Central Coast Trip

Tasted Sunday, March 30, 2014 - Tuesday, April 1, 2014 by GoBlue2002 with 700 views

Introduction

We stopped at 9 wineries over 3 days in the Santa Barbara area. Listed below are our tasting notes for the wineries.

Flight 1 - Ojai Winery (7 Notes)

Visited 3/30/2014 @ 4:30 pm. Got stuck in accidents-everywhere LA traffic on drive up from San Diego, but the tasting room staff was very friendly and informative, even though we arrived just before closing time. They even comped a tasting for my wife's 30th birthday (which was actually on the 30th). Take the back way in - beautiful winding roads going in and out of the shade of majestic trees. Was surprised by the great QPR of the whites, loved the pinot, and of course the syrahs were good, but painfully young. Tasting fee waived with 2 bottle purchase.

  • 2012 Ojai Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in Ojai tasting room. Fermented and aged in barrels of French neutral oak. Aromas/flavors of citrus/mineral with balanced acidity and a longer finish. Pair with pesto, Italian, or white fish. Good QPR. Drink 2014-2017.

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  • 2011 Ojai Sauvignon Blanc McGinley 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in Ojai tasting room. Aromas of grapefruit, papaya, and mango (which we seemed to find in a number of Santa Ynez sauv blancs on our trip). This should pair well with lighter seafood, as it sported good acidity/tartness and a heavier body due to 7 months of sur lie aging in older French oak barrels. Solid at the price point, although not a style all will love.

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  • 2012 Ojai Riesling Kick On 87 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in the Ojai tasting room. Fermented bone dry, with essentially no fermentable sugars remaining. Fermented and aged in neutral French oak. Aromas and flavors of stone fruit and peaches. Unfortunately this lacked lift, probably due to low acidity and no sugars, and sported a flat, short finish. A unique riesling to try for those who enjoy the dry style.

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  • 2012 Ojai Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in the Ojai tasting room. 30% new oak, which seems to be about our sweet spot for pinot. Somewhat light in color and body, with pleasant aromas and flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and spice. Great balanced acidity with a mouth-coating long finish. My wife enjoyed this more than I.

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  • 2011 Ojai Syrah/Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in the Ojai tasting room. 70% syrah, 30% grenache. Weak earth and mushroom aromas lead to flavors of meat and moderate fruit. Overall this was a relatively simple Rhone blend with a high price point.

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  • 2012 Ojai Syrah Santa Barbara County 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in the Ojai tasting room. ~90% syrah (mostly from Bien Nacido) and 10% grenache. This was very young and tight, and proved difficult to evaluate. Ojai's syrah's seem to really need a few years of age to show well. For now this showed pleasing dry fruit with heavy tannins. Drink 2015-2016+

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  • 2010 Ojai Syrah White Hawk Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (3/30/2014)

    Tasted in the Ojai tasting room. Ojai's syrah's seem to really need a few years of age to show well, and this showed much better than the 2012 Santa Barbara county appellation syrah. Aromas and flavors of meat, mineral, and smoke with significant body and tannins. Pair this with a fatty steak or BBQ in a few years.

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Flight 2 - Loring Wine Company (5 Notes)

Visited 3/31/2014 @ 10 am. We were ready and waiting for them to unlock the tasting room door! A nice new tasting room. The chardonnay was meh, the pinots good, except for the 2012 Rosella's which was an eye opening blockbuster. Tasting fee waived with 2 bottle purchase.

  • 2012 Loring Wine Company Chardonnay Parmelee-Hill 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted at Loring/Cargasacchi tasting room. 100% New Oak, 50/50 American/French. Mushroom/earthy, minerally fruit; Lighter in style/color despite the high oak, well balanced acidity.
    Lots of oak on palate. Overall this just wasn't that exciting of a chardonnay, especially at the price point.

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  • 2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Central Coast 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted at Loring/Cargasacchi tasting room. Aged in French oak, lighter ruby red in color. Cherry, strawberry, earthy - bright and fresh, with some spice. Good length on finish, but fairly simple. Good acidity. Excellent QPR, and probably an early drinker -- 2014-2019.

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  • 2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted at Loring/Cargasacchi tasting room. Earthy, subdued on nose (not sure how long this had been opened as we opened the tasting room at 10 am), with lots of cherry on the palate. This has more body than the central coast bottling, but I expected more flavor here. Disappointing, especially when compared to the relative value of Loring's other bottlings.

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  • 2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted at Loring/Cargasacchi tasting room. Darker in color than the central coast and Keefer Ranch bottlings. Aromas of earth, cherry, spice, and mushroom. This is a big and flavorful wine which keeps bringing you back for another sip. Good length on finish, with uplifting acidity. Already well-integrated at this early stage. Our hands-down favorite of the tasted lineup.

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  • 2011 Loring Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Russell Family Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted at Loring/Cargasacchi tasting room. 22 months in American Oak. Lighter in color for cab. Green-tinged, vegetal, baker's spice. Smooth - ready to drink, mild. My wife enjoyed this far more than I, as I found it a tad green and underripe, which I can't stand in cabs. Should be ok paired with the right food though.

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Flight 3 - Brewer-Clifton (10 Notes)

Visited 3/31/2014 @ 11:30 am. Despite a mix-up with our tasting reservation, this was a very enjoyable experience. Although we only paid for 1 tasting, our host kept pouring new wines so we could really experience the lineup. Note that the tasting room is kept chilled so the wines show well (yay red not served room temp!), so be sure to bring a long sleeve shirt or jacket if you will be tasting long. Overall we preferred the chardonnay over the pinots.

  • 2009 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. We tasted a 2009-11 vertical of Sweeney, with the 2009 the most developed and ready to drink, while being similar to the 2010 in style. Aromas and flavors of stone fruit, mushroom, and white flower. Aged 18 months in neutral oak, leaving a crisp acidity. This sports a longer finish, but was relatively simple. Quite nice.

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  • 2010 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. We tasted a 2009-11 vertical of Sweeney, with the 2010 our favorite, while being similar to the 2009 in style. Aromas and flavors of stone fruit, mushroom, and white flower. Slightly more acidity and saline than the 2009, with more of a sterile mouthfeel (from sandy soil?). Overall a very nicely balanced crisp chardonnay.

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  • 2011 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. We tasted a 2009-11 vertical of Sweeney, with the 2011 showing very different from the 2009 and 2010's in style, not in a way I liked. This is a very severe and austere chardonnay, and needs some time to mellow the acidity and come into balance. Aromas and flavors of pineapple, floral, and mineral. This was far from the rich style of the 2011 Gnesa, which I greatly preferred. Some may like this style, but I do not.

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  • 2011 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Gnesa 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Much richer/creamier than Sweeney - the aroma makes you take notice. Rich body, with sparkle. Super long finish. Great for those who enjoy the fuller-bodied style.

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  • 2011 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Similar aroma to Sweeney Canyon, but with more citrus, earth/mushroom. I liked this more than my wife. A little too much citrus, not enough complexity, but a good value at the price point.

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  • 2012 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Complex for an appellation bottling, well-balanced, great flavor on this one. Chocolate covered cherry on nose. Still quite young - could use some time - drink 2015-2021. This should be a great food wine - something with cherry/mushrooms.

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  • 2010 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Cherry, mushroom, floral, some brightness. Big pinot, mellow, smooth.

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  • 2011 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Ampelos 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Lots of pepper, full-bodied, angular, dry/tannic (tea). Textured mouthfeel, granular. Food wine - monster of pinot. Could use some time, but tasty now if you want a beast of a pinot. Drink 2016-2021

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  • 2011 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Full bodied, long mouthfeel, Asian spices. This should be a great food wine. Needs time - drink 2015-2020.

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  • 2012 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Machado 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Tasted in the Brewer-Clifton tasting room. Crushed with stems, this just smells young. More fruit-forward in style compared to other bottlings, with a slight amount of spice. This also has more power than their other pinots, with a longer finish, and current mild complexity which should improve with time. Drinkable now, but I'd hold until 2015-2016.

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Flight 4 - Foxen (7 Notes)

Visited 3/31/2014 @ 2:30 pm. Although the staff was friendly and mildly knowledgeable, the pours were small and the clientele seemed very touristy. Normally that wouldn't bother me, but I was just not very impressed by the wines. On a positive note the drive was quite scenic -- just watch out for the bikers!

Flight 5 - Dragonette (7 Notes)

Visited 3/31/2014 @ 3:45 pm. I loved this tiny town -- 4 tiny blocks of tasting rooms and cafes. I saw a few other tasting rooms I would have liked to have visited, but we were just done tasting after this. Tasting fee waived with 3 bottle purchase.

  • 2012 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Tropical, stone fruit, grapefruit, grass -- much more tropical than most Cali sauv blancs, which seems to be a hallmark of Happy Canyon sauv blancs. A fun style.

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  • 2012 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Shows a tropical fruit profile similar to the cheaper Happy Canyon bottling, but is more grassy/herbal than the Happy Canyon bottling, so I did not like this one as much. For those who like the style though, they should enjoy it.

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  • 2013 Dragonette Cellars Rosé 86 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Sauvignon-blanc/herbal nose, melon. Flat finish, boring -- our least favorite of the Dragonette lineup, by far.

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  • 2012 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Aromas and flavors of pepper, earth -- just delicious. The long, flavorful finish keeps everything fresh and vibrant. Good now, but should add complexity with time -- drink 2015-2021.

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  • 2012 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Aromas and flavors of earth, some spice, dust, with more dried fruit on nose. This was quite tannic for a pinot -- give it some time -- drink 2016-2022. I could definitely see this as a 93 pointer around 2017-2019.

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  • 2012 Dragonette Cellars Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Light color for grenache. Mild aromas of cherry, cranberry. Very light for a grenache in flavor, with minimal tannins. Nice well-balanced acidity; good summer wine - easy-drinking. Drink now - 2018.

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  • 2011 Dragonette Cellars Syrah Seven 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

    (3/31/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. 95% syrah. Aged 18 months, 17% new french oak. The new oak is prevalent on the palate at this young stage, yet the wine is already so well balanced. Very smooth and flavorful for such a young Cali syrah. I see this as an early drinker -- 2014-2019.

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Flight 6 - Clos Pepe (7 Notes)

Visited 4/1/2014 @ 10:30 am. A truly enjoyable 2+ hr tasting experience with Wes Hagen, the winemaker. Wes is a geek among wine geeks, and this is one incredibly informative tour. No tasting fee either. The wines were quite good, and combined with the experience resulted in by far our largest purchase of the trip. The cheese plate, grappa, and espresso were a nice touch as well. Highly recommended if you have the time and enjoy his more restrained style.

  • 2012 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Hommage to Chablis 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes. Aged 11 months in stainless steel. Aromas and flavors of stone fruit, citrus, and mineral. Well-balanced and medium bodied for a chardonnay. This should be an excellent food wine with something like oysters due to the salinity.
    This could use some age and is built to last - drink 2015-2025. The score should also increase with time. Overall this was just a little too lean for my palate, but for those who want a wine closer to Burgundy than Cali, this is it!

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  • 2011 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Barrel Fermented 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes. 100% Malolactic, with 95% neutral oak ageing + 5% new oak. Definitely more our style than the "Homage to Chablis". Some oak on the nose, along with flint/mineral. Additional flavors include citrus/lime, earth, and a touch of butter/vanilla (but this is in NO way a butter bomb) along with a healthy dose of acidity lead to a medium to full bodied complex chardonnay at this young age. That said, I'd still hold for a bit - Drink 2015-2020. Pair with breaded fried chicken.

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  • 2011 Axis Mundi Grenache/Syrah 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes. 67% Grenache, 33% Syrah. Light in color yet quite bright and vibrant. Cherry, strawberry, somewhat grapey on nose. Mostly cherry on palate.
    Fruity, yet bone dry. Somewhat simple, but I just kept coming back for another sip. Longer finish, with well balanced acidity. I enjoyed this more than my wife did. Somewhat unique for a cali rhone blend, and we liked it. Would be interesting to try with food.

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  • 2011 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes as part of 2009-2011 pinot noir vertical. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, and spice. Light in color with a touch of visible sediment. Lovely balance of spice and fruit on palate. Medium bodied for pinot with a smooth, spicy, long finish. 13.8% ABV, while feeling light and ethereal on the palate. Wes mentioned that this is the style of pinot he is aiming for, as opposed to the more fruit-forward 2009 and 2010. This was my least favorite of the vertical, and my wife's favorite. Go figure.

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  • 2010 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes as part of 2009-2011 pinot noir vertical. Much bigger than the 2011. Powerful ripe aromas of brambly berries and spice. Cherry and pomegranate on palate. Smooth and velvety/polished in texture, with firm tannins and a long finish. This was our 2nd favorite of the vertical -- just a little too much over the top at this stage in its evolution, although I can see why the professional critics loved it. I enjoyed this far more than my wife did. Pair with fatty steak or strong cheese.

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  • 2009 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes as part of 2009-2011 pinot noir vertical. Note that this wine had been opened 72 hrs, including 24 hrs ungassed, and according to Wes it was borderline but he wanted us to try it as part of the vertical.
    This pinot had a darker color and fruit profile than the 2010 and 2011, with more spice as well. Firm tannins, and my wife thought the acid seemed a bit low, but it's tough to compare on such a bottle.
    My score 92-93; my wife 89-90. We bought a bottle to try at home fresh. Drink 2013-2019.

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  • 2008 Olin Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at winery with Wes. Aged ~3 yrs in barrel, 50% new oak. Consider this a cab for pinot lovers - on the lighter side, delicate, but with loads of flavor (and doesn't show too much oak). Aromas of fennel, cherry, and leather lead to a very smooth and soft finish of dried fruit and spice.

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Flight 7 - Melville (7 Notes)

Visited 4/1/2014 @ 1 pm. Very friendly and knowledgeable tasting staff. However, all of their wines are aged in stainless steel or neutral oak, and I tend to prefer at least a little new oak in most of my wines. For those who enjoy the style this is a good stop. Also a great place to picnic!

  • 2011 Melville Chardonnay Estate 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Aged in neutral French oak with zero malolactic. Aromas/flavors of citrus, steely mineral, stone fruit. Firm acidity and a medium body. A decent QPR for this style, although I prefer some ML and new oak.

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  • 2012 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Aged in neutral French oak. Aromas/flavors of peach, citrus. Even though there is no RS and ML a slight creaminess was present which I enjoyed. Decent length on the finish as well.

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  • 2012 Melville Pinot Noir Estate 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. 40% whole-cluster fermentation and then aged in neutral French oak. Aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberry, and spice with a lighter mouthfeel. Fairly gentle acidity leads to a gentle finish which is surprisingly bland. I tend to prefer a little new oak and I found this wine a little flat, although it should improve a bit with age.

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  • 2012 Melville Pinot Noir Block M 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. 80% whole-cluster fermentation and then aged in neutral French oak. Aromas and flavors of fig and bright red fruit, cherry and spice with a richer, fuller nose compared to the estate pinot. Fairly gentle acidity and smooth tannins leads to good length on the finish. A big step up from the estate, but still not a great QPR.

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  • 2011 Melville Syrah Estate Verna's 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. 40% whole-cluster fermentation and then aged in neutral French oak. Aromas and flavors of pepper and bramble. This is a lighter style of syrah, with smooth and well-integrated tannins. That said, I found it a bit too simple and vegetal for my taste.

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  • 2012 Melville Syrah Estate 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. 15% whole-cluster fermentation and then aged in neutral French oak. So much better than the 2011 Verna's Syrah - darker in color and profile, with more pepper, meat/spice/tar, and dried fruit. This is a heavier style of syrah, but with smooth and mouth-coating tannins. Despite the heavier structure, this is ready to drink now - 2020. My wife thought there wasn't enough meatiness to justify a purchase as that is her preferred style, but overall I thought this was the most impressive wine in the tasted Melville lineup, taking price into account.

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  • 2011 Melville Pinot Noir Clone 90 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. 40% whole-cluster fermentation and then aged in neutral French oak. Clone 90 is Calera's clone. Although this was lighter in color than the other pinots we tasted (perhaps due to the cooler 2011 vintage), this pinot sported far more complexity and spice on the finish and a primary aroma of raspberry. Young, but drinking very well now. Drink 2014-2019.

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Flight 8 - Babcock (8 Notes)

Visited 4/1/2014 @ 2 pm. An interesting tasting room, with a ton of knick nacks to purchase. However, the retail prices of the wines were outrageously high based on their quality (definitely pushing their wine club by the 20-25% off members receive) and they also lacked a "bring me back for another sip" characteristic.

  • 2012 Babcock Sauvignon Blanc 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. This was a very herbal/grassy sauv blanc for cali. However, there was nice acid and fruit, in balance, along with some mineral. So a good choice for those who enjoy the style.

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  • 2011 Babcock Syrah Identity Crisis 86 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. A good summer deck wine for the price - simple and unique. Drink now.

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  • 2012 Babcock Pinot Gris Naughty Little Hillsides Sta. Rita Hills 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Not bad for a pinot gris, a varietal I tend not to care for. An aroma dominated by stone fruits really sparkles on the palate, leading to a light and refreshing finish. Simple but tasty.

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  • 2012 Babcock Chardonnay Top Cream 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Aged 10 months in 33% new French oak, which is normally the sweet spot for me, but I just couldn't get excited about this chardonnay. Aromas of citrus, fig, and vanilla/cream just don't really go anywhere. I expect more at this price point.

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  • 2012 Babcock Pinot Noir Precocious 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. The lightest in color and body of the tasted pinots, but showing more complexity than expected. Pleasant aromas of earth and spice, leading to a smooth finish with a touch of complexity. Very young, but lacking the body to last too long - drink 2015-2018. Good for those who enjoy a complex lighter style of pinot.

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  • 2012 Babcock Pinot Noir Slice of Heaven 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Richer in style than the Precocious, with bright cherry fruit and moderate/mild acidity. Not exciting at the price point, but may improve with age.

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  • 2012 Babcock Pinot Noir The Suite 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. Quite different in style than the Precocious and Slice of Heaven -- far more tannic. Unfortunately I'm not sure this has enough fruit for the tannins to resolve before the fruit fades away. More spice on the nose, earth/mineral, with a very long finish. Not sure how long to age this one - drink it now if you like them tannic!

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  • 2011 Babcock Syrah Upper Crust Rancho Sisquoc 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast

    (4/1/2014)

    Tasted at Winery. By far the most impressive wine of the Babcock lineup we tasted. A fairly unique aroma of dark chocolate, caramel, praline, and cherry. This is indeed juicy, yet has rougher tannins which could use a few years. Drink 2015-2022 - on the earlier side if you want to enjoy that juicy fruit.

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Flight 9 - Ken Brown (6 Notes)

Visited 4/1/2014 @ 3 pm. This winery stood apart from our other stops, in that the wines were made in a very fruit-forward style compared to the other wineries. After tasting the subtle elegance of the other wineries I came to the conclusion that this style of wine is not for me. That said, if you want to find Russian River styled pinot in the Central Coast, stop here!

  • 2011 Ken Brown Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled in tasting room. 100% barrel fermented with 70% malo-lactic, and then aged sur-lie for 11 months in 17% new French oak. Stone fruit, saline, with decent acid and good length on finish.

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  • 2012 Ken Brown Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. This sported a darker fruit profile than typical for a Santa Barbara pinot, but also had pleasant earth elements and some spice on the finish. Overall an easy-drinking pinot which should go very well with food, especially meatier fish such as salmon.

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  • 2011 Ken Brown Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. Quite unusual for a 2011 -- This pinot had a strong up-front fruit attack (mostly cherry) and showed a meatiness that was almost syrah-like. Overall still well-balanced, with a shorter yet smooth finish. A unique style some may love.

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  • 2011 Ken Brown Pinot Noir La Encantada Santa Barbara County 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. This was a powerful pinot, with aromas of earth, smoke, and spice.
    This seemed off-balance and just a bit much right now, so lay this one down for a few years as it knits together - drink 2016-2022. The score should increase with time.

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  • 2010 Ken Brown Pinot Noir Rancho la Viña Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 87 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. A heavily extracted, almost syrah-like pinot, with spice on the palate. Those who enjoy that style will like it, but we did not.

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  • 2010 Ken Brown Syrah "A" Cuvee 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County

    (4/1/2014)

    Sampled at tasting room. A very fruit-forward syrah, almost jammy, with plenty of pepper, spice, and smoke. Good length on the finish. This will be enjoyed by those who like heavier syrahs.

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Closing

What a trip!

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