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Dylan David Reserve Lester Family Vineyards – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, light herbs, rosehips nose; floral, rosehips, tart cherry, light cherry syrup, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (clone 115) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Pleasant Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Dylan David Cuvée (Gold Label) – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; focused, floral, baked cherry, raspberry nose; tasty, silky textured, rounded, ripe raspberry, cherry palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (clones 113, 114, 115 and 667) (91 pts.)

Poetic Cellars

• 2010 Poetic Cellars Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; lifted, baked cherry, red bean ice cream, cinnamon nose; baked cherry, cinnamon palate; needs 2 years; medium finish (88 pts.)

Regale

• 2008 Regale Pinot Noir Estate Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark cherry red color; floral, roses, tart red fruit nose; tart cherry, roses, rosehips, hibiscus palate with medium acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards

I’ve had some excellent Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Pinots over the years, including a terrific 1979 bottling that was holding up remarkably well in 2008. I was also very impressed with their 2006 vintage. The wines here typically require some bottle age. The 2009 was quite appealing; the 2008 scored lower due to the brett level.

• 2009 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir Branciforte Creek – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; roses, rosehips, floral nose; very appealing, rosehips, tart cherry, baked cherry palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2008 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir Branciforte Creek – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; light brett, earthy, floral nose; light brett, earthy floral palate; needs 3-plus years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Sarah’s

• 2010 Sarah’s Vineyard Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; rosehips nose; rosehips, tart cherry, baked cherry palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2007 Sarah’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Veranda Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; maturing, tart cherry, red berry nose; tasty, tart cherry, ripe cherry, red berry palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Savannah-Chanelle

• 2009 Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards Pinot Noir Muns Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; floral, black cherry nose; odd, black cherry, rosehips palate; needs 2-plus years; medium-plus finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2008 Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; floral, cherry nose; odd, cinnamon, tart cherry, hibiscus palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)

Silver Mountain

• 2007 Silver Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Light medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, tart cherry, rosehips nose; light-medium bodied, tart red fruit, rosehips, mineral palate; needs 2-plus years; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2007 Silver Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir Miller Hill Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, hibiscus nose; floral, hibiscus, tart red fruit, blood orange palate; medium finish (89 pts.)

Silvertip

Silvertip was one of my two “finds” of this tasting–a producer I’d never heard of, that was only established in 2009. The owners are Paul Stroth and Philip Nelson. Stroth has been making Syrah and Zin under the Stroth-Hall label since 2005. I got to taste their wines at the morning technical seminar at this event, and was immediately attracted to their complexity and Asian spice characteristics. The wines are produced from a nine-acre vineyard with sandy soils planted at an elevation of 1700 feet near the top of Santa Cruz Mountains’ western slopes. That vineyard is planted to Pinot, Chardonnay and Syrah. The 2008 was based entirely on clone 828, while the 2009 version included Pommard clone along with Dijon clones 828, 115 and 667. I definitely look forward to following this project.

• 2008 Silvertip Vineyards Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; hoisin, spice box, dried black cherry, Asian 5-spice nose; very appealing, Asian spice, tart black cherry, tart blackberry, lilac palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (clone 828) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Silvertip Vineyards Pinot Noir – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; Asian spice, black cherry, berry nose; tasty, blackberry, black cherry, Asian spice, hoisin sauce palate with lift and near medium acidity; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish (clones 828, 115, Pommard and 667; 1/3 new oak) (92 pts.)

Sonnet

• 2009 Sonnet Pinot Noir Muns Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; tart red fruit, light cinnamon nose; tasty, tart cherry, cinnamon, floral, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Soquel

Soquel is the winery that twin brothers Peter and Paul Bargetto started with their friend John Morgan in 1987, after the twins left the winery that their grandfather had started with his brother, Bargetto Winery. They are planting a four-acre vineyard on a site they recently purchased that had once belonged to their grandfather. In the meantime, they source the fruit for their wines from vineyards in Santa Cruz Mountains, the Russian River and Napa. They produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a meritage, in addition to Pinot Noir. I appreciated the delicacy and precision of this Pinot, which sells through the winery for $40.

• 2009 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; nice ripe cherry, baked cherry, floral nose; tasty, delicate, ripe cherry, baked cherry, floral, ripe raspberry palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Storrs

• 2007 Storrs Pinot Noir Christie Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; maturing, baked cherry, berry nose; cherry pie, baked cherry palate with integrated oak; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2007 Storrs Pinot Noir Wildcat Ridge – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; maturing, tart black cherry, tart plum nose; tart black cherry, mineral palate with depth; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2008 Storrs Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; floral, roses, tart cherry nose; tasty, roses, rosehips, mineral, tart cherry palate with medium acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

Thomas Fogarty

• 2010 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Rapley Trail Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; floral, hibiscus, rosehips nose; floral, rosehips, roses, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Light medium red color with pale meniscus; tart cherry, floral, hibiscus nose; tart cherry, floral, hibiscus palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Villa del Monte

My other “find” from this tasting was Villa del Monte. John Overstreet and Neil Perrelli are the proprietor/winemakers here, having started this winery, named after their mountain subdivision, in 2007 following many years of participating in a neighborhood winemaking co-op. They purchase grapes from their neighbors and from vineyards from Santa Cruz Mountains up to Carneros. The floral Quenneville Vineyard bottling was good, but the Regan Vineyard bottling, with both floral and mineral qualities, was the real standout. Both are selling for a very reasonable $28 on their website.

• 2009 Villa del Monte Pinot Noir Quenneville Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium cherry red color; roses, tart cherry, floral nose; tart cherry, rosehips, hibiscus palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2010 Villa del Monte Pinot Noir Regan Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; hibiscus, floral nose; ripe cherry, floral, rosehips, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Vine Hill

• 2008 Vine Hill Winery Pinot Noir Cumbre of Vine Hill Raffaelli Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark cherry red color; floral, rosehips, tart cherry nose; tart cherry, floral palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (clones 667, 777 and Pommard) (90 pts.)

Vino Tabi

• 2009 Vino Tabi Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyards – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; cola, red bean nose; red bean, tart red berry palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (87 pts.)

Woodside

• 2008 Woodside Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark cherry red color; herbal, tart plum nose; odd, herbal, tart plum, tart black cherry palate; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (10% whole cluster; from 15-17 yr old Pommard and Dijon clone vines) (88 pts.)

These restrictions are a legacy of the end of Prohibition, when control of alcohol was suddenly turned over to the states in the 1930s. Many state legislatures reacted against the pre-Prohibition practice of “tied houses,” which beer and spirits distributors had used to get patrons drunk and hooked on their products. These same restrictive laws, which in 37 states currently bar retailers in one state from shipping wine to residents in another state, make no sense at all in the Internet age.

The panel consists of Bartholomew Broadbent, Michael Cervin and yours truly. I look forward to your comments.

Visiting Italian winemakers at a K&L tasting

The only way to find out whether you like a particular wine or wine style is to taste it. Through tasting, you can start to develop a style profile of wines you prefer.

Here in the San Francisco Bay area we are blessed with many opportunities to taste and find out what we like before we buy. In my view, the single best resource both for wine newbies and those looking to deepen their knowledge of different types of wine are the neighborhood wine retailers that offer regular tastings.

Not all wine stores are licensed for tastings, and some are barred from offering such tastings under California’s antiquated three-tier system or “tied house” restrictions. These restrictions segregate distribution from licensed producers and importers to wholesalers and then to retailers. That’s the reason great importers of wines, like Kermit Lynch and North Berkeley Imports, which also own retail outlets are barred from doing public tastings at those outlets.

Nonetheless, a number of wine retailers, especially in San Francisco itself, but also in the East Bay and down the Peninsula, are licensed to offer weekly tasting opportunities for consumers. Some of the best of these offer themed tastings—e.g., new release California Pinots, Northern Italian Reds, or German wines—so they’re a terrific opportunity to learn about different types of wine and wine regions.

You can find a comprehensive list of local retailers offering regular tastings at the end of this post. The remainder of this week’s Wine Wednesday post highlights my personal list of the best of the best in Bay Area retail wine store tastings.

K&L Wine Merchants is one of the granddaddies of the Bay Area wine scene, dating back to 1976. It’s a family owned operation–still run by founders Todd Zucker and Clyde Beffa, Jr., and their families. They hire very knowledgeable and customer service oriented staff who tend to stay with the company for years. They also have the most robust online sales website of any local retailer. They have locations in San Francisco (near the Caltrain station) and Redwood City, as well as in Hollywood in Southern California.

All K&L locations offer tastings every Saturday afternoon, and often on Fridays as well as special events. The weekly K&L tastings usually cost only $15 or $20, which allows you to sample nine to 12 wines from a particular region or of one variety, like Riesling or Pinot Noir. Staff who are buyers for or experts on particular regions usually preside over the tastings from those regions, so they’re a great source for more information about that area and its producers.

Ribera del Duero tasting at San Francisco Wine Trading Co.

Another favorite of mine in the City with very informative and well organized tastings is San Francisco Wine Trading Company. Located on Taraval in West Portal, they offer Saturday afternoon themed tastings, as well as frequent events on Fridays.

Arlequin Wine Merchant is another retailer whose announcements of upcoming tastings I scour each week. Arlequin specializes in the kinds of wines true geeks adore—wines from obscure regions, “orange wines” (white wines macerated with prolonged skin contact, rendering them darker than most white wines), and “natural” wines (wines made with fewer sulfites than most wine) from all over. Their tastings, which often feature visiting winemakers, are usually every Thursday evening, from 6 to 8 pm, but they also offer periodic special events.

The Wine Club, which has locations near K&L’s in San Francisco, as well as in San Jose and Orange County in Southern California, also offers regular Saturday afternoon tastings on different themes. They also tend to have some of the lowest prices on the wines they offer.

The newest entrant to the San Francisco winetasting scene is Noe Valley Wine Merchants on 24th Street, which just opened a month ago. I attended a tasting of wines hosted by Jeff Pisoni, winemaker for Pisoni and Luli Wines, at this shop last week, and was impressed by the limited but good selection of reasonably priced wines as well as older vintages available.

The owners are veteran wine retailer James Mead and Sara Floyd, who is both a master sommelier and owner of Swirl Wine Brokers. The manager, Rebecca Rapaszky, is an old buddy of mine from wine stores down the Peninsula who is committed to informative and fun tastings. Tastings there will regularly take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Jeff Pisoni, right, at Noe Valley Wine Merchants

Moving down the Peninsula, there are two more gems of the Bay Area wine scene that attract wine lovers from all over the Bay Area.

Beltramo’s roots go all the way back to its initial founding in Menlo Park in 1882 as a wholesale-retail wine and spirits business by recently arrived Italian immigrant Giovanni Beltramo. Re-established in its current site after prohibition, it’s still a family business, owned and run by Giovanni’s descendants. The store was one of the first in the Bay Area to specialize in imported wines, and they offer one of the widest selections of any of our local wine merchants.

The Beltramo’s Saturday tastings are a little unusual in that, unlike the stand up tastings at most retailers–where your tasting fee gets you a glass to use and usually one-ounce pours of the wines being tasted–here you can sit or stand, and are set up with glasses for each of the wines in the tasting—usually about eight. The advantage here is that you can go back and forth between the wines in the flight to further compare them. The pours are about two ounces (i.e., suitable for sharing). The tastings are by theme and sometimes feature a winemaker or distributor who can answer questions about the wines. Beltramo’s also offers excellent special event tastings with visiting winemakers.

wine poured out for a tasting at Beltramo’s

Finally, one of my very favorite retail store winetasting venues is Palo Alto’s Vin Vino Wine. It is unusual in offering tastings every day it is open—Tuesday through Saturday. These tastings are always themed, by producer, variety or sub-region, and often include older wines. Like Beltramo’s, if you order the whole flight, you will receive all the wines poured out at once—seven or eight glasses, usually—and the pours are two and a half ounces. (With pours this large, I always prefer to share with a friend, whenever possible.)

Typical tasting lineup at Vin Vino

Since Vin Vino’s tastings include wines from some of the priciest and most sought after Burgundy, Rhone, Italian, German and Austrian producers, and since the pours are large, these tend to be among the most expensive retail wine tastings in the area. They are also, however, among the most informative and in-depth themed tastings you can find, so a valuable resource for those of us wanting to learn about the world’s greatest wines.

Below is a comprehensive list of retailers in the area who offer regular wine tastings. This listing, which is alphabetical by geographical area, indicates what days tastings are offered, and the address and website for each retailer.

If I’ve left a favorite of yours off the list, please let me know about it. Happy tasting!

San Francisco Bay Area Retail Wine Stores with Regular Tastings

I. San Francisco
• Arlequin Wine Merchant
  Tastings Thurs. nights, special events
  384 Hayes Street (Hayes Valley, between Franklin and Gough)
  http://www.arlequinwinemerchant.com/
• California Wine Merchant
  Daily wine bar & Mon. night winery tastings
  2113 Chestnut St. (Marina District)
  http://www.californiawinemerchant.com/
• Castro Village Wine Company
  Small tastings (4 wines) Fri., Sat. & Sun.
  4121 19th Street (Castro)
  http://www.castrowine.com
• Cellar360
  Daily wine bar & frequent Sat. tastings
  Ghirardelli Square in the Woolen Mill Building , 900 North Point (Fisherman’s Wharf,)
  http://www.cellar360.com/
• Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
  Daily wine bar, tastings Wed. eves. & special events
  One Ferry Building, Shop 23 (Embarcadero)
  http://www.fpwm.com
• The Jug Shop
  Tastings most Thurs. eves.
  1590 Pacific Avenue (Russian Hill)
  http://thejugshop.com/store/
• K&L Wine Merchants
  Tastings Saturday and special events
  638 4th Street (South of Market, between Bluxome & Brannan)
  http://www.klwines.com/
• Noe Valley Wine Merchants
  Tastings Tues., Thurs. & Sat.
  3821 24th Street (Noe Valley)
  http://www.noevalleywinemerchants.com/
• San Francisco Wine Trading Company
  Tastings Sat. & sometimes Fri.
  250 Taraval St. (West Portal)
  http://www.sfwtc.com
• Terroir Natural Wine Merchant & Bar
  Daily wine bar; special events (open late)
  1116 Folsom Street (South of Market)
  http://terroirsf.com/
• Vin Debut
  Daily wine bar
  9 W. Portal Ave (West Portal)
  http://www.vindebut.com
• The Wine Club
  Tastings Fri. & Sat.
  953 Harrison Street (South of Market)
  http://www.thewineclub.com/

II. East Bay
• Farmstead Cheeses & Wines
  Tastings Thurs. & Sat.
  Alameda Marketplace, 1650 Park St., Alameda
  http://www.farmsteadcheesesandwines.com/
• Farmstead Cheeses & Wines
  Tastings Fri. & Sat.
  Montclair Village, 6218 La Salle Ave., Oakland
  http://www.farmsteadcheesesandwines.com/
• The Vine at Bridges
  Daily wine bar & tastings Thurs. eve.
  480 Hartz Avenue, Danville
  http://www.thevineatbridges.com/
• Vintage Berkeley (two locations)
  Tastings daily & special events
  2113 Vine Street, Berkeley
  2949 College Ave., Berkeley
  http://www.vintageberkeley.com
• Wine Mine, The
  Tastings Sat.
  5427 Telegraph Ave., Oakland
  http://www.winemineco.com/
• Wine Thieves (two locations)
  Tastings Fri. eve. in Berkeley & special events
  3401 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
  2926 Domingo Ave., Berkeley
  http://www.winethieves.com/

III. Marin and North Bay
• JV Wine
  Tastings Fri. eve. & Sat.
  301 First Street, Napa
  http://www.jvwine.com

IV. Peninsula and South Bay
• Beltramo’s Wines and Spirits
  Tastings Sat. & special events
  1540 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
  http://www.beltramos.com/
• K&L Wine Merchants
  Tastings Fri. & Sat. and special tastings
  3005 El Camino Real, Redwood City
  http://www.klwines.com/
• Savvy Cellars Wines
  Daily wine bar, tastings Sun. afternoons
  750 W. Evelyn Ave. at Castro Street, Mountain View
  http://www.savvycellar.com/
• UnWined Wine Bar and Wine Shop
  Daily wine bar, tastings Wed. eves.
  6946 Almaden Expressway, San Jose
  http://www.unwinedshop.com/
• Vin Vino Wine
  Tastings daily (themes)
  437 California Ave., Palo Alto
  http://www.vinvinowine.com/
• Wine Club, The
  Tastings most Fri. & Sat.
  1200 Coleman Ave, Santa Clara
  http://www.thewineclub.com/

The wine world includes a lot of small, family-owned producers. Many produce good wines, and a multitude don’t. Occasionally, however, the results are outstanding—truly among the ranks of the region’s very best.

That’s the case with Charter Oak—a tiny, Napa Valley based producer that operates out of a family’s backyard and basement cellar.

I first encountered Charter Oak wines at a trade tasting in 2008. I included them as an impressive producer that was new to me in my report. I tasted two more of their wines at the ZAP Zinfandel Festival this year, where the wines stood out as not only complex and rich but also more elegant and balanced than virtually anything else I tasted that day.

Proprietor/winemaker Rob Fanucci and his business partner Jim White joined me for dinner in Napa the following month. There I tasted more of the wines, including three vintages of Petite Sirah that were both profound and delicious.

I was so intrigued by what I’d tasted, and by Rob’s story of having learned winemaking from his grandfather and continuing the operation out of what had been his grandfather’s cellar, that I knew I had to see this family operation myself. I was hoping to figure out just what made the results of this tiny production effort so darned good.

So this month I visited Jim, Rob and Rob’s wife Layla at the Fanucci home in St. Helena. That’s where they have a one acre vineyard, and where Rob and his family produce on average 700 cases a year.

entrance to Charter Oak and the Fanuccis’ home

What I discovered was a family–Rob and Layla Fanucci, lately joined in winemaking by their son David—whose lives are quietly dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in their respective fields.

Layla is a very successful painter. She has painted full time since 1999 and sold about 200 paintings—vibrant city scapes in a unique style that she came to with advice from a major art world consultant. Rob is a tax attorney by day, but also a serious and talented winemaker who has built on what he learned from his Italian grandfather, continuing to make great wine using his grandfather’s press, in what was his grandfather’s old cellar.

Their home is half studio/art gallery and half winery. There’s a creative vibe throughout the place. Layla has created artwork for special labels for the wine, and artful arrangements of mementos and tools that belonged to Rob’s grandfather can be found throughout the winemaking cellar. A striking portrait of a woman even adorns the family’s chicken coop, home to a dozen or so beautiful and exotic looking egg producers, including a peacock hen.

Rob’s maternal grandfather, Guido Ragghianti, came to the U.S. from Luca, in Tuscany, in the 1920s. He settled first in San Francisco, where he worked for years as a carpenter. In 1950 he moved to St. Helena, purchasing a house built in the 1890s that had an acre of land and a basement big enough to make wine in.

Guido Ragghianti in San Francisco

Guido drank wine, only his own wine, with every meal. Rob told me he once got in trouble with Guido for bringing him a 1982 Pine Ridge Cabernet he had purchased at Safeway for $20. His grandfather angrily called it “shitto.” Guido also called Petite Sirah “Pity Serah,” and blended white grapes into his Zin.

Guido planted the backyard with a lot of white varieties for making grappa. (The Fanuccis replanted to Zin and a little Petite Sirah in 1992.) He also picked “second crop” grapes from local vineyards for free. Second crop refers to clusters that form on secondary shoots and that often mature several weeks after the main crop. It is time consuming to pick this second crop, and the yield is very small, but the little berries–which in the case of Zinfandel are often black–tend to have intense flavors.

The estate vineyard

When he was in high school, Rob learned to make grappa on his grandfather’s stove. He also received a bottle of sweet wine from his grandfather for his birthday every year, from age four on.

In 1986, Rob faced a career turning point. The firm he was with, Dean Witter, decided to move from San Francisco to New York. Rob wasn’t willing to move to New York so he left the firm and he and Layla moved up to St. Helena to share the house with his grandfather. Guido was then 98.

Rob went to pick grapes that year with Guido. They brought the grapes back and crushed them in 60 gallon open vats and punched them down with old redwood bats Guido had brought with him from Italy. They’d bring wine into the cellar by bucket and leave the bungs off the fully topped off barrels for 40 days. They would rack these barrels four months later.

After he taught Rob the whole winemaking process, Guido passed away at the end of December 1986.

Rob has continued to make wine ever since, following much of his grandfather’s recipe. He’s also kept the press room and barrel room much as Guido left them. Even Guido’s old truck, with the driver’s side window Rob managed to crack as a boy, is still parked in the yard as well. Rob’s love for his grandfather is palpable throughout the place, and in the way Rob talks about him. It’s clear that winemaking at Charter Oak is an ongoing tribute to a much beloved ancestor.

After 11 vintages on his own, Rob went commercial in 1998, having gotten the home winery bonded that year.

He produces three Zins, including a Monte Rosso Vineyard designate (from one of California’s most esteemed old vine Zin vineyards), one from fruit from the one-acre “estate” vineyard, and a bottling called “The Zinfandel Mind” that’s based on second crop fruit they pick from one of the same vineyards Guido used to source from. He’s also made an eponymous cuvée, the Roberto Fanucci, in the last couple years. He produces a Petite Sirah, with fruit from the David Fulton vineyard in Napa that was originally planted in 1860. There’s also a Cabernet Sauvignon, made in the last few years from fruit sourced from Mt. Veeder. And in the last couple years, Rob has also made a special blend named after his grandfather that’s largely based on Cabernet, but that reminds me of one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s luxury cuvées.

So one of the secrets to Charter Oak’s amazing wines is top fruit sources–great vineyards with very old vines. But there’s more to the winning formula than that.

The winemaking process, based on what Rob learned from Guido, is a traditional and very gentle one.

The fermentation takes place in open vats relying solely on indigenous yeasts. These yeasts are so tenacious that Rob reports they’ve fermented juice to dry that couldn’t get to dry when fermented elsewhere. One batch fermented to dry at 17.4% alcohol.

After three to four weeks in the fermentation tank, the skins are separated from the juice using an ancient basket press Guido brought over from Italy. It extracts less juice from the skins than they’d get if they used modern equipment, but it does so in a slow and gentle fashion. The juice is then taken by buckets to the barrels in the cellar.

Rob has taken wine chemistry classes at U.C. Davis. He sends samples to ETS Labs, and the results aid him in blending decisions and when to rack. He constantly checks to see whether something’s going wrong, but otherwise lets the wine do its thing.

If the fermentation is slowing, Rob will take a five gallon pot of must out of the vat and put it in the sun until it gets going again, and then pour it back into the vat. The secondary, or malolactic, fermentations happen naturally in the spring, when the cellar room gets warm enough for that process to start.

Rob ages the wine mainly in used barrels–he hasn’t purchased any new barrels since 2007. Guido used to use the same barrels for 30 years.

I tasted some of the 2010 and 2011 wines out of barrel and it was exquisite juice–the best Zin and Petite Sirah I’ve ever tasted out of barrel. There is, however, one more secret yet to Charter Oak’s brilliant wines, and it’s one I virtually had to pry out of Rob as he’s not the type of guy to brag about his own efforts.

Rob, an excellent cook according to Layla and partner Jim, is also a gifted blender.

The Zins often have as much as 15% Petite Sirah in them, and the Petite Sirahs also tend to have a healthy helping of Zin. Rob never blends all at once. In a difficult vintage, like 2008, he can go through 40 to 50 trials to get to the final blend. That year he got down to two or three choices that he then tasted with partner Jim and Chris Phelps, winemaker at Swanson Vineyards. Sometimes he’ll freshen up a vintage with a little of another vintage.

Rob and Jim in the cellar

So what sets Charter Oak apart from your average family winemaking operation is top notch fruit sources; traditional and low intervention winemaking on a small and manageable scale; and final touches by a naturally talented blender. No wonder Charter Oak wines can be found at some of the country’s finest restaurants, like Per Se, French Laundry, Gary Danko, and now Gordon Ramsay at the London in New York.

Rob and Layla’s son David got involved with the winemaking in 2008. David is now enrolled in an enology program in Walla Walla, Washington. In 2009 he did a lot of punch downs, which I think shows in that vintage’s intensely flavored wines.

Rob and Layla have no plans to produce more than about 700 cases a year, because of the handcrafted effort involved, the fact that Rob and Layla both have full-time careers, and the limits of the size of their facility–the cellar will only hold so many barrels.

Before we get to my notes on the Charter Oak wines and barrel samples I tasted, I want to share with you a couple shots of Layla’s artwork, to give a sense of another form that the artistic energy emanating from this 120-year-old St. Helena home has taken.

Layla’s paintings remind me of archaeological digs. She builds them up in layers, one city scape over another–usually four or five cities on top of each other. The most so far has been six.

The result is a view of urban life that pulses with energy. She’s also a brilliant colorist as well as a great technician. She’s had shows in Toronto, North Carolina, New York, Miami, and a museum in Marrakech, Morocco. She’s scheduled for another exhibition, along with a Moroccan artist, at the Robert Mondavi Winery in November this year. A book of her work, City of Dreams
Unabridged 1999-2011, with an essay by Valerie Gladstone, is being published this year.

Art and wine tours at Charter Oak can be scheduled by appointment. For more information, see their website.

Tasting Notes, in chronological order by vintage

• 2006 Charter Oak Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/7/2012)
  Dark red violet color; lifted, lovely, ripe berry, wild berry, violets, floral nose; silky textured, tasty, tart berry, wild berry, violets palate with good balance and acidity; should go 10-plus years; medium-plus finish 93+ points (with 15% Petite Sirah; rich and satisfying, classic, refined Zin) (93 points)
• 2006 Charter Oak Petite Sirah – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/7/2012)
  Very dark red violet color; appealing, tart black fruit, rich berry, tar, espresso nose; rich, youthful, tight, flavorful, complex, tart black fruit, espresso, tart berry, violets palate; needs 3-plus years, will go 25; medium-plus finish (with about 15% Monte Rosso Zin; 15.5% alcohol) (94 points)
• 2007 Charter Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder – USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (4/7/2012)
  Dark ruby color; bright tart currant, cedar, mineral, mocha nose; tasty, tart currant, cassis, cedar palate with near medium acidity; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points (delicious Mt. Veeder Cab, from 1442 foot elevation, that should go 25 years) (93 points)
• 2007 Charter Oak Petite Sirah – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (2/22/2012)
  Very dark ruby color; appealing, focused, ripe berry, black fruit, dark chocolate nose; tasty, poised, rich, delicious, tart berry, red berry, ripe black fruit, dark chocolate, tart blackberry, licorice palate; good now but could use 2-3 years; long finish (with 10% Monte Rosso Zin) (93 points)
• 2007 Charter Oak Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/7/2012)
  Bright medium dark red violet color; lovely, focused, tart black fruit, ripe berry, mulberry jam nose with a touch of fine French oak; rich, complex, elegant, luscious, pretty, ripe black fruit, ripe berry, blackberry, black raspberry palate; medium-plus finish 93+ points (15.9% alcohol) (93 points)
• 2008 Charter Oak Zinfandel Roberto Fanucci Napa Valley – USA, California, Napa Valley (2/22/2012)
  Dark ruby color; floral, ripe berry, crystallized violets, rich plum, berry, berry syrup nose; delicious, plush, ripe blackberry, berry liqueur, violets palate; long finish (an outstanding Zin) (95 points)
• 2008 Charter Oak Zinfandel The Zinfandel Mind – USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2012)
  Dark purple red violet color; evocative, floral, ripe berry, bright, tart blackberry, lavender nose; rich, tasty, youthful, unusually flavorful, tart berry, ripe blackberry, black fruit, anise palate; medium-plus finish 94+ points (94 points)
• 2009 Charter Oak Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (1/28/2012)
  2012 ZAP: Grand Tasting and K&L Tasting; 1/20/2012-1/28/2012 (The Concourse, San Francisco, and K&L, Redwood City, California): Nice, focused, berry, anise, tar nose; very tasty, tar, tasty black fruit, dried berry palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish (93 points)
• 2009 Charter Oak Petite Sirah – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/7/2012)
  Very dark black red violet color; herbal, green peppercorn, savory, black tobacco, black tea, roasted blackberry nose; rich, dense, complex, tart black fruit, roasted black fruit, black cherry, floral palate; medium-plus finish 94+ points (from 80 year old David Fulton vines; with 2-3% Cabernet Sauvignon; will be a profound and ageworthy Petite) (94 points)
• 2009 Charter Oak Guido Ragghianti Old World Field Blend – USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2012)
  Nearly opaque dark ruby color; deep, rich, berry, mulberry, chocolate nose; rich, complex, layered, tight, black fruit, tart berry, tar palate; needs 5-plus years; long finish 93+ points (95% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% David Fulton Petite Sirah and Monte Rosso Zin; 15% alcohol; reminiscent of a luxury cuvee Chateauneuf-du-Pape) (93 points)
• 2010 Charter Oak Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/7/2012)
  Barrel sample – lovely, lifted cherry, ripe raspberry nose; delicious, poised, balanced, ripe black cherry, raspberry, floral, gorgeous palate; medium-plus finish 94-97 points (94 points)
• 2010 Charter Oak Zinfandel Napa Valley – USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2012)
  Barrel sample – dark red violet; ripe raspberry, pepper, mineral nose; tasty, elegant, dried berry, tart cherry, floral, pepper, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 95-98 points (with some Petite Sirah) (95 points)
• 2011 Charter Oak Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/7/2012)
  Barrel sample – dark red violet color; tart berry, dried berry, ripe currant nose; tasty, tart currant, pepper, tart berry palate; medium-plus finish 93-96 points (with a little Petite Sirah) (93 points)
• 2011 Charter Oak Petite Sirah – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/7/2012)
  Barrel sample – dark red violet color; tart black fruit, reductive; reductive, tart black fruit, herbs, pepper palate; medium-plus finish 93-96 points (time for racking) (93 points)
• 2011 Charter Oak Zinfandel The Zinfandel Mind – USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2012)
  Barrel sample – medium dark cherry red color; tart black fruit, tart blackberry nose; tasty, Pinot-like, floral, tart cherry, herbs palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 93-95 points (93 points)

Twenty producers from Sta. Rita Hills, one of California’s younger officially designated appellations, returned to San Francisco for the second time in two years for a tasting for wine buyers and media at San Francisco’s RN74 Restaurant this month.

Sta. Rita Hills, formerly a part of the Santa Ynez Valley appellation in Santa Barbara County, gained American Viticultural Area (AVA) status only in 2001. It has long been thought to be a particularly promising area thanks to its location near the ocean, giving it cool growing conditions, and to its hilly sites and geology, including calcareous soils which often make for particularly minerally wines in Europe.

Based on last week’s tasting of 72 wines from this appellation, I am happy to report this region is definitely starting to fulfill its promise as a source of characterful, balanced and terroir-driven wines—from flavorful Chardonnay and Viognier to minerally and complex Pinot Noir and Syrah.

I was, in fact, thoroughly delighted with the wines overall. Many were from the relatively cool recent vintages–2009, 2010 and 2011–which seem to have been ideal for Sta. Rita Hills, permitting lots of hang time, adding complexity and flavor to the region’s wines.

Sta. Rita Hills AVA sits between the towns of Buellton and Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, comprising about 100 square miles and 1700 planted acres. Its two east-west oriented valleys are formed by the Purisima Hills to the north, the Santa Rosa Hills to the south and the Santa Ynez River flowing between them to the Pacific Ocean.

Pinot Noir dominates the plantings and reputation of this AVA. This is not surprising, given the cool climate and marine breezes that are ideal for Pinot. This was originally demonstrated by Richard Sanford’s first vineyard in the area—Sanford & Benedict—planted in 1970, and the wines he produced from that vineyard under the Sanford label.

Lafond Winery also planted its first vineyards in the area that same year. They were followed by Babcock Winery in 1980. The rest of the vineyards here date mostly from the mid- to late-1990s, when several Pinot Noir enthusiasts bought land in the area with the aim of growing cool climate Pinot.

That said, there’s also terrific Chardonnay now coming from Sta. Rita Hills.

I reported here recently on the In Pursuit of Balance tasting, where I got to sample two Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnays from Sandhi Wines. Those Chardonnays and a 2002 from Clos Pepe are the best Chards I’ve had yet from the region—minerally, structured and complex. At this tasting, I was also thrilled by Chardonnays from Alma Rosa, Liquid Farm and Longoria.

Pinot Noirs from Sta. Rita Hills range from the ripe and fruity style of Sea Smoke and Loring (neither of which were represented in this tasting) to the higher acid, more “Burgundian” styles of Alma Rosa, Clos Pepe and Longoria.

One tends to find lots of black fruit–-black cherry, berry and plum–-in Pinot Noir grown in this AVA, as well as intense red fruit: cranberry, cherry and raspberry. I think these flavors owe in large measure to the Dijon clones, like 115, 667 and 777, that dominate the plantings. The good news is that more California heritage clones, like Mount Eden and Calera, are also being planted, which should help to diversify the flavor profile.

The Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance includes both owners of vineyards located within the geographical boundaries of the appellation and winemakers who make wine from grapes grown there. Some, like Peter Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe and Zotovich Family Vineyard, are both growers and wine producers.

The Association’s website lists a total of 46 members. The participants in this tasting included many of the names most identified with this AVA, like Alma Rosa, Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe, Fiddlehead, Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post and Longoria.

Of the 72 wines I tasted, I scored 28 of them, or 39%, 92 points or higher. That’s a very high percentage of high scoring wines at an appellation tasting like this, which is why I felt very excited about wines from many of these producers, including some that I usually taste year after year.

For example, the wines from Richard Sanford’s Alma Rosa were the best lineup from this producer I’ve tasted yet, including a delicious Pinot Blanc, admirable Chardonnay and thrilling Pinot Noir based on the Mount Eden clone.

The wines from Cold Heaven were similarly impressive. After I complimented winemaker/proprietor Morgan Clendenen on the lineup–including not only the Viogniers for which she has long been admired, but also thoroughly delicious barrel samples of her 2010 Pinot Noirs and a Syrah–she admitted she feels she’s “in a groove now” after many years of getting to know the vineyards from which she sources.

The producers responsible for one or more wines I rated 92 points or higher were Alma Rosa, Ampelos, Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe, Cold Heaven, Dierberg, Dragonette, Flying Goat, Gypsy Canyon, Liquid Farm, Longoria, Siduri and Zotovich Family.

The best whites of the tasting were:
2008 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc La Encantada – 92 points
2009 Alma Rosa Chardonnay El Jabali – 92 points
2010 Cold Heaven Viognier Sanford & Benedict – 93 points
2010 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill – 92 points
2010 Liquid Farm Chardonnay Golden Slope – 92+ points
2010 Longoria Chardonnay Cuvée Diana – 92 points

The best rosé was the 2011 Dragonette Cellars Rosé.

The most appealing Pinots were:
2009 Alma Rosa Mt. Eden Clone El Jabali – 93+ points
2007 Ampelos Rho – 92 points
2009 Cargasacchi Cargasacchi Vineyard – 92 points
2009 Cargasacchi Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard – 93 points
2009 Point Concepción Salsipuedes – 92 points
2010 Clos Pepe Estate – 93 points
2009 Clos Pepe Estate – 93 points
2007 Clos Pepe Estate – 93 points
2010 Cold Heaven Makepeace barrel sample – 92-93 points
2010 Cold Heaven Never Tell – 92-93+ points
2010 Cold Heaven Queen’s Cup – 93-94 points
2009 Dierberg Estate Grown Drum Canyon Vineyard – 92 points
2010 Dragonette Cellars – 93 points
2008 Flying Goat Cellars 2A Rio Vista Vineyard – 92+ points
2010 Gypsy Canyon Trois – 92 points
2009 Longoria Fe Ciega Vineyard – 93 points
2010 Siduri Clos Pepe Vineyard – 92+ points
2009 Zotovich Family Estate – 92 points

The best of the Syrahs were very good:
2010 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin barrel sample – 92-94 points
2009 Zotovich Family Estate – 93 points

And the only sweet wine, an homage to California’s fortified wine heritage dating back to the 1800s, based on the Mission grape, was the non-vintage Gypsy Canyon Ancient Vine Angelica Dona Marcelina’s Vineyard – 92+ points.

For more details on many of these producers, and my complete tasting notes, see below.

A note about the peculiar looking abbreviation/punctuation of the AVA’s current name: The AVA was known from 2001 to 2006 as Santa Rita Hills AVA. As the result of a protest by and subsequent negotiations with Viña Santa Rita, a large Chilean wine producer, the name was officially changed on January 6, 2006 (with producers given a year to change their labels), to Sta. Rita Hills.

Alma Rosa

Richard Sanford, pictured above, is both a California Pinot Noir and Sta. Rita Hills pioneer, having planted one of the State’s great Pinot Noir vineyards, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, at the western end of what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in 1970, when the area was simply part of the Santa Barbara County appellation. Wines from this vineyard were produced by the Sanford & Benedict winery from 1976 to 1980, at which point it became the Sanford Winery, which Richard Sanford ran from 1981 to 2005. Richard planted El Jabali (“wild boar”) Vineyard as a 100% organic vineyard in 1983. Its seven acres are planted half to Pinot Noir and half to Chardonnay. He planted La Rinconada Vineyard in 1995 and La Encantada Vineyard in 2000. All three became the first vineyards in Santa Barbara County to be certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers in 2000. La Encantada’s 100 acres are planted mainly to Pinot Noir, with 1.9 acres of Pinot Blanc, and 1.5 acres of Pinot Gris. La Encantada’s Pinot Noir is planted to Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777, and to Swan and UCD 4. Differences in business philosophy led Richard to part ways with his Sanford Winery partners in 2005 by exchanging his interest in the brand to the Anthony J. Terlato Family for the El Jabali Ranch and La Encantada vineyards. Richard and his wife Thekla then established Alma Rosa, producing wines from El Jabali and La Encantada. The winemaker is Burgundy native Christian Roguenant, who worked at Champagne Deutz for 15 years. These ’08s and ’09s from Alma Rosa were the most stunning wines from this producer that I’ve tasted yet. The ’09 Pinot Noir Mt. Eden Clone from El Jabali Vineyard was one of the best Pinots of the tasting.

• 2008 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc La Encantada Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart nectarine, tart peach, mineral nose; delicate, delicious, tart peach, tart apple, mineral palate; with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (neutral oak; awesome pairing with scallops) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Alma Rosa Chardonnay El Jabali Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light green-tinged yellow color; tart lemon, mineral, lime nose; tasty, tart lemon, lime, mineral palate with medium acidity; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish (only 17% malolactic; vines planted in 1983) (92 pts.)
• 2008 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; earth, mineral, charcoal nose; tart cherry, very mineral, floral palate with medium acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Mt. Eden Clone El Jabali Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; elegant, ripe cherry, mineral nose; tasty, elegant, tart cherry, mineral, roses palate; needs 3-4 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points (93 pts.)

Ampelos

Ampelos takes its name from the Greek word for vine. Its proprietors, Peter and Rebecca Work (Rebecca pictured above), were married on a small Greek island, and now own a small hotel there. Their vineyard is triply certified as sustainable in practice, organic and biodynamic. They purchased 82 acres in what was eventually to become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA back in 1999. They planted the first 15 acres to vines in 2001, and an additional 10 acres in 2005. The first planting included 10 acres of Pinot Noir (clone 115 and Pommard), five acres of Syrah (Estrella and clone 99), and about a fifth of an acre of Viognier (clone 1). The planting of the later vineyards, which consist of more Pinot and Syrah, along with one block of Grenache, is more tightly spaced–seven feet between rows and three feet between vines. The new Pinot Noir blocks are inter-planted with four percent Pinot Gris as part of ongoing experiments with co-pigmentation. In 2008 they also grafted the clone 99 Syrah over to Grenache. Their son Don, now winemaker at Seasmoke, has been very much involved with the project from the beginning. I was most impressed with the 2007 Pinot Noir Rho bottling, a barrel selection that sees two and a half years in 50% new French oak followed by one year of a bottle age.

• 2011 Ampelos Viognier Phi Ampelos Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Very light yellow color; floral, orange blossom, honeysuckle nose; tasty, crisp, honeysuckle, ripe pear palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2011 Ampelos Syrah Upsilon Ampelos Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light pink color; tart cherry, tart apple nose; clean, tart cherry, red fruit palate; medium finish (with 10% Riesling and 10% Grenache) (90 pts.)
• 2010 Ampelos Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; lifted, ripe cherry, berry nose; fresh, tart cherry, red berry, hibiscus palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2008 Ampelos Pinot Noir Lambda – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color; ripe cherry, berry nose; tasty, ripe berry, ripe cherry, black cherry palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2007 Ampelos Pinot Noir Rho – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; baked cherry, spice, baked raspberry nose; intense, spicy, cinnamon, tart cherry, floral pa;ate needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (barrel selection; 50% new French oak; 2 1/2 years in barrel & 1 yr in bottle) (92 pts.)
• 2008 Ampelos Syrah Gamma Ampelos Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; baked berry, black fruit, roasted berry nose; tight, tart black fruit, tart red berry palate with medium acidity; long finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Cargasacchi/Point Concepción

Peter Cargasacchi, pictured above, is one of Sta. Rita Hills’s major personalities–with a wicked sense of humor and a passion for communicating about the intricacies of grape farming and his region’s peculiar weather patterns. He comes from a line of Italian Americans who lived and farmed in the Central Coast since the early 1900s. Peter planted Cargasacchi Vineyard in 1998. It consists of 12 acres of Pinot Noir, all Dijon clone 115, on two different rootstocks, 3309C and 420A. He started planting the 16 acre Jalama Vineyard, which lies three miles southwest of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in 1999. Peter claims it’s one of the most westerly and coolest vineyards in the State. It is planted to Dijon clones 115 and 114; the Martin Ray or Mt. Eden clone; “a very tannic, dark, ‘suitcase selection’ purported to be 828 from Soane Et Loire that is a very interesting imposter but clearly isn’t 828″; and a small amount of Alsatian Pinot Grigio. Most of the fruit from both vineyards is sold to other wineries, but Peter reserves a small amount for his own wines. Under the Point Concepción label, which is made with both estate and purchased fruit, Peter bottles Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Syrah. The Jalama Vineyard bottling was particularly impressive, but all the wines are showing minerality and complexity. For more background on Cargasacchi, see my report on my 2010 visit to Peter’s winemaking facility here.

• 2009 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Estate Cargasacchi Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color; lovely, floral, tart red fruit, tart strawberry, mineral, herb nose; tight, tart cherry, mineral, herbs, hibiscus palate with a sense of savory; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (100% destemmed) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  From 375 ml – dark red color; deep roasted red berry, light cinnamon, dried cherry nose; tasty, tight, tart cherry, tart baked cherry, mineral, currant palate; needs 2-3 years; long finish (93 pts.)
• 2009 Point Concepción Pinot Noir Salsipuedes – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Medium red color; appealing, effusive, tart strawberry, tart cranberry, mineral, light herb nose; tasty, tart cranberry, mineral palate, very appealing now; medium-plus finish (mainly 114 and 115, with a little Mount Eden clone) (92 pts.)

Clos Pepe

Clos Pepe was started by owners Steve and Catherine Pepe when they purchased a 40-acre horse ranch in 1994 in the center of what would eventually become Sta. Rita Hills. (Steve and I both worked at the same law firm, O’Melveny & Meyers, in Los Angeles, where Steve was a partner, from 1981 to 1986.) They planted the first half of what is now a 29-acre vineyard starting in 1996. The Pepes’ son-in-law, Wes Hagen, pictured above, worked for three years in the vineyard before becoming vineyard manager in 1998. He designed and led the planting of the last 14 acres of the vineyard. Most of the vineyard–25 acres–are planted to Pinot Noir, with four acres being devoted to Chardonnay. Most of the fruit is sold to six or seven producers a year, so only a small amount is made under the Clos Pepe Estate label. The Axis Mundi label uses purchased fruit. Wes is also the winemaker, with his wife Chanda serving as assistant winemaker. (And Wes was an English major who loves to write, so you can follow his thoughts on farming, winemaking and blog on the Clos Pepe website.) The grapes are fermented with a mix of commercial yeasts. They use no new oak on the Chardonnay, and between 25 and 35% new French oak on the Pinot Noir. They barrel age the wines for 11 months before bottling. I have been tasting the Clos Pepe Pinots for years, and this was an excellent showing for all three vintages I tasted, the ’07, ’09 and 2010, all of which featured red fruit and minerality with good acidity and balance. The Chardonnays are good too, but I prefer the barrel fermented version to the one raised exclusively in stainless steel, “Hommage to Chablis.”

• 2010 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Hommage to Chablis – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart pear, tart apple nose; tasty, tart apple, citrus, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (stainless steel, 11 mos. sur lees) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Barrel Fermented – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; apple, baked apple nose; tart apple, baked apple palate with medium acidity; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2010 Clos Pepe Estate Axis Mundi Windmill Vineyards – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; focused, ripe cherry, bright berry nose; tasty, bright, ripe cherry, tart red berry palate; medium finish (90 pts.)
• 2010 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark cherry red color; intense, floral, ripe cherry nose; tasty, rich cherry, raspberry, baked raspberry palate; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
• 2009 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color; floral, tart cherry, light cinnamon nose; balanced, tart cherry, raspberry, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
• 2007 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; ripe cherry, baked cherry, floral nose; floral, tart cherry, tart red fruit, mineral palate still needs 2+ years; medium-plus finish (much more expressive than several times I’ve tried it in the past) (93 pts.)

Cold Heaven

Morgan Clendenen, pictured above, has been making Viognier under the Cold Heaven label since 1996. In 2003 she started making some cool climate Syrah as well. Since 2008, she’s also added Pinot Noir, and the barrel samples of three different 2010 Pinots she was showing at this tasting were stunning–I look forward to the final results. But back to those Viogniers. Morgan typically makes two single vineyard bottlings, one from Le Bon Climat, the Clendenen Family vineyard, and one from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard that was planted in the early ’70s. In ’09 she also made one sourced from Santa Ynez vineyards that were planted with white grapes originally labeled Roussanne that ultimately turned out to be Viognier. That year she also co-created a Viognier from Sanford & Benedict grapes with Condrieu’s Yves Cuilleron. That was labeled under the name Deux Mondes “Saints & Sinners.” She’s also previously made Viognier from the Vogelzgang Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley. Both of the 2010 Viogniers at this event were delicious, with good acidity, but the Sanford & Benedict had crispness and definition that I was missing on the riper Le Bon Climat bottling. In contrast to the vineyard-designated Viogniers, Morgan doesn’t officially identify the vineyard sources of her Pinots, instead giving them names like “Never Tell” and “Makepeace.” All of Morgan’s 2010 barrel sample Pinots were showing well–in a lush and ripe, but balanced style. Best of all was the barrel selection from the five best barrels that Morgan is calling Queen’s Cup. Awesome juice! The 2010 Syrah barrel sample was likewise impressive. Congratulations Morgan!

• 2010 Cold Heaven Viognier Le Bon Climat – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Light yellow color; ripe peach, nectarine, honeysuckle nose; tasty, focused, ripe peach, nectarine, baked peach palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (a little riper than usual) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Cold Heaven Viognier Sanford & Benedict – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Very light yellow color; floral, tart apple, tart peach nose; tasty, crisp, tart peach, tart apple palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (picked in November) (93 pts.)
• 2010 Cold Heaven Pinot Noir Makepeace Santa Barbara County – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Barrel sample – dark ruby color; ripe cherry, ripe berry, black cherry nose; tasty, ripe, delicious, rich black cherry, berry palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92-93 points (92 pts.)
• 2010 Cold Heaven Pinot Noir Never Tell Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Barrel sample – very dark ruby color; lush, ripe berry, black cherry, black raspberry, vanilla nose; rich, plush, ripe, hedonistic but delicious, wild berry, black cherry, black raspberry, berry liqueur palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92-93+ points (clones 2A, 115 & 667; 25% new French oak) (92 pts.)
• 2010 Cold Heaven Pinot Noir Queen’s Cup – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Barrel sample – dark ruby color; gorgeous, ripe, lush, blackberry, wild berry, black cherry, boysenberry, violets nose; rich, luscious, blackberry, wild berry, black cherry, black raspberry, violets palate; medium-plus finish 93-94 points (5 best barrels; Santa Rita Hills and Los Alamos) (93 pts.)
• 2010 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin Santa Barbara County – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Barrel sample – very dark ruby color; lifted, tart black fruit, lavender, light herb, tar nose; delicious, complex, tart black fruit, herbs, light pepper, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 92-94 points (92 pts.)

Dierberg

• 2009 Dierberg Pinot Noir Estate Grown Drum Canyon Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; intriguing, tart cherry, cranberry, light herb nose; silky textured, tart cranberry, herbs, mineral palate; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 92+ points (destemmed; 60% new French oak; south facing hillside vineyard planted in 2004 to 60% Dijon clones, Calera and Wente) (92 pts.)

Dragonette

The proprietors/winemakers of Dragonette are John and Steve Dragonette and their friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis. They source Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Syrah from vineyards in the cool, coastal areas of the Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley and York Mountain (west of Paso Robles). They try to buy on a “per acre” basis, allowing them to control major viticultural decisions during the season, like shoot and cluster density, canopy management and irrigation. They also personally walk the rows, fine-tuning the farming (leafing, green harvesting) and select harvest dates for each block based upon flavors. Their Sta. Rita Hills wines were the focus at this event, and these bottlings showed very well. The Rosé, from the saignee of their 2011 Pinots, is terrific, dry and Provence-like. I preferred the 2010 Santa Rita Hills Pinot to the ’09 Fiddlestix designate. The 2010 SRH is a blend of grapes from the John Sebastiano Vineyard (65% of the blend, planted to clones 4, 828 and 777) with additions from Cargasacchi, Fiddlestix, La Encantada and Zotovich. The grapes were destemmed without crushing, given a 4-7 day cold soak, and then fermented with a mix of indigenous and commercial yeasts. The wine was then raised in French oak, 25% new, for 15 months without racking, before being blended for this bottling.

• 2010 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; focused, roses, tart cherry nose; tasty, complex and delicate, tart cherry, roses palate; medium-plus finish (clones 4, 113, 114, 115, 667 & 828; 25% new oak for 16 mos.) (93 pts.)
• 2009 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Fiddlestix – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark ruby color; herbs, tart cranberry, lightly savory nose; herbs, savory, tart red fruit, tart cranberry, mineral palate; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points (clones 113 & 115; 25% stem inclusion) (91 pts.)
• 2011 Dragonette Cellars Rosé – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light orange pink color; pink grapefruit, cantaloupe nose; tasty, poised, Provence-like, dry, tart currant, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Fiddlehead

• 2011 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Pink Fiddle Fiddlestix – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light pink color; floral, pink grapefruit nose; tasty, floral, pink grapefruit palate; medium finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2007 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Lollapalooza Fiddlestix – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; ripe raspberry, cherry nose; tasty, ripe raspberry, cherry palate; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2008 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark cherry red color; focused, cherry, ripe raspberry nose; ripe cherry, raspberry palate with near medium acidity; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Flying Goat

Norm Yost and Kate Griffith are the proprietors of Flying Goat, which Norm started in 2000. He chose the fanciful name because of his two pet Pygmy goats and their gymnastic antics. Norm has been making wine for over 30 years, serving stints in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Russian River and now Santa Barbara County. He makes several Pinots, a Pinot Gris from Santa Maria Valley, and some interesting sparkling wines, including the Pinot Blanc based sparkler they poured at this tasting. I was most impressed, however, by the 2008 Pinot from the Rio Vista Vineyard. Rio Vista is the easternmost vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Flying Goat receives clones 2A, 115, 667 and 777 from Rio Vista. From this fruit they make three clonal-designate wines–clone 2a, clone 667 and a Dijon clone blend. The very floral Rio Vista poured at this tasting was from clone 2A.

• 2010 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Blanc Crémant Goat Bubbles Sierra Madre – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Light yellow color with few, medium-sized bubbles; tart apple, yeasty nose; tart green apple, lime, chalk palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 YNOT (Flying Goat Cellars) Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; focused, cherry, raspberry nose; simple, ripe raspberry, cherry palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyards – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark ruby color with pale meniscus; baked cherry, ripe raspberry nose; ripe raspberry, tart cherry palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2008 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir 2A Rio Vista Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium red color with pale meniscus; floral, hibiscus, roses nose; tasty, roses, hibiscus, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (clone 2A) (92 pts.)
• 2008 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Light medium red color with pale meniscus; floral, cranberry, sous bois nose; tart cranberry, roses, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Foley/Lincourt

• 2010 Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc Santa Ynez Valley – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light yellow color; ripe, lime cream nose; lime cream, smoke, lemon grass palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Foley Estates Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; ripe pear, ripe citrus nose; crisp, ripe pear, ripe citrus palate; medium finish 88+ points (stainless steel; no malolactic) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Lincourt Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark cherry red color; tart cherry nose; simple, tart cherry, watermelon palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2008 Foley Estates Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; ripe cherry, oak nose; ripe cherry, raspberry palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

Gypsy Canyon

The proprietor here is Deborah Hall, pictured above. She makes a tiny amount of wine, just 300 cases a year. The wines are quite pricey, but good. The bottles she uses are uniquely shaped and handblown. Since I don’t buy wine for the bottles, that feature frankly does nothing for me, but would make it hard to fit her wines in the cellar if one were to buy them. The Pinot was good, but doesn’t really stand out enough to justify its $95 price tag. More interesting to me is Deborah’s homage to California history with her fortified bottling from old Mission grapes. I’ve had old Angelica from over a hundred years ago, and this Angelica, which is supposed to come from grapes planted as long ago as 1887–claimed to be the oldest vineyard in Santa Barbara County–is a very respectable version in that tradition. At $130 for a half bottle, though, there are even more special sweet wines that I’d buy before this one.

• 2010 Gypsy Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Trois – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  From magnum – dark ruby color; ripe raspberry, baked raspberry, ripe cherry nose; tasty, tight, delicate, light-medium bodied, raspberry, ripe cherry palate; medium-plus finish (clones 115 & 777) (92 pts.)
• NV Gypsy Canyon Winery Ancient Vine Angelica Dona Marcelina’s Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium red amber color; unusual, cherry compote, spice, cinnamon nose; cinnamon, baked apple, cherry compote palate with medium acidity; very long finish 92+ points (9% RS) (92 pts.)

Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post

• 2011 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinks – USA, California, Central Coast
  Light neon pink color; tart currant nose; tart currant palate; medium finish (75% Valdique, 25% Pinot Noir) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir St. Rita’s Earth – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color; lifted, tart cherry, floral nose; light-medium bodied, tart cherry, floral palate with medium acidity; medium finish (89 pts.)
• 2007 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Fiddlestix – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; tart red berry nose; tart red berry, red fruit palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2007 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Perfect Set Fiddlestix Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; tart red fruit, cinnamon nose; tart red fruit, cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Huber

• 2009 Huber Cellars Chardonnay Oak Aged – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; ripe pineapple, pear nose; ripe pineapple, pear palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Huber Cellars Pinot Noir Huber – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry color with pale meniscus; fresh, floral, tart raspberry nose; tart raspberry, tart cherry palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Kessler-Haak

• 2011 Kessler-Haak Rosé of Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium pink orange color; tart currant, pink grapefruit nose; tart currant, citrus palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2011 Kessler-Haak Riesling Lafond Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Very light yellow color; focused, tart peach, apple nose; nectarine, baked peach, spice palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Kessler-Haak Chardonnay Kessler-Haak Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart pear, baked apple nose; tart pear, baked apple palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2009 Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; tart cherry nose; tart cherry, cranberry palate; medium finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir Clone 2a Kessler-Haak Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; floral, baked cherry nose; baked cherry, tart cherry, roses palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Kessler-Haak Syrah Turner Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; baked red berry, roasted berry nose; baked red berry, roasted berry palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Lafond

• 2010 Lafond Chardonnay SRH – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart apple, baked apple nose; tart apple, baked apple palate; medium finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2010 Lafond Riesling SRH – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart pear, tart peach nose; tart peach, apricot palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2009 Lafond Pinot Noir SRH – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; tart cherry, cinnamon nose; tart cherry, cinnamon palate; medium finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2009 Lafond Syrah SRH – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; tart roasted plum nose; tart roasted plum, tart red berry, herbs palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)

Liquid Farm

This is an exciting new project, with assistance from the winemaking team at Dragonette Cellars (see above). Nikki Pallesen and Jeff Nelson, who live in L.A., are the proprietors. They recently married at Kessler-Haak Vineyard, from which they source fruit, followed by a reception at Dragonette Cellars, where their wine is made. The couple share a love for Champagne and white Burgundy, so it figures that their new project is Chardonnay-centric. Both of their Chardonnays were excellent, and I thought the Golden Slope bottling was the best Chardonnay of the tasting, and one of the best I’ve tasted from Sta. Rita Hills. Jeff has worked in wine for over 20 years, specializing in Champagne houses. He worked for both Veuve and Laurent-Perrier before joining Henriot as their Regional Division Sales Manager, representing Henriot Champagne as well as Bouchard, William Fevre and some Italian and Spanish producers. They met while Nikki, who has a degree in wine and viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was working for Henry Wine Group, Henriot’s sole California distributor. Nikki has since left HWG to focus full time on Liquid Farm. 2009 was Liquid Farm’s first vintage. The 2010 White Hill Chard was sourced from Zotovich, Kessler-Haak and Rita’s Crown vineyards. It’s currently available for $34 from K&L Wines, where the Golden Slope is retailing for $48. I very much enjoyed all three of these wines.

• 2011 Liquid Farm Mourvedre Rosé Vogelzang – USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
  Light orange pink color; tart currant, mineral nose; tasty, cherry, tart currant, mineral, Bandol-like palate; medium finish 91+ points (95% Mourvedre, 5% Grenache) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart pear, lemon nose; tart pear, ripe citrus, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
• 2010 Liquid Farm Chardonnay Golden Slope – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; mineral, tart lemon, lemon rind nose; tasty, tart lemon, lemon rind, mineral, tart apple palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)

Longoria

Richard Longoria’s winemaking history in Santa Barbara County goes back to his first stint, as cellar foreman for Firestone in 1976. (His very first wine gig was at Buena Vista in Sonoma.) He worked at Chappellet in Napa before returning to Santa Ynez Valley as winemaker for J. Carey Cellars. He had a long run as winemaker for Gainey, which he left in 1997 to devote full time to his own production. He had started his own label in 1982. His winery was the first in what is now Lompoc’s “wine ghetto.” His own vineyard is the eight-acre Fe Ciega (which means “blind faith”). It is planted to Pinot Noir clones Pommard, Dijon 115 and 667, and Mount Eden clone from Mount Eden budwood. With his Pinot, he destems completely and usually inoculates. The wine stays 11 to 12 months in barrel, with racking only right before bottling. Besides Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Richard makes Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Albarino and Tempranillo. All the wines he offered from Sta. Rita Hills were good, but the Chardonnay Cuvée Diana was very strong, and the ’09 Fe Ciega Pinot is outstanding, and very ageworthy.

• 2010 Longoria Chardonnay Cuvée Diana – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; appealing, tart pear, tart apple, poached pear nose; tasty, tart pear, poached pear palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (Zotovich and Rancho Station fruit) (92 pts.)
• 2010 Longoria Pinot Noir Lovely Rita Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark cherry red color; floral, tart cherry, hibiscus nose; tart cherry, floral, hibiscus palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Longoria Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; nice, tart cherry, roses, cherry puree nose; tasty, cherry, cherry puree, roses, mineral palate with medium acidity; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (1/3 each Pommard, 115 and 667 clones) (93 pts.)

Pali Wine Co.

• 2010 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Huntington – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Dark cherry red color; tart baked cherry, sour cream nose; tart cherry, sour cream palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium cherry red color; tart cherry, red berry nose; red berry, baked cherry palate; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Siduri

I’ve written about Siduri and tastings with Adam Lee, proprietor and winemaker, many times here. Adam makes an almost bewildering array of Pinots, single vineyard and appellation bottlings, from fruit sourced from throughout California and Oregon. These are his two 2010 Sta. Rita Hills offerings, and they’re both quite good, especially the Clos Pepe.

• 2010 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark ruby color; baked cherry, herbs, baked raspberry nose; tasty, baked raspberry, tart cherry, light herbs palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2010 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Dark red color; tart cranberry, tart red fruit nose; tasty, tart cranberry, tart strawberry, tart raspberry, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (clones 115 & Pommard; should age well) (92 pts.)

Zotovich Family

Steve Zotovich is the owner of Zotovich Family Vineyards and his nephew Ryan Zotovich, pictured above, is the winemaker and Steve’s partner in Zotovich Cellars. Ryan grew up working on the family vineyard, before getting his degree in wine and viticulture from Cal Poly. Before graduation, Ryan worked with Steve Clifton of Palmina and Brewer-Clifton, eventually becoming assistant winemaker. He subsequently worked as cellar master at Sea Smoke until June 2010, when he and his uncle decided to partner on Zotovich Cellars. The vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Dolcetto and Barbera. It was the Pinot and the Syrah that most impressed at this tasting. The clone sources are mentioned below. Both the Pinot and Syrah spent 18 months in French oak, 30% new.

• 2009 Zotovich Family Chardonnay Zotovich Family Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light yellow color; tart apple nose; tart apple, light cinnamon palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Zotovich Family Pinot Noir “Estate” Sta. Rita Hills Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Light medium red color with pale meniscus; focused, tart cherry, cinnamon, floral nose; intense, tart cherry, tart raspberry palate with medium acidity; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (clones 113, 114, 115 & 777; planted in 1998) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Zotovich Family Syrah “Estate” Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills
  Very dark red color; reticent, roasted plum, light pepper nose; pepper, green peppercorn, tart roasted black fruit, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (clone 1) (93 pts.)

The annual San Francisco Rhône Rangers grand tasting, which was held March 25, got me reflecting on the state of Rhône varieties in California. I’ve been to this and other Rhône-themed tastings for many years, and there are clear trends in what Rhône grapes do well here, and which have, to date, produced less impressive results.

The Rhône is one of the great wine regions of France, and of the world. Based on centuries of experience with grape growing and working with specific sites, a major division has developed there between grapes grown in the hilly, more rain-soaked north versus the warmer south.

In the Northern Rhône, the sole red grape is Syrah, which is sometimes blended with a small amount of the white grape, Viognier. The white grapes are floral Viognier, and the oily textured, often very ageworthy Marsanne and Roussanne (the latter two typically blended).

In the Southern Rhône, the dominant appellation is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France’s first official AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée). There a multitude of grapes are permitted, but the primary red grape is Grenache, which came originally from Spain. Syrah is a fast-rising second, due to heavy plantings of this grape in recent years. Smoky, earthy Mourvèdre, also originally from Spain, is the third most important red grape.

vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Few wines from the Southern Rhône are made from a single variety. Most are a blend of red grapes, sometimes with white grapes added to the mix. The dominant blend in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the surrounding appellations, like Côtes du Rhône, Vacqueyras and Gigondas, is Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. This blend is often referred to in the southern Rhône and elsewhere as GSM. There are also several blending grapes grown in small quantities, like Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse and Terret Noir.

Ninety percent of the wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is red, but there are some delicious whites too, from that and other Southern Rhône appellations. The main white grapes are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Marsanne, with small amounts of other blending grapes, like Bourboulenc and Picpoul.

Here in California, a few pioneers—like John Alban, Randall Graham of Bonny Doon, Josh Jensen of Calera, and Napa’s Joseph Phelps –started planting Rhône varieties in the late 1980s. (Modern Syrah plantings go back to the 1970s, but didn’t really take off here until the mid-1990s.)

Rhône Ranger pioneer Randall Graham

Their wines gave a much needed shot of diversity to the California wine scene, which until then had been all about Chardonnay, Cabernet and Zinfandel. These pioneers helped start California’s Rhône Rangers movement, which produced last month’s weekend event.

So which of these Rhône grapes, or blends, do well in California?

The biggest Rhône grape success story in California in terms of quality of offerings and relative value is Syrah. I’ve written previously here about the different styles of Syrah. California produces a lot of great Syrah, including cooler climate Syrahs that have savory and peppery characteristics reminiscent of Northern Rhône Syrah.

California also excels with Viognier, the white grape that produces the very expensive, floral and peach flavored wines of Northern Rhône’s tiny Condrieu appellation. Our versions typically lack the minerally qualities of great Condrieu, but the best producers are capturing Viognier’s peach and floral flavors, with good underlying acidity.

California is also starting to do well with Rhône-grape Rosés, typically based on Grenache and/or Mourvèdre. I tasted several dry Rosés at this year’s Rhône Rangers event that were reminiscent of French Rosés from Provence and Bandol—world benchmarks for great Rosé.

California is also having some success with white and red blends. I wouldn’t say I’ve been very excited by any California GSM blends, but blends of Syrah and Mourvèdre, and or Syrah and Petite Sirah with other grapes, including non-Rhône grapes like Zinfandel, are often successful.

Where California does less well is with single variety offerings of grapes that are typically only used as blending grapes in the Rhône—grapes like Grenache Blanc, Cinsault and Counoise. California has a long tradition of focusing more on varietal wines than blends, but some of these grapes just do not work well in single varietal versions. They need blending partners to help provide some of the characteristics to the wine that an individual grape like Cinsault, for example, low in both tannin and acidity, lacks.

A particular variety that continually disappoints me when I taste California versions is Grenache. This grape is grown widely around the world, but is sharply down in acreage over the last two decades from its height as the world’s second most widely planted grape. I think that’s due in part to the fact that it rarely makes very distinguished or complex wines.

The grape reaches its true apogee in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where old vine vineyards, on rocky soils, produce profound wines with a rich cherry core, minerality, and complex additional flavors, like anise and lavender. Here in California, on the other hand, most Grenaches are fairly insipid red wines with berry and cherry flavors, but little real character.

I previously listed here some of California’s best Syrah producers. The best Viogniers I’ve had to date have come from Alban, Calera, Cold Heaven, Jemrose and Nicholson.

I tasted 151 wines from over 40 producers at the March 25 Rhone Rangers event (out of a total of over 110 wineries). I focused on new producers and producers I hadn’t tasted for awhile, so had to pass on some old favorites like Core, Lagier Meredith, Ridge and Tablas Creek.

The producers responsible for one or more wines that I rated 92 points or higher were Big Basin, Donelan (formerly Pax), Jemrose, L’Aventure, Qualia/Pavo, Quivira, Qupé/No Limit, Sanglier, Skinner, Stopman and Two Shepherds. The three new finds for me that I was most excited about were Sanglier, Skinner and Two Shepherds. For more information on these producers, see below.

There were several very good rosés at the tasting, including:
2011 Quivira Rosé – 91+ points
2011 Verdad Grenache Rosé Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – 91 points
2011 Sanglier Cellars Rosé du Tusque – 91+ points
2011 Unti Rosé – 91 points

The best Viogniers of the tasting, wines that I rated 91 points or higher, were:
2010 Anglim Viognier Bien Nacido – 91+ points
2010 Campovida Viognier – 91 points
2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Viognier – 91 points
2009 Jemrose Viognier Egret Pond – 91 points
2010 Pomar Juction Viognier 91+ points
2010 Two Shepherds Viognier Saralee’s Vineyard – 91+ points

The best white blends were:
2008 Anglim Cameo (white blend) – 91 points
2009 Edward Sellers Le Passage (white blend) – 91 points
2010 Sheldon Vinolocity (white blend) – 91 points
2011 Unti Cuvée Blanc – 91+ points

The very best wines that I tasted, all red, and rated 92 points or higher were:
Syrahs
2008 Big Basin Syrah Rattlesnake Rock – 92 points
2008 Big Basin Syrah Coastview Vineyard – 93 points
2005 Big Basin Syrah Rattlesnake Rock – 92 points
2009 Donelan Syrah Cuvée Christine – 92+ points
2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill – 93 points
2008 Jemrose Syrah Cardiac Hill – 92+ points
2009 Pavo Syrah – 92+ points
2009 Quivira Petite Sirah Wine Creek Ranch – 92 points
2009 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido – 92 points
2009 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist – 93 points
2009 Qupé Syrah Sonnie’s Sawyer Lindquist – 93+ points
2008 No Limit Wines Syrah The Nuts Sawyer Lindquist – 93 points
2009 Sanglier Syrah Kemp Vineyards – 92+ points
2008 Skinner Syrah – 92 points
2010 Unti Syrah Benchland – 92 points

Other Reds and Red Blends:
2009 Big Basin Homestead – 92 points
2008 Jemrose Gloria’s Gem – 93 points
2009 L’Aventure Côte-à-Côte – 92 points
2009 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée – 93 points
2009 Sanglier Rouge du Tusque – 92+ points
2010 Skinner Mourvedre – 92 points
2009 Stolpman Angeli – 92+ points
2010 Two Shepherds Syrah/Mourvedre – 92 points
2010 Unti Grenache – 92+ points

A final note about the event: One major issue I have with the Rhône Rangers producers is their inclusion of Petite Sirah in this tasting, even though the grape is not grown in the Rhône, and even under the name Durif, is hardly to be found anywhere in France. Petite Sirah, a distinctly Californian grape phenomenon, already has its own association of producers–P.S. I Love You–and its own annual event–Dark & Delicious–which I’ve reported on here. So why tack it on to a “Rhône Wine” event when it’s not a Rhone grape? Simply because one of its parents, Syrah, is a Rhone grape? I don’t get it.

For more details about particular producers and my complete tasting notes, see below.

Adelaida

• 2010 Adelaida Version White – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; poached pear nose; ripe, baked pear palate; medium finish (63% Roussanne, 37% Grenache Blanc) (88 pts.)
• 2010 Adelaida Viognier Glenrose Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; light pepper, gardenia nose; light pepper, gardenia palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2008 Adelaida Grenache – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light medium red color; tart cherry, floral nose; tart cherry, floral palate; medium finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Adelaida Version Red – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; tart berry nose; tasty, tart berry, herbs palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Adelaida Syrah Anna’s Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Opaque purple red violet color; baked plum, herbs nose; tart black fruit, herbs palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2008 Adelaida Syrah Reserve Viking Estate Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Opaque red violet color; reduction, tart ripe currant, tart black fruit nose; tart ripe currant, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

AmByth Estate

• 2010 AmByth Estate Priscus Mark’s Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; oxidized apple, honey nose; tart pear, honeyed, waxy palate; medium finish (57% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier, 14% Marsanne, 9% Roussanne) (89 pts.)
• 2010 AmByth Estate Decorus – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light medium yellow color; poached pear, apple nose; oxidized apple, poached pear, light cinnamon palate; medium finish 87+ points (60% Viognier, 18% Roussanne, 18% Marsanne, 4% Grenache Blanc) (87 pts.)
• 2009 AmByth Estate Adamo – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium cherry red color; ripe red berry, honey nose; ripe red berry, floral, honey palate; medium-plus finish (59% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, 13% Syrah, 11% Counoise) (88 pts.)
• 2009 AmByth Estate ReVera – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium cherry red color; tart red berry, tart cherry nose; tart red berry, tart cherry palate; medium finish (57% Mourvedre, 22% Grenache, 11% Syrah, 10% Counoise) (89 pts.)
• 2009 AmByth Estate Maiestas – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark cherry red color; tart red berry, red currant nose; tart red berry, red currant, herbs palate; medium-plus finish (45% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 20% Counoise, 15% Grenache) (89 pts.)

Andrew Murray

• 2010 Andrew Murray RGB Camp 4 Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, apple nose; tart citrus, apple palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2009 Andrew Murray Syrah Tous les Jours – USA, California, Central Coast
  Dark ruby color; tart red berry, pepper nose; tart red berry, pepper palate; medium-plus finish 89+ points (decent value at $16) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Andrew Murray Espérance – USA, California, Central Coast
  Medium dark ruby color; cinnamon, tart red fruit nose; cinnamon, tart red fruit palate; medium-plus finish (60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Andrew Murray Syrah Terra Bella Vineyard Paso Robles – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, herbs nose; tart plum, herbs, pepper palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2010 Andrew Murray Syrah Watch Hill Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Dark ruby color; tart currant, brett, olive nose; tart currant, brett, olive, pepper palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Andrew Murray Grenache Terra Bella Vineyard Paso Robles – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark ruby color; tart red berry, baked berry nose; tart red berry, baked berry palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

Anglim

Anglim was responsible for some of the better whites of the tasting, and a good rosé. The reds were less impressive.

• 2010 Anglim Viognier Bien Nacido Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Very light green-tinged yellow color; tart pear, floral nose; tasty, tart pear, floral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (very good Viognier) (91 pts.)
• 2008 Anglim Cameo – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light green-tinged yellow color; intense, poached pear nose; poached pear, honey, slightly herbal, beeswax palate; medium-plus finish (78% Viognier, 15% Grenache Blanc, 7% Roussanne) (91 pts.)
• 2011 Anglim Rosé – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light medium orange pink color; tart red berry, currant nose; tart currant palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)
• 2008 Anglim Syrah La Montanita Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County
  Medium dark ruby color; maturing, smoky tart red berry nose; maturing, smoky, tart red berry, red currant palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (87 pts.)
• 2008 Anglim Grenache – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light red color with pale meniscus; brett nose; brett, tart currant palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2008 Anglim Mourvedre Hastings Ranch – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light medium red color; tart currant nose; tart currant, tart red plum, cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)

B Cellars

• 2008 B Cellars Blend 25 – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Dark ruby color; cedar, tart cassis nose; tasty, tight, tart cassis, cedar palate; medium-plus finish (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Syrah) (91 pts.)
• 2008 B Cellars Syrah Caldwell’s Kreuzer Canyon – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Opaque ruby color; tart roasted plum, wild berry nose; tasty, baked plum, baked berry, baking spice palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Baiocchi

• 2011 Baiocchi Rosé – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play
  Light medium pink color; nice, tart currant, red berry nose; tasty, tart currant, red berry palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (70% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Baiocchi Grenache Entre Nous – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play
  Medium cherry red color; herbal, tart red berry, pepper nose; tasty, ripe red berry, ripe currant palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2009 Baiocchi Syrah Sprezzatura – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play
  Medium dark ruby color; tart berry, tart plum nose; tight, tart berry, tart plum, smoke palate; needs 3-plus years; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Big Basin

Big Basin was founded in 1988 in Santa Cruz Mountains next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park on a site that had originally planted to grapes in the early 1900s but that had been abandoned as a vineyard since 1965. Bradley Brown is the owner and winemaker. I’ve been very impressed by his Pinot Noirs, intensely flavored Syrahs and red blends over the years. The estate vineyards include Rattlesnake Rock (planted to Syrah) and Homestead (planted in 2007 to Grenache, Roussanne and Syrah). They also source from other vineyards, like Monterey County’s Coastview. With their estate vineyards, they keep the yields low and pick in blocks as the grapes from those blocks become fully ripe. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts in small, open-top fermenters. The wine then goes into French oak for two to three years of aging. These are very reliable Syrahs, with the ’08 Coastview showing particularly well at the tasting.

• 2008 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; roasted red berry, roasted plum nose; roasted red berry, roasted plum palate; medium-plus finish (27 mos. in barrel) (92 pts.)
• 2008 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Coastview Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County
  Slightly cloudy medium dark red violet color; tart berry, black fruit nose; tasty, spicy, tart plum, tart berry palate; medium-plus finish (27 mos. in barrel) (93 pts.)
• 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Dark ruby color; nice floral, black raspberry, black fruit nose; tasty, black fruit, tart black cherry, tar palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (46% Grenache, 43% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon) (92 pts.)
• 2005 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  From magnum – lightly cloudy medium dark ruby color; smoky, roasted meat, herbed sausage nose; smoky roasted meat, rosemary palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Campovida

• 2010 Campovida Viognier Estate Grown – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
  Light yellow color; tart peach, floral nose; tart peach, floral, roses, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2008 Talmage Marsanne Alder Springs Vineyard – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
  Light yellow color; intriguing, herbal, baked lemon nose; tasty, tart baked lemon, leesy, nutty, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2007 Mendocino Farms Grenache Dark Horse Ranch – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
  Light red color with pale meniscus; floral, tart red berry nose; intense, floral, tart red berry palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish (85 pts.)
• 2006 Mendocino Farms Syrah Fairbairn Ranch – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
  Very dark red violet color; maturing, tart red berry, red currant nose; maturing, tart red berry, red currant palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)

Chateau Ste. Michelle

• 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Viognier – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Light yellow color; floral, tart peach nose; tasty, tart peach, floral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (good value at $15) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Austral Limited Release – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
  Dark ruby color; ripe berry, roses nose; ripe berry, carbonic maceration, ripe black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) (87 pts.)
• 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Boréal – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Opaque red violet color; roasted plum, tart black fruit nose; roasted plum, sweet smoke, spice palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Mourvedre – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart black fruit, tart currant nose; tight, tart currant, tart red berry, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah Ethos Reserve – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Opaque purple red violet color; nice roasted plum, roasted berry nose; roasted plum, roasted berry, baked berry palate; needs 3-plus years; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Clavo Cellars

• 2010 Clavo Cellars Amore Rose – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light pink color; tart cherry, hibiscus nose; unusual, tart red currant, rosehips palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2010 Clavo Cellars Grenache Blanc Oracle – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Lemon cream, apple nose; lemon cream, apple palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2010 Clavo Cellars Viognier Apparition – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Very light yellow color; ripe apple, tart pear nose; tart pear, tart apple, light cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish (1/2 cement, 1/2 neutral puncheons) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Clavo Cellars Petite Sirah Dreamer – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Very dark red violet color; reticent, tart black fruit, fig nose; tart black fruit prune palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2008 Clavo Cellars Syrah Reckless Moment – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark red violet color; red berry, cinnamon nose; red berry, cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)

Clayhouse

• 2010 Clayhouse Vineyard Grenache Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, grapefruit nose; tasty, tart citrus, light grapefruit palate; medium finish (90 pts.)
• 2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Syrah – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark ruby color; tart plum, roasted red fruit nose; tart red plum, ripe currant palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Petite Sirah Old Vines Red Cedar Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Very dark ruby color; reduction, tart black fruit nose; tight, tart black fruit, herbs palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish (15 mos. in oak; 40 yr old vines) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Clayhouse Vineyard Petite Sirah Estate Show Pony Red Cedar Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Very dark ruby color; intense, ripe plum, ripe currant, raisin nose; tasty, raisin, ripe black fruit, wild berry palate; medium-plus finish (20 mos. in oak; showed much better than at last month’s PS I Love You event) (90 pts.)
• 2006 Clayhouse Vineyard Petite Sirah Late Harvest – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  From 375 ml – opaque red violet color; port, anise, berry nose; tasty, port-like, anise, ripe berry, pepper palate; long finish (showed much better, with less obvious oak, than the bottle I sampled at PS I Love You the previous month) (91 pts.)

Donelan

Donelan was founded by owner Joe Donelan, and originally named Pax after its first winemaker, Pax Mahle, who parted ways with Donelan in 2008 and set up his Wind Gap label. The new name, Donelan, was adopted at the end of 2009. The current winemaker is Tyler Thomas, pictured above. The concentrated, very flavorful style Mahle originated has been continued by Thomas, using most of the same fruit sources they started with under Mahle. The Syrah Walker Vine Hill was particularly impressive.

• 2010 Donelan Venus – USA, California, North Coast, Bennett Valley
  Floral, peach, honeysuckle nose; tart peach, floral palate; medium-plus finish (pricey at $45) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Donelan Cuvée Moriah – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Medium dark ruby color; tart red berry, red currant, pepper nose; tart red berry, red currant, pepper palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Donelan Syrah Cuvée Christine – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Very dark purple red violet color; tart black fruit, roasted black fruit, smoke nose; tight, tart black fruit, smoke, tar palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)
• 2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Opaque purple red violet color; violets, tart black fruit, roasted plum nose; violets, tart black fruit, roasted plum palate; needs 3 years; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)

Edward Sellers

• 2009 Edward Sellers Vineyards and Wines Le Passage Estate – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; vivid, ripe peach, pear nose; tasty, ripe pear, peach, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (43% Grenache Blanc, 36% Roussanne, 21% Marsanne) (91 pts.)
• 2008 Edward Sellers Vineyards and Wines Le Thief – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark ruby color; tart cherry, carbonic maceration, tart orange nose; tart orange, tart berry, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (56% Syrah, 26% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 6% Cinsault) (89 pts.)
• 2007 Edward Sellers Vineyards and Wines Vertigo – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark cherry red color; brett, tart red berry nose; brett, tart berry palate; medium-plus finish (71% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, 13% Syrah) (88 pts.)
• 2007 Edward Sellers Vineyards and Wines Syrah Sélectionné – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Opaque red violet color; roast plum, currant, ripe currant nose; roast plum, currant, tart black fruit, violets palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Folin Cellars

• 2011 Folin Cellars Viognier – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Light yellow color; tart apple, floral nose; floral, tart peach, tart apple palate; medium finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2008 Folin Cellars Syrah – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Opaque red violet color; deep, tart black fruit, chocolate nose; tart black fruit, chocolate palate, a little hot; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Folin Cellars Misceo – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Medium dark red color; tobacco, smoke nose; smoke, tobacco, tart red plum palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (50% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache) (88 pts.)
• 2010 Folin Cellars Petite Sirah – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Opaque red violet color; smoke, tart black fruit, reduction nose; tight, tangy, tart black fruit palate with medium acidity; needs 3-4 years; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Halter Ranch

• 2011 Halter Ranch Cotes de Paso Blanc – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light green-tinged yellow color; tart lime, tart green apple nose; tart green apple, citrus palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2011 Halter Ranch Rosé – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Tart currant, light cinnamon nose; tart currant palate; medium finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2009 Halter Ranch Cotes de Paso – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark ruby color; tart red berry, smoke nose; tart red berry, smoke palate with a sense of grape skins; medium-plus finish 87+ points (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Tannat and Counoise) (87 pts.)
• 2009 Halter Ranch Syrah – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; tart black fruit, tar, charcoal nose; tart black fruit, tar, charcoal palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)

Jemrose

Jim Mack and Keith Jaffee are the proprietors of Jemrose. Michael Browne, of Kosta Browne, is the winemaker, and Greg Bjornstad is the viticulturalist. Their four vineyards are located in Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley AVA, largely on hillsides, with elevations from 500 to 1000 feet. I’ve been impressed with these wines from the beginning of this project, and they continue to show well. The unusual Syrah/Merlot blend, Gloria’s Gem, is particularly good, plush and delicious.

• 2009 Jemrose Viognier Egret Pond – USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
  Light yellow color; floral, lifted, honeysuckle, tart peach nose; tasty, tart peach, baked peach, honeysuckle palate; medium finish (91 pts.)
• 2008 Jemrose Grenache Foggy Knoll – USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
  Medium cherry red color; baked cherry, berry nose; oak, baked cherry, red berry palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish (w/5% Viognier; 10% new French oak) (90 pts.)
• 2008 Jemrose Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley – USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart roasted plum, pie crust nose; tasty, rich, baked plum, roasted fruit, tar, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (5 clones of Syrah; 20 mos. in French oak, 80% new; 30% whole cluster) (92 pts.)
• 2008 Jemrose Gloria’s Gem – USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
  Dark ruby color; nice baked berry, ripe plum, pie crust nose; tasty, rich, plush, ripe red plum, cherry, berry palate; medium-plus finish (55% Syrah, 45% Merlot; 20 mos. in French oak, 50% new) (93 pts.)

L’Aventure

Stephan Asseo’s L’Aventure is well known, and among the best producers in the Paso Robles AVA. Stephan started making wine in his native France in 1982, following his education at L’Ecole Oenologique de Macon in Burgundy. He first established Domaine Courteillac in Bordeaux, and he and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal in Saint-Emilio and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion. After 15 years in Bordeaux, he felt constrained by the limitations of the AOC rules, and went searching around the world for a new location to make the wines he envisioned. That search led him to Paso Robles, whose terroir most impressed him. In planting his vineyards, he used a high density scheme of 2,100 plants per acre. The Côte à Côte is a Rhone blend, whereas the Estate Cuvée and another primary bottling, the Optimus, are blends of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, something Stephan couldn’t legally do in Bordeaux. These ’09s were a strong return to form after the somewhat disappointing ’08s.

• 2009 L’Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Opaque red violet color; tart black fruit nose with a sense of pepper; ripe berry, ripe black plum, light pepper palate; long finish (42% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre) (92 pts.)
• 2009 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Opaque black red violet color; lifted, tart black fruit, herbs, tar nose; tight, tar, tart black fruit, roasted black fruit palate; needs 4-5 years; medium-plus finish (42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Syrah, 16% Petit Verdot) (93 pts.)

Martella

• 2010 Martella Grenache – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Medium dark cherry red color; tart red berry, floral nose; juicy, tart red berry, floral palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)
• 2008 Martella Syrah Hammer – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz County
  Medium dark ruby color; pepper, tart plum, smoke nose; pepper, tart plum, smoke palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Martinelli

• 2006 Martinelli Syrah Hop Camp Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Dark ruby color; appealing, roasted plum, roasted berry nose; roasted plum, roasted berry, tobacco palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2008 Martinelli Syrah Lolita Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Dark ruby color; nice roasted berry, roast plum nose; tasty, roasted berry, roast plum palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2008 Martinelli Syrah Vellutini Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Opaque ruby color; roasted berry, roast plum, smoke nose; roasted berry, roast plum, smoke, dark chocolate palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Montemaggiore

• 2010 Montemaggiore 3 Divas Saralee’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, tart pear nose; tart citrus, tart pear palate; medium finish (Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Montemaggiore Syrah Syrafina – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, herbs nose; tart plum, herbs palate; needs 3 years; long finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Mounts Family

• 2010 Mounts Family Winery Viognier – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Light yellow color; tart pear, mineral nose; tasty, tart pear, mineral, light pepper palate; medium finish (70% malolactic) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Mounts Family Winery Grenache The Terraces – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Dark ruby color; floral, tart berry nose; tart berry, floral palate; medium-plus finish (23 mos. in 50% new French oak) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Mounts Family Winery Syrah Estate Grown – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Dark ruby color; roasted plum, tart berry nose; roasted plum, tart berry palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (w/4% Viognier) (91 pts.)
• 2007 Mounts Family Winery Petite Sirah Petasera – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Very dark ruby color; tart black fruit, mineral nose; tart berry, pepper, mineral palate; needs 5 years; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Pear Valley

• 2009 Pear Valley Inspiration Pear Valley Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark red color; tart berry, pear nose; oak, red berry palate; medium finish (84 pts.)
• 2009 Pear Valley Grenache – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light medium red color; tart red berry nose; simple, red berry palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2007 Pear Valley Syrah Pear Valley Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; oak, tart currant nose; oak, tart currant palate; medium finish (84 pts.)

Petrichor

• 2009 Petrichor Les Trois – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Opaque red violet color; intriguing, tart red currant, reduction, red spice nose; tart red currant, roasted plum palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (1st vintage; 86% Syrah, 14% Grenache; 15% new oak, 50% whole cluster, 13.6% alcohol; very food friendly) (90 pts.)
• 2010 Petrichor Les Trois – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Pre-release (Fall ’12 release) – opaque purple red violet color; pepper, tart black fruit, charcoal nose; tart black fruit, savory, pepper, roasted plum palate; medium-plus finish (84% Syrah, 16% Grenache) (91 pts.)

Pomar Junction

• 2010 Pomar Junction Vineyard Viognier – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; tart peach, apple nose; rounded, flavorful, floral, tart peach, tart pear palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (very good Viognier) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Pomar Junction Vineyard Brooster Red Blend – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; intense, tart currant, roast plum nose; tart currant, roast plum palate; medium-plus finish 87+ points (42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Zinfandel, 29% Syrah) (87 pts.)
• 2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Syrah – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Dark red violet color; tart black fruit, blue fruit nose; tart black fruit, sweet smoke, sweet spice palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Train Wreck – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Medium dark red violet color; tart black fruit, smoke nose; tart black fruit, smoke, blueberry, ripe black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (25% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah) (89 pts.)

Qualia/Pavo

• 2009 Qualia Wines Syrah Grenache – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  Dark ruby color; hickory smoke, tart black fruit, charcoal nose; tasty, hickory smoke, tart black fruit, charcoal, tar palate; medium-plus finish (60% Syrah, 39% Grenache, 1% Zinfandel) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Pavo Syrah Estate – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  Very dark ruby color; lifted, tart currant, tart black fruit, roasted plum nose; tart currant, tart black fruit, roasted plum, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (30% whole cluster; 25% new oak) (92 pts.)

Quivira

• 2011 Quivira Rosé North Coast – USA, California, North Coast
  Light orange pink color; tart pink grapefruit, mineral nose; tasty, tart pink grapefruit, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (51% Mourvedre, 18% Carignane, 18% Counoise, 7% Grenache, 6% Syrah) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Quivira Grenache Wine Creek Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Light medium cherry red color; tart red fruit nose with a sense of pepper; light-bodied, tart red fruit, pepper, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (95% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre; aged in 500 liter oak puncheons and large foudres) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Quivira Elusive – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Medium cherry red color; smoke, tart red fruit nose; smoke, tart red fruit, mineral, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish 90+ (55% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Quivira Mourvedre Wine Creek Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Medium cherry red color; tart red fruit, hibiscus, herbs nose; tart red fruit, hibiscus, herbs palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 88+ points (w/12% Grenache) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Quivira Petite Sirah Wine Creek Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Opaque purple red violet color; nice, complex, roasted plum, tart black fruit, berry nose; tasty, tart black fruit, roasted plum, licorice palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Qupé/Verdad/No Limit

Qupé is the Chumash Indian word for the California poppy. Their label design sports an Arts and Crafts period design with a poppy in the center that also looks a lot like a glass of wine. The proprietor/winemaker is Bob Lindquist, one of California’s Rhone Ranger pioneers. Bob’s first job in the wine business was working the 1975 harvest at Fortino Winery near Gilroy. He moved to Ventura County to take a job managing a tasting room, and then to Santa Ynez to manage a retail wine shop. That led to working at Zaca Mesa, first as a wine tour director, and then in the cellar, under Zaca Mesa’s then assistant winemaker Jim Clendenen. Bob started Qupé in 1982 by buying grapes and barrels and making his wine at Zaca Mesa. In 1989 Bob joined with Clendenen (who had started Au Bon Climat in 1982) to build a winery facility of their own under a lease agreement with the Bien Nacido Vineyard. Bob’s two sons, Ethan and Luke, are now also winemakers, and Ethan’s ’08 No Limit Syrah was very good at this tasting in a rich, concentrated style. (Ethan’s pictured above next to Bob.) Bob is also a partner in Verdad, a winery dedicated to Spanish varieties produced by his wife, Louisa. Louisa was responsible for the lovely rosé I sampled at this tasting. In 2005, Bob and Louisa planted 40 acres at their 80-acre ranch in the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo, which is now the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard. Bob has long made terrific Syrahs as well as some of California’s best Chardonnays from the Central Coast.

• 2011 Qupé Marsanne – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light yellow color; tart grapefruit, tart peach nose; tart peach, citrus palate; medium-plus finish (w/21% Roussanne) (89 pts.)
• 2011 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Light-medium green-tinged yellow color; tart green fruit, smoke nose; tart green fruit, baked white peach, lanolin palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2010 Qupé Grenache Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Medium ruby color; tart red fruit, cinnamon, light pepper nose; tart red fruit, currant, white pepper, hibiscus palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2009 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Dark ruby color; roasted black fruit, smoke, savory nose; tasty, tart black fruit, roasted plum, mineral, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
• 2009 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Medium ruby color; pepper, very savory, charcoal nose; tasty, savory, tart black fruit, tobacco, roasted meat palate; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
• 2009 Qupé Syrah Sonnie’s Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Medium cherry red color; hibiscus, tart red fruit, pepper nose; very peppery, cigar box, tobacco palate; medium-plus finish 93+ points (93 pts.)
• 2011 Verdad Grenache Rosé Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Light medium pink color; tart pink grapefruit, tart orange nose; tasty, tart orange, tart citrus, mineral, chalk palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2008 No Limit Wines Syrah The Nuts Sawyer Lindquist – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Dark ruby color; intense, roasted plum, savory, roast meat nose; tasty, tart plum, roasted meat, bacon, savory palate; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
• 2007 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Medium dark ruby color; tart black fruit, clove nose; soft, tasty, maturing, tart black fruit, clove palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)

Robert Hall

• 2010 Robert Hall Grenache Blanc – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light yellow color; tart pear, tart citrus nose; tart citrus, tart pear palate medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2010 Robert Hall Viognier – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Light green-tinged yellow color; tart citrus, mineral nose; white pepper, tart citrus, lemon, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2008 Robert Hall Rhone De Robles – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark red violet color; floral, tart cherry nose; tart cherry, red berry palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (Grenache, Syrah & Cinsault; 12 mos. in oak) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Robert Hall Syrah – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark red violet color; roasted plum, red berry nose; tart red berry, tart plum palate; medium-plus finish (18 mos. oak) (89 pts.)
• 2008 Robert Hall Pape de Robles – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; roasted berry, black fruit, pepper nose; tart black fruit, pepper, clove, herbs palate; medium-plus finish (51% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 12% Petite Sirah) (89 pts.)

Rosenblum

• 2009 Rosenblum Cellars Viognier Kathy’s Cuvée – USA, California
  Light lemon yellow color; medium-plus bodied, ripe pineapple, peach nose; ripe pineapple, tart peach, apricot palate; medium finish (87 pts.)
• 2009 Rosenblum Cellars Grenache Rhodes Vineyard – USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley
  Medium cherry red color; ripe berry, grenadine syrup nose; tart berry, grenadine syrup, orange palate; medium finish (86 pts.)
• 2008 Rosenblum Cellars Syrah England-Shaw – USA, California, North Coast, Solano County
  Medium dark red color; roasted plum, black fruit, licorice nose; tart black fruit, tar, licorice palate; medium-plus finish (90 pts.)

Sanglier Cellars

“Sanglier” is the word for wild boar in French. Proprietors Glenn and Melissa Alexander purchased their old farmhouse and eight acres of 40 year old Zin vines in the east end of the Russian River Valley in 2001. Glenn then worked at Napa’s Chateau Montelena while completing the viticulture program at Santa Rosa College. He then interned with Preston Vineyards and spent a year working with a vineyard manager before starting his own vineyard management firm. His company, Bacchus Vineyard Management, now farms and manages over 400 acres of vineyards for wineries such as Copain, Kosta Browne and Paul Hobbs. In 2006 the Alexanders decided to make wine from one of the vineyards Glenn managed, Kemp Vineyards. They have since brought their two children in as owners and to help expand winemaking operations. The winemaker is Russell Bevan, who always does an extraordinary job with all of his projects. The results are very strong for a newish producer. I enjoyed all of the wines, from the rosé to the red blends and Syrah.

• 2011 Sanglier Cellars Rosé du Tusque – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Medium dark onion skin color; nice tart orange, tart blood orange nose; tasty, tart orange, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (very good rosé; blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Sanglier Cellars Syrah Kemp Vineyards – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Very dark ruby color; lifted, tart berry, black fruit, black cherry nose; tasty, poised, tart black fruit, tart berry, ripe black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)
• 2009 Sanglier Cellars Boar’s Camp – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, savory nose; tart black fruit, tar palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Sanglier Cellars Rouge du Tusque – USA, California, Sonoma County
  Opaque red violet color; nice tart black fruit, savory nose; tasty, tart black fruit, pepper palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (good value at $25; 49% Syrah, 33% Petite Sirah, 18% Grenache) (92 pts.)

Sayler-Tait Family

• 2010 Sayler-Tait Family Cellars Viognier Catie’s Corner Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Light yellow color; tart pear, poached pear nose; tasty, tart poached pear, baked apple palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2008 Sayler-Tait Family Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Dark ruby color; brett, tart berry nose; brett, tart berry palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)

Sheldon

• 2010 Sheldon Vinolocity – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Light yellow color; reduction, tart grapefruit nose; tart citrus, mineral, white pepper palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (24 hours whole cluster fermentation; 50% Viognier, 25% Roussanne, 25% Grenache Blanc) (91 pts.)
• 2008 Sheldon Grenache Vinolocity – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light medium red color; intriguing, cherry syrup, red berry nose; tart cherry, red berry, light oak palate; medium finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2009 Sheldon Weatherly Cuvee – USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
  Medium dark ruby color; appealing, lifted, red berry, cherry nose; tight, ripe cherry, cassis, red berry palate; medium-plus finish (60% Petite Sirah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; for drinking now) (90 pts.)
• 2007 Sheldon Petite Sirah Deviant Velocity – USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
  Medium cherry red color; tart red fruit, floral, red berry nose; tart cherry, red berry palate with medium acidity; needs 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)

Skinner

Mike and Carey Skinner purchased ridge top land in El Dorado County in 2006, and set about turning it into a vineyard that might carry on a Skinner family tradition dating back to their ancestor Jim Skinner, who had established what briefly became one of California’s biggest winery and distillery operations back in the 1880s. The couple’s three children are all now involved in this endeavor. Their largest vineyard, Stoney Creek, in the Fair Play Appellation, has 20 acres planted to Rhone varieties, including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Counoise, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc. The vineyard sits at an altitude ranging from 2,300 to 2,740 feet. They also have a 14-acre vineyard in the El Dorado Appellation similarly planted to Rhone varieties, as well as Zinfandel and Mission. The wines are aged in French oak for one to two years before release. The Mourvedre was one of the best California Mourvedres I’ve tasted, and the Syrah was also very good.

• 2010 Skinner Grenache Blanc – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Light yellow color; tart peach, citrus nose; tart citrus, grapefruit palate; medium finish (88 pts.)
• 2009 Skinner Seven Generations White – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Light lemon yellow color; tart citrus, tart orange nose; creamy textured, orange cream, citrus, mineral, apple palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (88 pts.)
• 2010 Skinner Grenache – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; roses, tart cherry nose; roses, tart cherry palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
• 2010 Skinner Mourvedre – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Medium dark ruby color; ripe berry, clove nose; tart berry, pepper, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
• 2009 Skinner Eighteen Sixty-one – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Medium dark cherry red color; tart berry, red berry, blue fruit nose; tart black fruit, charcoal, tar palate; medium-plus finish (Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah) (90 pts.)
• 2008 Skinner Syrah – USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Dark ruby color; intense, savory, ripe plum, berry nose; tasty, tart berry, charcoal, tart black fruit palate; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)

Stolpman

• 2009 Stolpman Roussanne L’Avion – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light yellow color; tart citrus, baked lemon nose; baked lemon, mineral, kumquat palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2010 Stolpman La Cuadrilla – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, grape skins nose; tart currant, tart red berry palate; medium finish (42% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 22% Petite Sirah, 2% Viognier) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Dark ruby color; roasted plum, tart currant nose; roasted plum, tart currant palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2009 Stolpman Syrah Hilltops – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, tart currant nose; tart plum, tart currant palate; needs 3-plus years; medium-plus finish 90+ points (90 pts.)
• 2009 Stolpman Angeli – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Opaque black red violet color; baking spice, tart plum, lavender nose; tight, tart plum, tart black fruit, baking spice palate; needs 5 years; long finish 92+ points (92 pts.)

Two Shepherds

Two Shepherds is a very small production operation started in 2009 by William Allen, publisher of the Simple Hedonisms wine blog, when he moved to northern Sonoma in June of that year. He first planted a vineyard, and the following year sourced fruit that enabled him to make 175 cases of Rhone varietal wine with his girlfriend Michelle. The results are very strong, with the Syrah/Mourvedre blend being the best of all. I look forward to following the industrious Allen as his winemaking project continues.

• 2010 Two Shepherds Grenache Blanc Saarloos Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Light medium yellow color; lifted, tart citrus, lemon peel, skin contact nose; tart citrus, leesy, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (89 pts.)
• 2010 Two Shepherds Viognier Saralee’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Light medium yellow color; lifted, tart pear, tart lemon, floral nose; tart pear, tart lemon, floral, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2010 Two Shepherds MRV Saralee’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Light medium yellow color; lifted, tart orange, tart pear nose; tart orange, tart pear, mineral, lemon peel palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (47% Marsanne, 47% Roussanne, 6% Viognier) (90 pts.)
• 2010 Two Shepherds Syrah | Mourvedre – USA, California
  Light, cloudy, medium dark ruby color; savory, tart red berry, light pepper nose; light, fresh, savory, tart red berry, light pepper palate; medium-plus finish (50/50 Syrah/Mourvedre) (92 pts.)
• 2010 Two Shepherds GSM Saralee’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Lightly cloudy medium ruby color; intense, tart currant, tart red berry nose; tart currant, tart red berry, hibiscus palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre) (90 pts.)
• 2011 Two Shepherds Grenache Saralee’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Barrel sample – cloudy, medium ruby color; savory, baked berry nose; tart cherry, light pepper, herbs palate; medium-plus finish 91-92+ points (91 pts.)

Unti

Mick Unti, pictured above right, co-founded Unti Vineyards Winery with his brother George and George’s wife Linda in 1997. Mick manages the day to day operations of the winery including winemaking, sales and marketing. George and Linda farm 60 acres of vineyards. Mick had previously served as National Sales Manager for McDowell Valley Vineyards and then in a similar position for Jess Jackson’s Artisans and Estates until leaving there to work full time at Unti in 1998. The Untis are assisted by Sebastien Pochan, who received his enology degree from France’s Montepellier University. Sebastien came to the U.S. in 1995 and started out at Stonestreet Winery before becoming winemaker at Christopher Creek. The Untis’ 60 acres are planted to an unusual mix of Rhone and Italian varieties. They grow four clones of Syrah–383, 470, 174 and 877–as well as Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc and Vermentino. Their remarkably thorough website explains an unusual aspect to their winemaking–the extensive use of the whole cluster fermentation method practiced widely in the Rhone. According to their website, this means “grapes are harvested very cold early in the morning, sorted and placed in shallow wood or stainless steel tanks where they are then stomped by foot. The fermentation starts naturally after 5 days of soaking thanks to indigenous yeasts. We started experimenting with whole cluster fermentation on Syrah in 2005 and have now extended the technique to Mourvedre and Grenache. The presence of stems and a higher proportion of whole berries in the fermenter seems to widen the aromatic profile of the wines (more peppery and floral notes) as well as providing them with a focused structure.” They also minimize the use of new oak, often using large foudres. I’ve long found Unti to be a very reliable producer, and their Grenache (actually a GSM blend) and Syrah Benchland bottling were particularly good.

• 2011 Unti Vineyards Rosé – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Light pink color; tart currant, mineral nose; tasty, tart currant palate; medium finish (blend of Grenache and Mourvedre) (91 pts.)
• 2011 Unti Vineyards Cuvée Blanc – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Very light yellow color; fresh, tart citrus nose; tasty, tart citrus, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
• 2009 Unti Vineyards Syrah – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Opaque ruby color; roasted plum, red berry nose; tart berry, roasted plum, herbs palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (1/3 whole cluster) (91 pts.)
• 2010 Unti Vineyards Grenache – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Light, cloudy, dark ruby color; pepper, tart red plum nose; fresh, pepper, tart red plum palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (blend of over 75% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvedre)(92 pts.)
• 2008 Unti Vineyards Syrah Benchland – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Dark ruby color; tart roasted plum, tart berry nose; tart roasted plum, tart berry, mineral, herbs palate; long finish 92+ points (92 pts.)

Venteux

• 2008 Venteux Vineyards Syrah Estate – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Dark ruby color; tart plum, oak nose; tart plum, oak, berry palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (28 mos. in new French oak) (88 pts.)
• 2008 Venteux Vineyards PMS – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Very dark ruby color; reduction, brett, tart red fruit nose; reudction, brett, tart red fruit, baked berry palate; medium-plus finish (45% Petite Sirah, 33% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah; i.e., not named for pre-menstrual syndrome) (87 pts.)