GrapeSmart.net

People who love wine often talk about how wine is just as much about the experience as it is about the wine itself. They’re sometimes referring to the process of uncorking a bottle, who they’ve shared the wine with, or the time they visited the winery. In my case, when I wax poetic about Sanford Winery, it’s 1/3 because of how I discovered it, 1/3 because of how beautiful it is there, and 1/3 because I like the wines.

A couple of years ago on my first trip to the Santa Ynez area with Mitch, we got lost looking for the Wine Ghetto in Lompoc. We’d never been and Google Maps is dreadful at understanding the addresses in this area so we had to attack the problem the old-fashioned way–drive around aimlessly until we stumble on it, or give up and try it again next time. We did NOT find the wine ghetto on that trip (but we did on the next one with much more assiduous research). We did, however, take a detour down Santa Rosa Rd (which we didn’t know the name of) through a beautiful valley, part of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. On our way, we encountered what appeared to be a brand new, and open, tasting room… so we went. We’d never heard of Sanford before that moment, but we’re glad our adventure went that way.

Chardonnay grapes growing on the flat land at the Sanford-Benedict Vineyard

On this past trip, honoring the discovery of the winery on our last trip and the several bottles of Sanford Chardonnay we’ve consumed since then, we popped in on our way to a scheduled wine-tasting charity event. Boy are we glad we did!

We came at the winery from the opposite side of Santa Rosa Rd (exiting 101E instead of 246W) and drove through the gorgeous valley in late-afternoon sunlight which–yes it’s cheesy–danced on the grapevines showing their new fall colors. We passed by Mosby and Alma Rosa, making note to come back this way next time, and pulled into the parking lot at Sanford to find only four cars. Sweet!

In we went to the familiar tasting room. We later learned that the beautiful architecture is made from reclaimed Douglas Fir and local adobe hand cut by the vineyard workers themselves. Because it was empty we were served immediately and we shared our first tasting of the day.

Mitch isn’t crazy about Chardonnays in general, but really likes the Sanford Chardonnay (probably because there’s no oak). We both remembered not being crazy about their red wines a couple of years ago, but we know our palates have matured and each vintage is different, so we had open minds as we began the discovery process all over again.

The door to the barrel room

The Sanford Winery Tasting Room does public tours of their winery every Saturday at 12pm and 2pm. We were the only folks around so we took a private tour of the winery with the new tasting room manager’s inaugural tour. If he hadn’t told us, we wouldn’t have known!

It was our first time in the “employees only” area of a winery so it was great fun to see all the wine as it ages, to learn about the equipment and methods of their winemaking, to hear about the investments a winery makes, and just to soak in what daily life might be like if we lived there (one can dream). As our careful tour guide removed the lock and the stellar old-fashioned door “knob” from the West Barrel Room, we knew we were in for a treat. The room requires no HVAC to remain a constant 60-something degrees and walking into the quiet room filled with barrels which each hold 300 bottles of wine was serene.

Where the Chardonnay Ferments

We also saw the different types of equipment to start extracting juice from the grapes, the massive open-topped fermentation tanks, and views of the vineyard which included an explanation of how the Pinot Noir grapes grow up on the hill and the Chardonnay grapes grow in the lower flat areas. There were also, as I somewhat expected, various clones the winemakers are “fooling around with” as they craft their next wines.

The Pinot Noir grapes growing up the hill with the Chardonnay grapes in front

Of course, let’s not forget about the reason it’s all here looking so luscious… the wines! Here’s a rundown of what we tasted and what we thought about it.

Sunlight shining into the Sanford Winery Tasting Room

2007 Sanford Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, $22 per bottle

What they say: Our 2007 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay comes from four great vineyards. Our estate vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, La Rinconada and Sanford & Bendict, along with the El Camino Vineyard in Los Alamos and the Bien Nacido Vineyard east of Santa Maria, combine to give this wine aromatic complexity and layers of flavor. The 2007 vintage was low yielding and produced wines of great intensity and structure. This barrel fermeneted Chardonnay shows all of the exotic tropical fruit and citrus that Santa Barbara is renowned for, along with the minerality that is a signature of wines from the Santa Rita Hills. This full bodied wine has nice acidity to keep it in balance and makes a nice compleemnt to most seafood, poultry, and pasta with lighter sauces.

What Jess says: Apple & oak on the nose, with a smoky, astringent quality to it. It’s initially strong on the front of the palate with a bit of pineapple in the mid-palate. A lingering finish that fades gracefully.

Also known as “The Flower Label” Chardonnay, it’s a fairly large-production wine that can be found at Vons/Pavillions/Safeway/etc. and other stores, too. Santa Monica Seafood retails it for $17 and it goes on sale at the Safeway stores for as low as $14.99. At $14.99 it’s a FANTASTIC Chardonnay.

Buy it at K&L Wines

2006 Sanford La Rinconada Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, $34 per bottle

What they say: The 2006 La Rinconada Chardonnay comes exclusively from our estate vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. It is sourced from our two best lbocks (Wente and Clone 15), whole cluster pressed and barrel fermented. With the traditional Burgundian technique of lees stirring and barrel aging, this wine has developed richness and elegance sought after in fine Chardonnay. Intense by balanced, our flagship Chardonnay is bursting with citrus and tropical fruit, with hints of creme brulee.

What Jess says: On the nose: detectable minerality, earthy, smells like a Chardonnay and not like overdone winemaking. In the mouth, light, acidic/bright, and smooth with notes of oak and, believe it or not, that creme brulee.

2006 Sanford La Entrada Chardonnay, $45 per bottle

What they say: A stunning Chardonnay from our most prized block of Clone 15. This intense but balanced barrel fermented wine is called “La Entrada” because it comes from the parcel at the entrance to the Rinconada Vineyard. From its lifted citrus and tropical aromatics, to its rich but well structured palate, this barrel fermented Chardonnay has impressed all who have tasted it.

What Jess says: Yum. I, too, was impressed. A delicate vanilla nose. Smooth and silky mouthfeel with hints of citrus and pineapple. I’d be happy to drink some more of this one.

2007 Sanford Flor de Campo White Blend, $48 per bottle

What they say: The 2007 vintage marks the second bottling of this exotic white wine. Inspired by the great wines of France’s Northern Rhone Valley, this wine from Santa Ynez Valley is called “Flor de Campo” which is Spanish for wildflower. To preserve the exotic spicy floral character of this Roussanne/Viognier blend, we barrel fermented in neutral French Oak barrels. The resulting full-bodied wine offers aromas of peach and nectarine, with hints of jasmine. The full palate is balanced by crisp acid and minerality.

What Jess says: Also blended with less than 1% Chardonnay, these grapes hail from Happy Canyon, happy indeed. The nose was sweet, green apple and honeysuckle for me. It was smooth but tasted heavily of the Viognier. As much as I’m a Rhone nut (or at least a Rhone Ranger Sidekick), I’m notsomuch a fan of the Viognier unless it’s been cut by something heavier or sweeter. In this case, the more delicate Roussane could have used more mmph than the 60%/40% blend gave it… at least for me.

2008 Sanford Pinot Noir Rose – Vin Gris, $18 per bottle

What they say: Our 2008 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir is from the La Rinconada Vineyard and the historic Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. After de-stemming our Pinot Noir, we allow 3-5 hours of contact time before draining off the lightly colored juice for our Vin Gris. This wine is then tank-fermented to dryness before aging in neutral French Oak barrels for 4 months. This wine has inviting aromas of strawberry, rhubarb, and cranberry along with floral notes suggestive of orange blossoms and a hint of white pepper. This dry orse has excellent acidity, which allows it to pair well with a range of foods. Grilled seafood, spicy dishes and most picnic fare would be excellent with this wine.

What Jess says: Nose: a nice smooth rose smell. Mouth, a light “red-fruity” flavor, cranberry, with a full-tongue experience and a good finish. We liked this and found it to be a good value at $18. The problem is that I’m in love with the Beckmen Grenache Rose and we figured we’d stop by there and pick some up on Sunday when we were over that way… except we didn’t go! I said, “Nah, some other time.” What was I thinking??

2007 Sanford Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, $40 per bottle

What they say: A blend from our estate vineyard, La Rinconada, and the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard next door. A mix of vineyard blocks and several different clones give this wine added complexity. This wine is deep violet red in color and is bursting with black cherry and plub, pepper and sage on the nose. The palate delivers dusty berry flavors framed nicely by bright acidity and supple tannins. The wine was allowed to age in French Oak barrels (30% new oak) for 10 months where it gained concentration and picked up hints of vanilla and licorice.

What Jess says: Beautiful and earthy Santa Ynez Valley Pinot on the nose, enticing me to drink it. This is a structured, smooth Pinot Noir, the red fruit is expressive, there’s a little chalkiness on the mid-palate and I detected oak but no vanilla or licorice. We liked this Pinot better than last time but we don’t think it’s worth the release price of $40… yet. Perhaps with some age this wine will mature into something spectacular. You’d have to ask Robert Parker about that We’ve seen this at the grocery store at retail price, if it goes on sale for $25 or less I’d pick up a bottle.

Buy it at Wine.com, Buy it at K&L Wines

2007 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir, $60 per bottle

What they say: Sourced exclusively from this historic vineyard in the esteemed Santa Rita Hills AVA. Planted in 1971 this iconic vineyard consistently produces distinctively superb Pinot Noir. The 2007 wine is deep ruby in color and is loaded with aromas of black cherry and raspberry with hints of clove, cinnamon, and white pepper. The rich palate delivers bright spicy cherry flavors framed nicely by bright acidity and ripe tannins. Aged in French Oak for 11 months where it gained concentration and complexity, this wine will improve in the bottle for 5 to 8 years with proper cellaring.

What Jess says: The nose was deep and earthy, hints of clove for sure. This wine melts over the tongue with cherry, smooth earthy finish, oaky (but not in a bad way). This blog is about value wines because we’re too cheap to buy a $60 wine (in general). We liked the wine, but not enough to pay $60 for it.

A charity event raising money for Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People (PHP)

We had a trip planned for Santa Ynez Valley this past weekend and I decided to check out LocalWineEvents.com in the Santa Barbara area to see if there was anything going on we’d like to add to our itinerary. Indeed there was! Dean was kind enough to provide free tickets in exchange for our coverage of the event (the FTC requires me to disclose that to you).

Here’s an overview of the event:

Vino de Sueños, “Wine of Dreams,” is a wine brand conceived by the non-profit human services organization, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People (PHP), and a small group of premium Santa Barbara County vintners. This group wanted to make a difference in the lives of vineyard and farm workers who are at the very heart of the County’s agricultural economy and more specifically, the vineyard and wine businesses. Founding Participant Wineries of Vino de Suenos include Alma Rosa, Buttonwood, Clos Pepe, Feliz Noche, Foxen, Longoria, and Presidio.

The Vino de Sueños wines will be sold in order raise funds to give workers and their families the assistance they need during difficult economic times. PHP will administer the funds to furnish basic needs (food, rent, and utility assistance) and family support services (counseling, youth after school programs, parent education, and scholarships). Services are directed to giving families a hand-up to achieve their dreams of a better life.

When I arrived, the staff was friendly and the crowd was pretty big. There was a beautiful tented set-up with a large catering area and plenty of tables to stop and chat at. Most wineries sent emissaries, and some of them were the famous winemakers themselves. It was heart-warming to see these big names and faces at an event designed to help the communities they, and their workers, live and work in.

About the Wine (General)

Top wineries & winemakers from Santa Ynez Valley were invited to participate and the showing was impressive. Each wine was given a unique bottle with a custom-made piece of artwork adorning it. The original art the labels were based on were available for silent-auction. One piece had the media listed as “wine on paper” and it was evocative of an Old World winery… and unusual. The wines were available for purchase at the event at a little bit of a discount from their normal release prices, and some wines are only available from Vino de Sueños directly.

I’ve now attended a few different types of tasting events and I have to say each has had its own unique flair. I’ve been to a Rhone Rangers event (30+ wineries, very professional vibe), a BevMo! Mega-Tasting event (hundreds of wines, beers, and spirits, mass consumer crowd), a Learn About Wine event (unoaked theme, pretentious but consumer-oriented), and now this Vino de Sueños event (a charity event with a blue-blood feel, despite the presence of rancheros and vaqueros).

I highly recommend tasting events to anyone who wants to learn more about wine or expand their palate quickly. Arrive as early as possible, take notes, and remember to dump most of the wine or you’ll be drunk inside an hour! (Which is fine, if that’s what you’re aiming for… it’s almost inevitable anyway.)

About Each Wine

“For over 20 years, my wife Thekla and I have focused on what’s most important to us: sustainable business practices and organic farming. We are deeply committed to the environment and the soulful connection with our employees and the people who enjoy our wine.” says Richard Sanford.

They presented their 2008 Alma Rosa Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara County ($16 per bottle, 1201 cases produced)

What they say: Like one of the models in a Modigliani, lean yet full of curves, our 2008 Pinot Gris is a bit softer and more rounded than the prior vintage. It retains that wonderfully brilliant nose of fresh orchard fruits and a pleasant bitter-almond quality, along with apple-pie like flavors and cleansing acidity that lead us to recommend pairing this wine with Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, or inventive Pacific Rim dishes… Let’s do some lightly-fried or grilled fish in garlic-lime butter with a spicy tropical-fruit salsa…

What Jess says: Produced in the Burgundian style with stainless steel fermentation and neutral oak. No malolactic fermentation. Has a screwcap closure. On the nose I detected grapefruit and pineapple. This was a smooth wine, showing green apple and a bright, but not overly so, acidity. I also detected something that seemed “nutty” to me, but that seems strange.

“The Au Bon Climat winery is located on the world-famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, and is owned by winemaker Jim Clendenen. Au Bon Climat was listed on Robert Parker’s Best Wineries of the World in both 1989 and 1990, while Jim Clendenen has been named Winemaker of the Year in 1992 by the Los Angeles Times, and Winemaker of the Year in 2001 by Food and Wine Magazine.”

They presented their 2005 Au Bon Climat Santa Maria Petit Verdot ($32 per bottle)

I was unable to find any information about this wine online and they didn’t send me home with any goodies so that I could reference those materials… so folks, you’ll just be getting my review of this one!

What Jess says: The nose was earthy and bore the scent of many other Santa Maria Valley wines I’ve tasted. It was aged 36 months in oak and reminded me of a Merlot (which isn’t really a compliment coming from me, but they ARE growing on me a little… thank you BevMo!). I’ve only ever had one other pure (or nearly pure) Petit Verdot and it was from Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles. The Au Bon Climat sample was better.

“Buttonwood’s varietal mix of sauvignon blanc, semillon, marsanne, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and syrah reflects the preferences of owners Betty Williams and her son-in-law, Bret Davenport, for Bordeaux and Rhone style wines. As we expected, they grow perfectly in our warm, eastern Santa Ynez Valley location.”

They presented their 2008 Buttonwood Sauvignon Blanc ($13 per bottle)

What they said: The 2008 Buttonwood Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect melding of our warm Santa Ynez Valley climate, careful cultivation and winemaker know-how. Imagine what sunshine would taste like if you could bottle it and you come close to the bright and tangy flavor of our favorite white wine. Flavors of lemon-lime edged tropical fruit with a creamy core and tart finish offer a rare treat at the end of a warm summer day. A high acid profile makes Sauvignon Blanc the perfect food wine and we like it best with seafood. Try our latest edition with chilled English pea soup served with a dollop of crab salad topped with lemon infused creme fraiche.

What Jess says: The 20% Semillon was a great idea to cut through the acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc from this area. On the nose: bright, grapefruit. In the mouth: Light and buttery. This was my first stop at the event (right next to the door) and my palate was at its freshest. I’m a fan of Sauvignon Blanc from this area (thank you Fiddlehead!) and at $13 a bottle, this is a great value wine.

“My mission and goal as a winemaker is to illuminate and define Viognier, to elevate its profile and explore its potential through keen observation and copious tasting. I seek to sound the depths of this enigmatic grape, to reveal its secrets and shine a bright light on the extraordinary fruit grown in the cool vineyards of the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys of California ‘s Central Coast.” – Morgan Clendenen

Morgan was representing her own wine and was delightful to speak with.

She presented her 2005 Cold Heaven Syrah Santa Barbara County ($30 per bottle).  At first I thought it was the “Second Sin” Syrah, but now I’m not so sure. She’s launching a second label (focusing on Sauvignon Blanc) called Strangelove. The order form for the wines says Strangelove Syrah. Regardless, I don’t have the winemakers’ notes for you, and again, you’re stuck with my interpretation (but since I can’t identify the wine, it will make it hard for you to argue with me!)

What Jess says: I found the wine to taste quite a bit like a Pinot Noir from the area. Since this was the sixth or seventh table I tasted at I figured it was just me, but someone else asked Morgan and she said it herself (something to the effect of) “everyone is trying to make their Pinots taste like Syrahs and here I am trying to make a Syrah taste like a Pinot.” If nothing else, it’s a testament to the effect winemaking can have on a grape! The wine was “pre-release” and even though it’d had 2 years in a barrel and 2 years in the bottle, it could have used a little more time to rest… and beef up.

“D’Alfonso – Curran Wines is the identity for two very successful and celebrated wine makers – Bruno D’Alfonso and Kris Curran. The two together bring decades of knowledge, artistry, experience and accolades to their personal labels – Curran, DiBruno and BADGE. Their wines offer an array of sought-after, limited production wines, each with its own unique characteristics. Grenache Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Syrah and Tempranillo all from locally grown fruit are just some of the varietals offered. The company operates a tasting room located in downtown Solvang and a new winery located in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills AVA on Rancho La Vina.”

They presented their 2006 BADGE Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills ($30 per bottle)

What they say: I can’t locate any of the winery’s tasting notes on this one.

The person pouring (I’ve now forgotten who it was) told me about their unique “triple finish” which consisted of 1/3 Oak fermentation, 1/3 Malolactic fermentation, 1/3 Stainless Steel fermentation. So I’d expect oaky, buttery, and citrus or tropical fruit.

What Jess says: Smells like pineapple. In the mouth it was bright and buttery, but I lost the oak layer in there. Perhaps what I detected as “Viognier-like” was in fact oak?

“Kathy Joseph established Fiddlehead Cellars to capture the pure essence of the two grape varietals that she loves best – Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Now in her twentieth vintage as “Head Fiddle”, Kathy continues to passionately pursue her goal of creating stylistic Sauvignon Blancs and silky, intense Pinot Noirs. Terroir-driven, Fiddlehead’s Sauvignon Blanc wines hail from the stellar eastern-end of the Santa Ynez Valley, while her estate Pinot Noirs showcase the cooler Santa Rita Hills in the western-most part of that transverse valley. And loving the nuances of place, Kathy continues to craft intriguing Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.”

The opportunity to meet Kathy Joseph was a big one for me personally. Fiddlehead was the first wine club we joined (we joined our second on the same trip as this event) and it was the first time we were blown away by everything we tasted in a tasting room. We’ve enjoyed every shipment of wine we received and were seriously bummed when our financial circumstances didn’t leave room for us to join their Stradivarius Club (small group, library wines) and we were forced to give up our spot on the long waiting list. With every tasting note packet, personal recipe, and enthusiastic email I grow to appreciate Kathy and her passion more and more.

As a side note: Doing what you are most passionate about for a living, or making wine, clearly is the secret to good, healthy living. When you see Kathy in person she doesn’t look like someone who should have 20-something vintages under her belt.

Kathy Joseph herself presented her 2005 Fiddlehead Cellars Seven Twenty Eight Estate Pinot Noir – Fiddlestix Vineyard ($38 per bottle)

What they said: This cuvée struts the beauty of the varietal: classic black cherry fruit, hints of black pepper and an underlying earthy signature; together they express layers of finesse and concentration. Laden with silky, sexy tannins and spot on acidity that ensure vibrancy through to the finish and which predict long life in your cellar. A selection of six clones: Pommard 4 and 5, and Dijon clones 667, 777, 113, and 115, each adding significant layers to this charming wine.

Aged 16 months in our favorite selection of tight-grain French oak (Rousseau, Bel Air, Cadus, Saury, Seguin Moreau, Marcel Cadet) and held an additional year in bottle to allow the pinot charm to shine in all its glory!

What Jess says: I loved the wine. I always do. A special wine, balanced and luxurious in the mouth. A long finish with red fruit that makes you relish the last sip and reach for the next.

“Bill Wathen and Dick Doré have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded Foxen Winery & Vineyard at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County.

Since that time, their dedication has remained the same—the creation of very small-production, vineyard-designated wines using a “minimalist” approach to winemaking.”

They presented their 2007 Cuvee Jeanne Marie (GSM – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) ($30 per bottle)

What they say: I can’t find any tasting notes on this one. What’s VERY interesting to me though is that they give you every detail about how the wine was made, and don’t tell you anything about what it tastes like. I was told a story by a younger woman at one of the other tables about how the wine is named after her grandmother, and her father (or uncle?) was pouring the Foxen wine. Perhaps this family understands that everyone will taste the wine differently and the art is in the growing of the grapes and making of the wine rather than in the poetry that sells it?

What Jess says: I love GSM. It’s one of my favorite “varietals.” (Like my interpretation of the four food groups: Bread, Cheese, Garlic, and Wine.) On the nose this wine was hearty and smelled of that ever-unidentifiable “purple fruit.” In the mouth it was flavorful but a little “thin.” I noted that it started to fill out with more and more sips. I’d bet this would be great in 6-months to a year… but not at $30.

“Frank and Gray believe that great wines are made in the vineyard. Their winemaking philosophy is that they are caretakers who guide the wine into the bottle. As the wine matures it is simply left to gently age in the barrel. This minimalist approach allows Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post wines to reflect the character of the vineyard and the vintage, preserving the essence of the grape for you to enjoy when you open the bottle.”

Frank Ostini himself presented a special blend of 2007 Santa Maria Pinot Noir & 2007 Highliner Pinot Noir ($25 per bottle)

Frank was charming and gracious. He reminded me of one of my friends’ Dad when I was a kid. It was nice to meet the man who would be responsible for my dinner that night (a separate review of my experience tasting Hitching Post wines will be available shortly). Since this was a blend made especially for this event (and probably some private labeling venture), there aren’t any winery tasting notes.

What Jess says: Nose was earthy and otherwise like a local Pinot Noir. It was a little thin, even for Pinot. It was aged 3 months in the bottle, but not scheduled for release until the Spring. And it could use the extra few months.

“With a strong conviction of creating food compatible wines and simply not making the same wines as everybody else, the Kalyra wine portfolio is as interesting as it is varied.
Winemaker Mike Brown holds true to the new world philosophy that a wine should be a reflection of the grape as well as the unique characteristics of where it is grown.”

They presented their 2005 Late Harvest Riesling ($27 per bottle)

What they say: Tasting notes from Kalyra are MIA, but that’s okay. You’ve got me!

What Jess says: Made in the “Ice Wine” style (properly called Eiswein), I was impressed. My husband is from Ontario and I always stare at the little Ice Wine bottles at the LCBO and wonder why anyone makes wine that sweet. You expect Ice Wine from the northern grape-growing regions as it can be damn cold early in the year (I remember from my Chicago-dwelling days), but it’s pretty unusual to find it in Southern California (the presenter pointed out that you can freeze anything). Honestly, I don’t like sweet wine and the only Rieslings I like are the dry ones. So let’s just say I was more than a little surprised to enjoy this Late Harvest Riesling. It was very sweet, but subtle, well-balanced and layered. I detected pineapple and other tropical fruit that I would expect from grapes grown in this area. If you like sweeter wines, I’d chase this one down.

“If you look at the Au Bon Climat triangular labels, a line near the bottom says “Produced and bottled by Jim Clendenen, Mind Behind.” And while Clendenen is the sole provocateur of the label, when he’s on the road promoting Au Bon Climat and Santa Barbara County, the daily winery tasks fall to Jim Adelman, production winemaker at the joint Au Bon Climat/Qupé facility, located on the Bien Nacido Vineyard property. Effectively, he’s the mind behind the mind behind!

Adelman makes a small amount of wine under his Makor label, though it’s usually his own spin on something neither producer makes.” (Source: Appellation America)

Jim couldn’t be there that day and the event kindly provided a volunteer to pour this wine. She didn’t know much about it other than the fact that it was a 2007 Merlot from Santa Maria ($14 per bottle). I’m not a Merlot fan, so bear with me.

What Jess says: The nose was peppery (a good start!). It was a well-balanced wine with a nice finish, but it had that grapey thing going on that I don’t like about Merlot wines in general. If anybody knows why Merlot tastes grapey to me, please let me know! (That’s if you’re even still reading at this point.)

“My belief that the Santa Barbara wine region would someday produce world class wines has come true,” Rick states, “and my dream of having my own winery has also come true.”

Longoria wines are handcrafted in very small quantities ranging from 50 cases to 500 cases. Total production at this time is about 3,500 cases.”

They presented their 2007 Syrah Cuvee blended specifically for this event ($25 per bottle).

Rick Longoria created this special blend of Syrah from two of the top Syrah vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Alisos and Clover Creek. The blend is 71% Alisos Syrah, 24% Clover Creek Syrah, and 5% Viognier. The resultant wine is a delicious, complex blend that is enjoyable now but will also benefit from two to three years of cellaring.

What Jess says: The nose was smoky and chocolatey. This is a gentle, unusual Syrah. Thin and light, and Pinot Noir-like.

“Vogelzang Vineyard team is proud to have winemaker Robbie Meyer, former assistant winemaker at Peter Michael and winemaker for Lewis Wines. Over the last year, Robbie and the Coastal Vineyard Care team have worked together to fine-tune the growing of our Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc varietals in preparation for our coming estate wines.”

They presented their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc featured in the June 17th Wine Spectator Insider and rated 94 points ($25 per bottle).

What Jess says: The nose is like a Chardonnay to me. The wine was bright with pineapple, and acidic, with a little butteriness… despite the fact that there was no malolactic fermentation used for this wine. A very unique Sauvignon Blanc that other event-goers couldn’t get enough of.

Bor d'Oh, yes please!

Arianna & Jess tasted Bordeaux wines for the first time at the BevMo 100th Store Mega-Tasting in Rolling Hills Estates. At this type of event (a large mixed-beverage tasting at a “big box” store) it’s unusual to encounter a real wine experience. But to BevMo’s credit they lined up 100 2007 Bordeaux’s for tasting, and brought in the owners from many of the wineries to introduce the BevMo customer to Old World winemaking and wine-drinking. It seemed a strange juxtaposition (elegant wines poured by elegant French people in a SoCal parking lot), but in the end, we tasted a wide spectrum of 2007 Bordeaux wines across a broad price range and now we feel a little less intimidated by French wine in general and by Bordeaux specifically.

Jessyca’s ignorance of wines from outside of California has been discussed before, so the following revelations should not be interpreted as wine snobbery, but rather sharing what she learned…

1. Bordeaux is not a grape. While most people who drink wine know this, Jessyca did not. Or at least not officially. Grapes grown in the Bordeaux wine region of France are predominantly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Side note: Similarly, Chateau Neuf-du-Pape is not a winery, but also a wine region in France. Not all Chateau Neuf-du-Pape wines are worth the reputation.

2. They like to mix their grapes in Bordeaux. Most Bordeaux wines that we tasted were primarily Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, but nearly all were blends of 3 or four different varietals.

3. French people aren’t all snobby. The manager at BevMo found it important to tell us how unusual and special it is that this level of wine proprietors would be present at such an event, much less doing the pouring. I found the proprietors to be charming, patient, and knowledgeable. One even spent several minutes teaching Jess how to pronounce Pouilly-Fuisse and Pauillac. They were eager to expose the American consumers to their wines and had much better attitudes about the heat and crowds than the other winery owners present at the event.

World famous for some of the oldest and highest regarded wines on the planet, Bordeaux wines are full-bodied, rich and delicious. The wines we listed here are a great value and will age beautifully for the next 5 – 10+ years.

2007 Chateau La Chenade, Lalande de Pomerol. $16 – $20

Bright, dark red. This wine smells of strawberry and is a little firm on tannin. This is a value price for a wine from the Bordeaux region, and while rich and delicious, it tastes “younger” and “greener” than some of the others on this list. However, La Chenade is a good place to start and will improve (although not a ton), by aging.

Drink by 2015

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc.

Jessyca really enjoyed this wine and after tasting 12 different Bordeaux wines, feels this one in particular is of good value. It also says something interesting about the power of winemaking because she’s not a fan of Merlot.

2007 Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Moulis-en-Médoc. $25 – $35

Although the property’s history dates back to 1560, it is likely that the vines from which these grapes descended are much, much older. The vineyard is widely held in high esteem, despite being one of the smallest producers in the area.

Deep red. Tastes of dark fruit, minerals and chocolate. This is an excellent wine at an excellent price. Drink now until 2025.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot.

2007 Chateau d’Issan, Margaux Bordeaux. $35 – $45

Dating from the 15th century (and possibly even the 12th), Château d’Issan is located in Margaux, 30 minutes’ drive from Bordeaux. The chateau is still surrounded by a moat, and is frequently described as the most romantic in the Medoc appellation.

Mild at first with a strong finish, this lighter-colored red is fruity on the nose, with a nice, full structure and hints of tobacco.

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.

2007 Brane Cantenac, 2nd Grand Cru Classé, Margaux. $35 – $50

A Bordeaux blend middleweight, this is a softer, more “feminine” wine. Well crafted, earthy, with tastes of chocolate, strawberries, and raspberries. This isn’t one to age for long, but it’s an excellent value.

As a less robust wine, this might be a good choice for those who are just beginning to dabble in Bordeaux.

Drink now until 2015.

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc.

Another of Jess’ favorites from the group–this was a smooth, flavorful wine that was pleasant in the mouth and had a long, enjoyable finish.

Duluc Ducru Dulicious

Chateau Branaire Duluc-Ducru, St. Julien. $40 – $55

Oak-y, earthy, fruity and balanced. Nicely integrated tannins. Hints of mocha, blackberries and violets. 2007 was not a great year for the region, but this shows a delicious fruitiness for the vintage. Very nice finish. This one is a good choice for the holidays, and should definitely be a crowd pleaser. Drink now until 2017.

63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc.

At GrapeSmart we like to talk about how you can get more value out of your wine purchases, but sometimes we want to share wine experiences that defy the “Under $25″ ethos and extend into the “If I had a million dollars” dreamscape…

The Tale of the Two Longueville Wineries – And Bordeaux Futures
(by Jessyca)

Those in-the-know went straight for the uber-expensive Bordeaux wines (and in retrospect, we should have done this, too) because these were only futures not yet available for purchase.

All day long people were talking of terroir, a concept that has much deeper meaning in France than it does in California. When the following two wines were poured, an explanation included that these two wineries are right across the street from one another so that they should have much in common with one another, and also, the particular area of Longueville in Pauillac is desirable, so the wines are higher-priced.

The 2007 Chateau Pichon Lalande ($100 – $120) and the 2007 Chateau Pichon Baron ($90 – $115) could not have been more different. The Lalande is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Easily one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted, smooth and luscious. It was easy to see what winemakers the world over are trying to achieve when I had the opportunity to taste such deliciousness. The Baron on the other hand, 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, was more acidic and less special. It felt extraordinarily overpriced, especially in comparison to the Lalande.

This experience really solidified for me the importance of winemaking in the whole process, and rather downplayed the terroir impact. These wines shared little other than their name and their price tag. Ultimately only you can say if a wine is good or bad for you. You just have to try a lot to know what you like and what you don’t.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that K&L Merchants has a MUCH better price on these two wines than BevMo is offering which suggests that perhaps when you want premium wines, it still pays to shop around before you buy.

This past weekend my husband and I flitted off to San Diego to visit some friends and chill out. In addition to excellent company and excellent food, it was a fun wine weekend, too.

Wine #1: 2006 Beringer Napa Chardonnay

2005 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay

As a pre-dinner diversion, our friends Greg & Celine had us over for snacks and a glass of wine before heading out. They served us homemade dips (a delicious Greek yogurt dip with herbs in it and a yummy parmesan-artichoke dip) with pita chips and edamame. They served it to us with (and here’s an adjective I never thought I’d use to describe a Beringer wine) Napa Valley Chardonnay. It was crisp, a little oaky, and had hints of green fruit. A well-structured, enjoyable white wine for $10-13 per bottle.

Wine #2: 2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Greg & Celine brought us to their friends’ new restaurant in Del Mar, California called Zel’s. The patio was lovely, the food (mine at least) was excellent, and the service was an adventure. Greg insisted that since I have a wine blog I needed to choose the wine for the table. Unusually, there was a choice to be made because Zel’s has a great wine list and really great bottle prices on the wine. I asked around and everyone liked Cabernet, so I chose the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. You’ve heard me say before that you can’t go wrong with a Cab from Alexander Valley and this gem was no exception. A delicious Cab typical of Alexander Valley, it carried us gracefully through mussels & french fries, warm spinach salad, sea bass with mushroom risotto, steak, pork shoulder, and a serrano ham woodfired pizza. We happily ordered 2 bottles during dinner and not only would I go back to this restaurant (a rare compliment from me) I would buy this wine at twice it’s normal price of $14-17 per bottle.

Wine #3: 2005 Clos du Bois North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

In the afternoon, I took my friend Gary shopping at Walmart. There are so many parts of that sentence which sound strange to me, but the strangest of all is that I voluntarily went into a Walmart (stranger still I spent money while I was there… on wine!). While we were wandering the aisles, I discovered they sell wine. In fact, I picked up a couple bottles of the Bonterra Organic & Biodynamic Chardonnay for $6 which is a STEAL. While perusing the shelf I saw the 2005 Clos du Bois North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and opted to pass. Boy was that dumb. Later that afternoon, while sitting around playing games and drinking (that’s what Sunday afternoons are for, right?) we opened a bottle that Gary already had at his place… and it was better than I’ve come to expect from Clos du Bois which can be SO hit-or-miss. (Example: I love their Pinot Grigio but hate their Pinot Noir.) This Cabernet was not of the same exceptional quality as the one from the night before, but nonetheless, when you’re looking for value in your limited wine budget, this wine will make you think you spent more than you did for your $12-15 per bottle.

Wine #4: 2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros

2006 Domain Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros

When we made it to our final dinner of the weekend, we were ready to keep the good times rolling, so we ordered another bottle of wine. Well, I guess we technically ordered two bottles of wine. The first one was a Zolo Malbec… a wine I love! Or thought I did. I in fact love the Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec which I bought at BevMo! (which is, near as I can tell, a Reserve wine). They also bottle a lesser-version of it without the Gaucho Select, and I can tell you it’s not as good as the Gaucho Select. So, I sent it back. Instead we ordered the 2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros because Mitch loves Pinot and we were all eating dinners that would go nicely with a Pinot. Lately I’ve felt like every Pinot Noir I taste is overwhelmingly cherry or tastes like water even though it looks like wine. Finally that streak has been broken but I don’t have a new Pinot to add to my shopping list when I want a wine in the $20-25 range because I don’t think it was worth that much. More like $15-18 per bottle.

2007 Costco Napa Valley Chardonnay

I noticed recently that Costco has come out with more wines in their Kirkland Signature wines line and naturally, since I’m there once a month trolling the wine bins like the wine whore, er value seeker, that I am, I picked up a bunch more of ‘em.

This time I tried the 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand line of house wines. In a different but happy way, I’m as impressed with this Chardonnay as I was with the Kirkland Signature Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

First, I’ve never had such a well-balanced Chardonnay under $20, much less under $10. California Chardonnays are often overly oaky, frequently too acidic, and sometimes taste like Sauvignon Blanc. Occasionally we come across Chards we love, but this one is a solid enjoyable player in a field of mediocre wines priced under $15.

What they say: 2007 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Chardonnay is opulent and richly flavored. The succulent notes of apricot and fig are surrounded by intense bursts of apple and pear, finishing with bright, mouthwatering acidity; a distinctive, buttery edge; plus hints of cedar and oak. Chardonnay from Napa Valley is scarce, highly sought after, and the source for some of the finest California Chardonnay from the 2007 vintage. Drink now through 2010.

What Jess says: The bouquet is oaky, but don’t let it fool you, other wonderful flavors come out to play once you take a sip. At first I noticed a brightness at the front of my mouth, oakiness in the mid-palate, and a smoky finish. The wine lingered in my mouth to offer a mild green-fruit and buttery finish. This wine would be great with any of the traditional foods one pairs with a Chardonnay (cheese, salad, fish, chicken, etc.) but could also compliment a heartier meal.

It doesn’t seem to be on their website (I think because it’s only available in California), so if you live in California you’ll have to go to your local Costco to pick some up at the super bargain price of $7.99 a bottle. Here’s an article about Kirkland Signature wines at Costco.com.

A few weeks ago I went to a tasting event hosted by the Rhone Rangers which is an organization focused on wine produced from Rhone varietals grown in the United States. Being a Southern California event, most of the wineries (if not all) were from Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and the Santa Ynez Valley appellations.

Prior to attending, I researched the wineries to see which 20 I should actually taste because I knew I’d never make all 40-something. During my research I found the 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley had been rated 92 by Wine Spectator (for my palette, that almost always means I’ll like it). I found that highly suspect because I’d had Zaca Mesa wines before and been, as I like to say, underwhelmed. The other thing I found surprising was a $22 bottle of Syrah from Santa Ynez was rated so highly. Now I LOVE Syrah, especially Santa Ynez Syrahs, so for me, it was a little jewel to behold.

2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah

I managed not to get to the Zaca Mesa table while I was at the tasting event, but that’s okay because it’s a fairly large-production wine and I knew I could find it elsewhere. On tonight’s trip to Costco I noticed the Zaca Mesa Syrah and grabbed a bottle. Being me, I naturally couldn’t wait more than 5 minutes to crack it and see if it passes my critical (ha!) muster, or at least lives up to its hype.

What Jess says: First impressions are great. A nice cherry/jammy bouquet with a little smoke at the back of the nose. Chewy, but enjoyable, mouthfeel. It does something funny toward the back of my tongue that I’m not loving (somehow reminds me of the other Zaca Mesa experiences I’ve had). Hardly noticeable jamminess in the mouth (some people love it, some hate it… I’m a lover) as opposed to the nose. Some kind of salty or some other mineral taste in the finish. Would almost certainly benefit from aeration, age, (I was too eager) and some red meat (or any food probably).

What Wine Spectator said: “Tight and beefy, with focused blueberry and wild berry flavors that are spicy and complex. Full-bodied, with a hint of stewed plum and wild berry peaking through on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 13,090 cases made.”

What Zaca Mesa said: “Our Syrah displays rich blackberry, cassis, espresso, mocha and our signature sage spice aromas and flavors. The silky finish lingers from the ripe tannins and smoky oak. This full-bodied wine should be enjoyed over the next ten years. A traditional pairing for this wine is a rack of lamb marinated in rosemary and garlic. However, a peppercorn steak or mushroom risotto would work incredibly well.”

[Editor's note: Even though I don't think all wines at Costco are priced as "deals," knowing what your favorites cost elsewhere helps you identify when Costco has listed something at a lower price than most other places. We paid $16.79 and which seems to be a middle-of-the-road price for this wine in today's market despite it's $22 release price.]

Vinavera Unoaked Chardonnay

This was a fun incoming request from Twitter:

@BluelegsTango Daughter’s wedding on a budget. Having Chinese.Can you recommend a dry white wine, $10 range, to appeal to a range of drinking tastes.Thanks – 11:11 AM Aug 22nd

Truthfully there aren’t that many whites under $10 I’d recommend to anyone. Some people out there think cheap white wines are more palatable than cheap reds, but honestly I think you have to spend more to get a decent white than a decent red, on average.

Something I’ve recently stumbled on is unoaked chardonnays. In keeping with my newly discovered preference for wines that are true to their varietals (meaning you can drink and know what grape it is, not have a guess what it is). I like the flavor of the chardonnay grape and even though I appreciate some oakiness, most California chards are too oaky. There’s definitely been a trend of late to downplay the oak that gets added, but the fascinating part is that there’s a natural gentle oakiness to Chardonnay anyway!

I recommended the Vinavera Unoaked Chardonnay to this inquirer. You can get it at Bevmo for $12.99 a bottle and it’s in their 5-cent sale, too. At the moment, the ClubBev price is $7.99!

You can also shop around and try some other unoaked chardonnays.

Coincidentally, I was at Crate & Barrel the other day and they’ve got empties as decoration around the store… what did they empty? Vinavera Unoaked wines of course! I wish I could have been the one to drink the wine they must have dumped

Their name comes from a lone Madrone tree in a vineyard under which workers eat their lunches.

I consider living in California to be one of life’s great pleasures (I know not everyone agrees) so I spend a great deal of time driving around and enjoying any parts I can get to whenever I can get to them. I was visiting my Dad near Monterey last week and planned to take Hwy 101 all the way back to LA… which means driving through Paso Robles!! I, being the lover of wine and California wine country that I am, just HAD to stop in for a tasting. Planning ahead, I asked my Twitter followers for a suggestion and the ever-so-helpful Twitterer for Alta Colina suggested I try Lone Madrone, quite close to Hwy 101 and therefore convenient for this tasting side-trip. It was a fabulous recommendation.

When I go out to a tasting room, I’m looking for the following things to make my experience even better than just the wine…

1. Easy access to the tasting room from the parking area (it’s often hot out there)
2. Friendly and prompt greeting by the staff
3. Nice decorations and/or stuff for sale (good to look at between tastes, especially if the room is crowded)
4. A very long bar area for tastings (nothing worse than a cramped tasting)
5. Knowledgable and still-friendly staff even after the tasting has begun (rarely is this criteria not met in the Paso area)
6. GOOD WINE!
7. More than 5 wines to taste. I don’t like it when the tasting room experience is micro-managed. Wineries: I’ve come a great distance to sample your wares, please give me a large sampling so I can accurately judge whether or not I want to create a relationship with you  (as a consumer OR as a blogger).
8. Quick checkout, whether I’m only paying for my tasting or I’m buying several bottles
9. A nice outdoor area where I feel welcome to wander around and enjoy wine country while I sober up

Lone Madrone, Paso Robles, CA

The charm begins with a windmill

Lone Madrone delivered on all of these expectations! It’s a charming winery run by a brother-sister team who are focused on sourcing grapes from earth-friendly growers. The winemaker:

“Neil Collins has been making the wines and tending to the vineyard operations for Tablas Creek Vineyards since 1998. The wines he produces for Tablas Creek are among the best Rhone varietals produced in California, and he brings this same passion and quest for excellence to his own Lone Madrone wines. Neil honed his craft in the cellars and vineyards of two prestigious California Central Coast operations, Wild Horse Winery and Adelaida Cellars, where he served as a winemaker for five years.”

The wines were consistently surprising (in a good way) and unique. It opened my taste buds to some varietals I’d never tried before, or had only had as part of a blend where the wines lost the character of the grapes that comprised them. The little birdie at Alta Colina told me they make some interesting red blends, and she was right!

A Wisteria Welcome

Beautiful adjacent hillside vineyard

Lone Madrone was offering a generous tasting list last Tuesday, so I spent plenty of time enjoying a great variety of wines. Here’s what I tasted and what I thought (and bought).

2007 Lone Madrone La Mezcla, $25 per bottle

What they say: A Spanish influenced blend of Garnaca Blanca (Grenache Blanc) and Albarino, La Mezcla rings bright in the nose with aromas of pear, green apple, lime and straw with a hint of stone fruit. In the mouth, the blend tastes brilliantly balanced with crisp acidity and a rich mid-palate that finishes with a little Grenache Blanc tannin. Try it with oysters, clams, ceviche, or just by itself on a hot day! Grape source: Dawson Creek Vineyard, El Pomar, Templeton.

What Jess said: Clean, smooth mouthfeel with unique flavors from the different grapes. A little green fruit in the mid-palate, and a bit of applesauce. A lightly acidic finish (probably the aforementioned tannin). I found it to be a great alternative to Sauvignon Blanc which can get boring after a while. I bought a bottle of this and am looking forward to cracking it!

Inside the charming tasting room

2007 Lone Madrone Points West White, $32 per bottle

What they say: This golden hued wine shows a luscious bouquet of honeydew melon, sweet pear, anda  tinge of anise spice. Rich viscosity drives the palate which finishes long, and with a pleasant minerality. Try it with a variety of seafood, spicy cuisine, and even certain chocolates! This white Rhone blend features Roussane picked from three West-side Paso Robles vineyards.

What Jess said: Very unique white wine. Seems like a full-bodied white, but with no oak or butter that I’m used to from Chardonnays. There’s a lovely honey taste throughout… so unique and palate-pleasing. A little bit of apple in the finish for me.  If I weren’t limiting my purchases for space reasons, I would have bought a couple bottles of this one. It would make a great alternative to Chardonnay.

2007 Lone Madrone Picpoul Blanc, $32 per bottle

What they say (in Haiku no less!): lemon drop, wet stone / sweet apple, a hint of pear / rich, viscous palate. Glenrose Vineyard Fruit.

What Jess said: Bright nose, like a mild Sauvignon Blanc. Dry mid-palate and long dry finish.

2003 Il Toyon Nebbiolo, $25 per bottle

What they say: The 2003 Nebbiolo might be just the perfect wine for your next Mediterranean meal! Its enticing nose of strawberry, ruby red grapefruit, cassis, and menthol is laced with hints of cranberry, white pepper and pomegranate. Firm tannins give this earthy wine authority on the palate, and at the table as well, next to a hearty lasagna or moussaka. Salute! Grapes sourced from a winery up on Peachy Canyon Rd.

What Jess said: I’m not a fan of Nebbiolo… so take my lack of descriptiveness as a reflection of not relating to the wine. Dry and earthy with a strong taste of cherry. A light-to-medium-bodied red.

2006 Lone Madrone Barfandel, $45 per bottle

What they say: Never mind the name, it’s the nose you’ll want to first contemplate; a dark, smoky briar-fruit haven for your olfactory! The vibrant aromas of blackberry and boysenbeery accompanied by a smidge of tar pave the road for the full-bodied palate of this Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Barbera blend. Edifying tannins complimented with ideal acidity delight the mouth and finish with a pleasant, almost nostalgic, vestige of oak.

What Jess said: Smell of soil or dirt and fruit on the nose. I tend to be sensitive to smells that remind me of soil and the ocean, especially in wines from the Paso Robles area. The wine was acidic on the mid-palate, tannic at the back of the mouth, and had a fairly short finish for a big red.

2004 Lone Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, $42.50 per bottle

What they say: Big, rich, structured, this wine shows a dark ruby purple hue in the glass. Lots of black cherry, blackberry, and cassis with notes of tobacco and vanilla. This wine has a pleasant oak influence which blends beautifully with the massive dark fruit and leads to an everlasting finish. Fruit from Chelle Mountain Vineyard.

What Jess said: “Stings” my nose with dark fruit. It doesn’t taste like a Cab to me (one of my favorite varietals), though it hints at it. What it DOES taste like to me is a wine that comes from the Paso Robles area (the terroir is distinctive). My other notes include cherry and dry. I like my Cabs with a little cherry in them and I definitely like them dry, but something here didn’t work for me.

2006 Lone Madrone Baily Ranch Zinfandel, $40 per bottle

What they say: Gold Medal, 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Vibrant red fruit thrice over, and with conviction! Candied red apple, ollalieberry and cherry aromas, with notes of pepper and nutmeg, lead to a full, juicy red fruit palate supported by youthful tannins. Days of flavor slowly fade to a receding tide of crushed red fruit specked with red apple peel and pomegranate. Produced with fruit from the beautiful, certified organic and dry-farmed vineyard of David Bailey.

What Jess said: WOW. That’s what I said. The most beautiful color, an entertaining Syrah-like nose, and the Zinfandel was restrained (SO unusual for Paso Robles Zins) but present. A LOVELY wine that I willingly spent the $40 on. We’re saving it to christen our next vacation!

Also check out the reviews for the winery on Yelp

Awesome rooster sculptures out front

One of the funny things about Google is how it sends traffic around the web. In the last couple of weeks I suddenly received a lot of traffic for the keywords “zolo malbec” “zolo gaucho select” etc. Except I’d never heard of the wine, tried the wine, and certainly never written about the wine. Except, and you may have noticed, we include a feed from Wineass.com over there on the right side of this blog (we think their reviews are hilarious and helpful)… and THEY reviewed a Zolo wine (the Merlot). So, that at least explained why Google was sending people to this blog (a little) for that search term. It didn’t really explain the explosion of traffic interested in those wines, though.

Yummy goodness

I did a little research and discovered the wines are included in BevMo!’s famous 5-cent wine sale! (For those of you who don’t know about it, they take a large selection of their wines and put them on sale for Buy-one-get-one-for-a-nickel. I don’t live near a BevMo! (in terms of time travelled to get to it) so I rarely go. But with all the interest in this wine, I figured I’d check it out.

Yesterday, around 2:30pm, Mitch and I wandered into the BevMo! in Valencia (we were up visiting friends near there), and picked up a couple bottles of the 2008 Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec, a couple bottles of Dry Creek Chardonnay (a long-time favorite of mine), and a couple bottles of Shiloh Road Shiraz. We headed over to our friends’ house and promptly opened the Zolo Malbec with the caveat that it was an experiment…

WE ALL LOVED IT! What a wonderfully present surprise! It’s young but it had a smooth mouthfeel, medium body, lovely plum and blueberry flavors, and a nice medium finish. It, to me, tastes like a Malbec, particularly a Malbec from the Mendoza region in Argentina (which is good, because that’s where it’s from).

We had a little time to kill between dinner and the fireworks so we ran back over to BevMo! and bought six more bottles… and the friends bought some, too.

Right now, you can get it at BevMo! for $15.99 for the first bottle and $0.05 for the second (around $8 a bottle) which makes it an unbelievably great wine for under $10.

When it’s no longer on sale at BevMo! (or they run out), we recommend purchasing it from DrinkUpForLess.com ($13.99 for the 2007) or Wine.com (they carried older vintages so maybe they’ll get it back in stock).

Update!

I was in a restaurant last night and I almost ordered a bottle of this wine for our table. Or to be more specific, not THIS wine, but one called Zolo Malbec (not the Gaucho Select). They were kind enough to bring me a taste before they cracked the bottle since the waitress could see I was concerned about it not being the Gaucho Select and sure enough, this Zolo Malbec was not as good as the Gaucho Select! It was grapey and overly cherry, not well-balanced like the Zolo Malbec Gauch Select. New lesson, read the labels carefully, sometimes there are multiple versions of a wine and not all of them are created equally!

Gordon and I live near each other, and there’s a cafe at the intersection of the busy streets where he goes home in one direction and I go home in the other. And they have lovely food and a nice wine list at very reasonable prices. So, guess where we have our semi-weekly meetings? It’s called Literati2 (a spin-off of the very successful Literati Cafe next door).

Literat2′s history is lackluster. When they first opened a few years ago the food tasted like the cafe food next door but at 3 times the price. This is a restaurant with very bad parking, so they need to be providing great food and great value if they want to sustain themselves. I think they figured this out about a year ago and did a huge remodel and reworked their entire menu, too. The only thing they seem to have forgotten is to promote this massive transition in the neighborhood (where people can walk to the restaurant and skip the parking hassle) since we all thought it was that stuffy old over-priced joint it used to be. At any rate, the food is yummy and VERY reasonably priced… as are the wines! They pick great wines for the list (which they offer by the glass and carafe) and it gets refreshed every so often.

Since we’re meeting to talk about our wine blog, we incorporate a wine tasting into each meeting, and I’ve been remisce in uploading the results of the tastings… so here goes! (What’s very interesting to me is how different my palate is from Gordon’s. We always try the same wines and rarely have the same flavor profiles jump out at us.)

1. 2007 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay
   Jess: Tingly, oaky on the nose. Very oaky in the mouth with a hint of fruit/citrus (specifically apple and grapefruit). This is a “safe wine” for me. I know I can order it, any vintage, and get a decent but oaky chardonnay.
   Gordon: Acidic nose. Dry start, sweet finish. Nice finish, long.
2. 2006 Bex Riesling
   Jess: Light nose, appley and sweet but not too sweet. I would consider buying this, and I’m not a fan of sweet wines.
   Gordon: Tangy, honey, fruit on the nose. Viscous, sweet silky mouthfeel. Apricot. Gordon said he would buy this.
3. 2006 Trefethen Chardonnay
   Jess: Woody and the smell of shrimp on the nose (I sometimes smell “ocean” in my wines). Balanced, fresh, medium-length finish.
   Gordon: Acidic, bright on the nose. Dry at first, has a sweet finish with licorice and lemon.
4. 2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
   Jess: Green fruit on the nose and tangy grapefruit in the mouth. A mild Sauvignon Blanc which makes me like it more than an average Sauvignon Blanc.
   Gordon: Light nose. Lingering bitter and citrus finish.
5. 2007 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
   Jess: I have a love-hate relationship with this wine. It was one of my favorites in my early wine-drinking days but seems to have gone downhill in quality/taste as its product volumes have risen. Good for their business in general, but not great for me. I ordered a glass for tasting anyway… Pineapple and apple on the nose. Light and bright taste, open at the front of the palate, sweet in the mid-palate, and a rounded but acidic finish (which is where my love affair ends).
   Gordon: I seem to have lost Gordon’s notes from here out… hazard of drinking too much wine! Oh darn!
6. D’Arenberg Grenache (a red!)
   Jess: Smells like a cabernet. Red fruit (is there such a thing?) and earthy. A little mushroomy at the back of the mouth and a bit gritty. I thought it was okay, but better with food.
7. 2007 Brander Sauvignon Blanc
   Jess: I REALLY liked this wine. I’m going to hunt it down at the grocery store on my next wine-buying trip. Very bright, apple on the nose with a little bit of lemon. Smooth mouthfeel and I tasted watermelon in the well-balanced finish. There was a hint of zest or rind at the back of my mouth, but that went away when the Tiger Shrimp, Pesto, and Sun-dried tomato pizza arrived. And then I ordered a second glass!
8. 2006 Bridlewood Viogner
   Jess: I’m a fan of Bridlewood wines, despite the fact that they’re owned by Gallo. It’s good wine at a good price. I’ve been drinking their Syrahs for a few years, I like their Syrah Port (which isn’t truly a Port), and now, I like their Viognier. I smelled lavendar and oak on the nose. The wine was vanilla and spice with a touch of oak. It had a gentle love-bite and a smooth finish. Yum. I’ll be looking for this at the grocery store, too.

I’ll keep updating this post as time goes by. Maybe next time we’ll get to some more reds!