Day 2 - Central Coast Tastings

Had a great time chatting with Chris Bratcher while he poured his wines and the Arcadian wines. Chris is a big Burgundy collector and mentioned that he tries to emulate its wines. I had never heard of Bratcher before this and was very impressed by their wines. I actually joined the mailing list! Couldn't believe it...

• 2009 Bratcher Chardonnay Mary Ellis 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Flinty nose with some lemons and herbal tones. So much tension on the palate, this was very much like a Chablis in nature. Had beautifully crisp and pure fruit with great crushed rocks. At $25, this is a major major buy.

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• 2008 Bratcher Pinot Noir 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  100% of the fruit is from Bien Nacido. Incredibly smooth pinot with a charming cherry and rose petal note. This is no frills, and doesn't have much earth, but it's amazingly delicious.

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• 2009 Bratcher Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Lots of character and, to me, a perfect representation of pinot noir from the Santa Rita Hills. The fruit is charming, with some cranberries, cherry, and pomegranate. It didn't have the Russian River Valley's cola tone, but there was a really nice spice note to it that I began to pull out of SRH pinots more and more. The palate was elegant and pure. Again, wasn't too earthy or rustic, but incredibly charming.

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Had been looking forward to tasting Arcadian for quite some time. I've been a big fan of their Syrahs in the past, and the Stolpman that was served really nailed it for me. The pinots were a bit disappointing given how much I love their Syrah.

• 2007 Arcadian Pinot Noir Jill's Cuvée

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Nose was prickly, with some pomegranate and cranberry. The palate was a bit angular and it seemed like the alcohol peaked through a bit too much. The cranberries and pomegranate were really intense (fueled by the alcohol). Either in a tough place now, or the fruit can't deal with the alcohol levels.

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• 2007 Arcadian Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Before tasting, I was warned that this was still really young. The nose had the same sharp aromas the 2007 Jill's Cuvee had...prickly red fruits with some cherry liqueur. The palate was fresher and more balanced than the nose would suggest. This had really nice, smooth fruit and I really enjoyed the combination of fruit, earth and spice. Joe mentioned that he drank the 2002 the night before and that this would certainly benefit from patience.

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• 2006 Arcadian Syrah Stolpman Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

  Definitely the highlight of the Arcadian tasting for me. Loved the elegant nose of dark fruits, and soil. The palate was a great combination of the dark fruit and some really fun meaty notes. A great showing.

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Our final tasting while in the Santa Barbara area was our best. My experience with Brewer-Clifton was minor...maybe 2-3 bottles in the past, but this really made me take notice. Their chardonnays are stunning - my favorites in California (beating out my other favorites Rhys, Peay, Mt. Eden, Ceritas, and Liquid Farm). I bought what they had left of the 2006 and now will hold off buying the bottles of Raveneau I've been eyeing.

• 2010 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 89 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  A really nice chardonnay. Super fresh and precise with lots of lemons and limes. The mineral aspect wasn't too high, but it was still taut and energetic. Yum.

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• 2010 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Mount Carmel 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Another sleek and sexy chardonnay from Brewer-Clifton. Cut from stone, this has beautiful citrus notes. White nectarines and white peaches were lush and delicious while all the while being incredibly elegant and racy. Beautiful stuff.

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• 2006 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Rancho Santa Rosa 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  A revelation for me. With my eyes closed, I would have pegged this as something from Raveneau. No joke. I understand that it might sound like a ridiculous statement...but seriously, try this. It's like drinking seawater with lemons and limes. I'm having a hard time thinking of a better chardonnay from California. Only 150 cases were made.

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• 2007 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Rancho Santa Rosa 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Not as racy and jaw-dropping as the 2006 drank alongside, but it was easy to tell it was cut from the same cloth. Lots of stone, salinity, and limes. Definitely fatter and more fleshy than the 2006...like drinking a 2008 chablis next to its 2009 brethren. Still incredibly good.

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• 2011 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  A beautiful Californian pinot with lots of character and sexy fruit. Palate is decidedly cool with nice spice notes and subtle earthy undertones. Loved the dried cherries and pomegranate on the palate. Thought it was drinking very well.

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• 2010 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  A very spicy, racy pinot and my notes say, "lots of local character". It definitely is one of those pinots that distinctly fits into the SRH mold. Fruit is generally cool and spicy with relatively light earthy/rustic notes. Typically I need a good dose of earth/wet leaves in my pinot, but some of these finer SRH wines are making me think twice. Yum.

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• 2005 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  This was my first SRH pinot that had a serious dose of mushroom/earth in addition to the expectedly charming pomegranate/cherry/cranberry. The notes given to me by the winery suggested this is a dark pinot, but I didn't get that feeling at all. Light and airy, this packed a real burgundian punch.

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• 2006 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Drank alongside the 2005 pinot. This was definitely more lush and less elegant. Still quite nice, this fits more into the SRH mold compared to the more rustic 2005 vintage. Still showcased great raspberries, cranberries and rose notes.

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