TWC does Paso Robles & Santa Barbara
River Run Farm, Tulsa, OK
Tasted Saturday, September 10, 2005 by mdstenner with 863 views
Introduction
Instead of covering the obvious - Pinots and Chards from Santa Barbara and Rhône varietals from Paso Robles - I thought it would be fun to look at some of the undiscovered gems from the two regions, with wines from producers, that Andrew Murray apart, most of the tasting group would not be familiar with. A rather warm evening greeted the group but we were soon underway with some delicious thirst quenching white wines that got the evening off to a wonderful start.
Flight 1 - White Rhône Varietals (3 Notes)
Overall, an excellent flight with the Hugo holding its own with the wines from Andrew Murray. The Murray Viognier was complex and of most interest, but for immediate gratification the Hugo would be hard to beat. Lots of fruit, acidity and all in perfect balance.
Flight 2 - Lighter styled red wines (5 Notes)
A mix and match of styles that showed very well overall. The Opolo was the clear stand-out showing more finesse and style than the others.
Flight 3 - Bordeaux Blends from Paso Robles (4 Notes)
A very mixed bag with two very good wines and two wines that were simply outclassed. The Maloy has been a joy to drink. This was my third bottle in a year and while it shows little development it is drinking superbly with copious fruit, soft tannins and great style. A veritable bargain.
Flight 4 - Syrah/Petite Sirah (3 Notes)
The Tantara remains a mystery. Will the wine come together? The Hugo Petite Sirah needs time.
Flight 5 - Dessert Wine (1 Note)
Not in the class of the Aussie stickies and somewhat over-priced for what it delivers but not a bad wine by any means and a good way to end an evening that had a lot of very nice wines.
Closing
All in all, from 16 wines, an excellent tasting of wines that were chiefly in the $20-35 range (the Tantara was the only wine over $35 and I thought offered poor value for $50). It would be difficult to make generalizations about the two regions based on such a small sampling of wines but it is clear the future is very bright. There is clearly no shortage of attractive, soundly made wines for the lover of the fruity, slightly jammy, sweet style of red wine. Loves of Paso Robles should not ignore wines from the less sexy East - the Maloy showing the high quality of fruit that comes from here.
2004 Victor Hugo Viognier 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
An outstanding Viognier very much in the New World style. Bright straw colors with a rich, citrusy nose of peach and orange bloom. In the mouth the wine is medium-bodied with rich flavors of orange peel, honeysuckle and peach . There is excellent balance and a good finish.
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2003 Andrew Murray Viognier 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Straw color. A very forward nose of honeysuckle, grapefruit (surprising) and pineapple - I was expecting something more lush and less citrussy but the surprise was a pleasant one. Deliciously complex in the mouth and the wine certainly evolved in the glass over 30 minutes. Flavors of honeysuckle, apricot and hints of peach wafted across the palate. A beautiful, impeccably made wine with bright acid flavors, superb fruit, and a satisfying, lingering finish.
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2003 Andrew Murray Enchante White 87 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Less impressive than the 2003 Viognier. 60% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne. Straw, with some light gold hints. A simple nose of melon and honeysuckle that never really intrigues, with a simple, one dimensional palate of melon and apricot. As the wine warms there was a spicier, more interesting element. The wine was well balanced but never hit that higher gear that I expect from Andrew Murray.
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