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Santa Barbara Trip - July 2008
Santa Barbara County, CA
Tasted July 6, 2008 by isaacjamesbaker with 863 views
Flight 1 - Santa Barbara Winery (8 notes)
I've had a few of these before and have always thought that they were great values. I enjoyed pretty much every wine and several really blew me away.
White
2007 Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Gris Thompson Vineyard
tasted at the winery. 20% of this lovely pinot gris sees time in oak barrels. lemon yellow colored with lemons and green pear on the nose. it's crisp on the palate, but the small amount of oak treatment gives it a bit of weight on the palate. could be a great aperetif or something to serve with rice and chicken dishes. very pleasant for the suggested $16.
White
2006 Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay
tasted at the winery. this is a great middle-of-the-road chardonnay.58% barrel fermented and 58$ maloactic fermentation. it's golden colored with some nice hazelnut on the nose. medium acid with crunchy golden apple flavors, but the oak and malo add just the right amount of creamy, buttery mouthfeel and some golden pineapple flavors. great qpr wine at $14. from the lafond, hill top ranch, byron, schied, loma verde, vino ranch vineyards. 13.7% alcohol. 22,000 cases made.
Red
2007 Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Noir Central Coast
tasted at the winery. 100% from the scheid vineyard in monterey. i wasn't very impressed with this actually. it has a really nice nose of cherry reduction sauce but the tannins are weak, the acid is lower and the cherry flavors just aren't as powerful or complex as i'd like. 13.7% alcohol. 3,950 cases produced.
White
2006 Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay Reserve
tasted at the winery. this is 100% barrel fermented and 100% maloactic fermentation from the lafond, sanford, benedict and hill top vineyards. this is dark gold with a rich nose of vanilla and fresh oatmeal toast. full-bodied and bold, with lots of vanilla and hazelnut on the palate, but it's well-balanced by medium acidity. the finish has a dash of lime that is really nice. 14.7% alcohol. 1,321 cases made.
Red
2005 Santa Barbara Winery Sangiovese Stolpman Vineyard
tasted at the winery. one of the best cal-itals i've had in a very, very long time. bright red color in the glass with high viscosity. the nose is so fresh and lively, showing candied cherries, kirsch, maraschino cherries and rasberry liquer. really unique nose. full-bodied, medium tannins and acid, very well-balanced. rasberries, toast, rose petals and tobacco flavors are smoothly integrated and there is a medium finish. a great deal at $24. the 14.8% alcohol is not a bother. 536 cases made.
Red
2005 Santa Barbara Winery Grenache Lafond Vineyard
tasted at the winery. dark ruby colored and viscous in the glass. this has a big nose of pepper, lamb hide and red cherries. very rhone. on the palate, this is a really big wine. there is serious fruit as well, with lots of cherries and rasberries, balanced out with medium tannins and acid, and solid pepper, leather and licorice flavors. a really complex, big grenache. there is a bit of heat (15.7% alc), but i loved this, especially for $22.
Red
2005 Santa Barbara Winery Petite Sirah Thompson Vineyard
tasted at the winery. this is inky, almost opaque purple and hugely viscous. just the way a ps should be! dense blackberries, coffee, charcoal and jam on the nose, which is just great. lots of tannins. full-bodied and dense with coffee, boysenberry jam and chocolate flavors that linger on a medium+ finish. a really yummy wine. 100% petite sirah. spent 18 months in barrel and is 14.9% alcohol.
Red
2004 Santa Barbara Winery Lagrein Joughin Vineyard
tasted at the winery. this rare red variety from alto adige is almost pitch in the glass. wow. it's viscous too. on the nose this has extracted blackberries galore. there's also a really intriguing salami aroma that is very evident. i love it. strong tannins, full-bodied and thick on the palate, but this isn't just a kick in the teeth kind of wine. it has really complex flavors of plumb rind, toast, coffee and pomegranate as well. there's a hint of animal hide and goat cheese as well and a pleasant, just slightly bitter, bite on the finish. 14% alcohol, which isn't a problem at all as the wine is so huge. aged in 25% new barrels and 92 cases made. picked up a bottle for $30 and plan on cellaring it, as it's a really, really big boy right now. would be great with some very strong cheeses and whole wheat crackers.
Flight 2 - Oreana (6 notes)
This winery isn't worth visiting. The place is quaint and right across the street from Santa Barbara Winery in the town of Santa Barbara. Their wines are horrible though. I did buy my wife a very nice piece of locally-made jewelry though, so I guess the stop wasn't a total loss.
White
2005 Oreana Viognier
tasted at the winery. light gold color with a peachy nose and some creamy apple. the palate is way off-balance. bitter pears, like right off the tree when they're bright green, and a sour and bitter finish which, thank goodness, is short. 13.8% alcohol and 112 cases made.
White
2006 Oreana Verdelho
tasted at the winery. light yellow with sweet white grapes and some cat pee on the nose. very watery. tastes like pee, table grapes and watered-down lemonade. horrible finish. this was an atrocious wine. 14.1% alcohol and 377 cases made.
Rosé
2007 Oreana Malbec Rosé French Camp
tasted at the winery. salmon colored with bitter strawberries and some vomit on the nose. really, really bad nose. watery on the palate. tastes like cranberry juice, pennies and alcohol. short finish. terrible. 13.8% alcohol and 84 cases made.
Red
2005 Oreana ?
tasted at the winery. 50% syrah from santa barbara and 50% cabernet from sonoma. this was their only wine worth drinking or buying at the tasting. dark ruby colored. candied cherries and licorice on the nose. medium-bodied, not much as far as tannic structure. this is an easy-going red (i hear they sell it at trader joe's, which is good) to open at bbqs. it has strawberries, cherries, light rasberry flavors. simple and fruity with a rather short finish but not bad for $10. 13.9% alcohol and 4,000 cases made.
Red
2005 Oreana Pinot Noir Central Coast
tasted at the winery. grapes come from monterey, san luis obispo and santa barbara counties. this is light ruby colored with aromas of weeds and mushrooms. on the palate, this is quite bitter, and tastes of dandelion greens, onion grass, bitter cherries and just a bit of black tea. the wine is really all over the place and is not pleasant to drink. 14.3% alcohol and 890 cases made.
Red
2005 Oreana Tilly
tasted at the winery. 60% sangiovese and 40% cabernet. this supertuscan-style effort is no good, in short. the nose is bitter and green and the wine smells of seaweed. on the palate, it's all underripe cranberries, green pepper, and seaweed. no tannins and the finish is horrible. it tastes like bitter compote, which i would actually prefer to drink.
Flight 3 - Foley Estates (6 notes)
Foley Estates is in a gorgeous location just west of Buellton. It was such a beautiful drive through cliffs, rolling hills and vines to get there. The fog had just started to roll back behing the hills and the sun came out to warm us and the grapes up as we arrived. The tasting room is beautiful and bright and the staff are knowlegeable and helpful. It's a great place to visit and have a picnic. The wines, last but not least, were quite impressive.
White
2005 Foley Estates Chardonnay Steel
tasted at the winery. 100% from the rancho santa rosa vineyard, this chardonnay is all steel fermented, sees no oak or maloactic fermentation and is 14.1% alcohol. the nose has lots of lemon zest and a bit of minerals. medium+ bodied with zippy acidity and solid structure. the spice and lemon flavors are complemented by a streak of minerality and a long finish. very pleasant aperetif-style chardonnay.
White
2006 Foley Estates Chardonnay Rancho Santa Rosa
tasted at the winery. this chardonnay is 14.6% alcohol, goes through 100% maloactic fermentation and spends 10 months is 39% new french oak. it's obviously a bigger, bolder chardonnay, but it's well-balanced and complex. golden colored with a lovely nose of golden delicious apples and almonds. thicker and meatier on the palate, with less acid, but the toasted marshmallow, baked apple, and buttered roll i get in this wine are intriguing.
White
2006 Foley Estates Chardonnay Clone 76 Rancho Santa Rosa
tasted at the winery. rich golden color. on the nose, this is buttered popcorn heaven. there's some hazelnut as well. this is a very well-balanced, full-bodied, bold chardonnay and i really liked the creamy pear, buttered toast, crossaint, lemon and banana flavors. they were all well-integrated and the finish was nice and long. this is a phenomenal effort that i really enjoyed. (i asked for another pour!) 14.6% alcohol and this spends 10 months in 35% new french oak. 473 cases made.
Rosé
2006 Foley & Phillips Rosé
tasted at the winery. this light salmon-colored rose is equal parts syrah, grenache, and consault. it's got straight-up watermelon on the nose, with a bit of strawberry. dry, medium-bodied, and crisp, this rose has strawberry and light rasberry flavors, but also some more rhone-styled spice and pepper aspects that linger on the finish. i'd love to sip this with thai food or spicy cajun dishes. one of the better roses i've had in a long time.
Red
2006 Foley Estates Pinot Noir Barrel Select Rancho Santa Rosa
tasted at the winery. this pinot spends 12 months in 25% new french oak and is 14.3% alcohol. 5,426 cases made. dark garnet colored, a tiny bit cloudy. the nose shows warm cherry compote and it's really inviting. on the palate this is full but not dense, with soft tannins black cherries and rhubarb. just a hint of earth on the finish, which is nice and long.
Red
2006 Foley Estates Syrah Rancho Santa Rosa
tasted at the winery. oh this is a marvelous and unique syrah. 100% varietal, it spends 15 months in 22% new french oak, is 14.8% alcohol, and 860 cases were made. medium purple color and viscous in the glass. on the nose, this explodes with blackberries, game and roasted meat. it's just the perfect blend of fruit and animal aromas and it's a wine you could just smell forever. rich and full on the palate with really solid tannin structure, but the fruit is so pure that it's incredibly well-balanced and has dense boysenberry flavors with coffee, pepper, dark chocolate and a long, toasty finish. this is phenomenal.
Flight 4 - Melville Vineyards & Winery (8 notes)
I loved visiting Melville. They gave me the tasting for free and gave generous pours. The staff was really friendly and gave me a tour of the barrel room, which was gorgeous, and of their private wine library. The grounds are beautiful and they let us walk through the vineyards, randomly snapping pictures and taking in the warm sun. The tasting room is all wood and it has a really down-to-earth feel, while at the same time an aura of prestige and elegance. The wines, speaking generally, were great. It was really interesting to taste so many of their great pinot noirs side by side. I went back and tasted some next to eachother, and some several times, and had a great time discussing the wines with the tasting room associates. What a great experience.
White
2006 Melville Chardonnay Estate Verna's
tasted at the winery. this sees 20% new french oak and 10% maloactic fermentation. it's yellow colored with toast and pears on the nose. it's rich on the palate, with lots of green apple and yellow plum and the oak is well-integrated. however, the heat is evident, especially on the finish. still a good chardonnay, just not spectacular.
White
2006 Melville Chardonnay Estate
tasted at the winery. this undergoes 10% maloactic fermentation and sees only 6% new french oak and it's 15.3% alcohol. it's golden colored with popcorn and flowers on the nose as well as light apple and blossoms. rich and full on the palate with spicy, creamy pear and a toasty, gingerbread-laced finish. oak adds those complexities, but doesn't overpower. a bit of heat on the finish, but it's still a very nice chardonnay.
White
2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's
tasted at the winery. cold fermented and no maloactic, this viognier was aged in neutral barrels, and i like this style for once. yellow colored with lots of apricot and orange blosson aromas, and some white peach. rich on the palate, but solid acidity as well. pineapple, nuts, rosemary and spice flavors abound. it's dense and rich, yet lively, and the 15.5% alcohol is totally kept at bay, which is impressive. great bargain at $22.
Red
2006 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Verna's
tasted at the winery. 67% of the fruit was destemmed, 33% whole-cluster fermented. it sees 20% new oak and is 14.8% alcohol. light ruby in color. this has aromas of spicy rasberries, herbs, soil and pepper and is really warm and inviting. on the palate, this pinot is big, yet quite elegant at the same time. red licorice, pepper, spice and forest floor flavors and a medium finish. for $26 a bottle, this is really impressive.
Red
2006 Melville Pinot Noir Estate
tasted at the winery.45% whole-clusted fermented and aged in 20% new oak. 15.1% alcohol. i loved this pinot. it's dark red colored with rose petals and strawberries on the nose, some clove too. this wine is so silky and velvety on the palate. lots of tannins, but it's still really smooth. i love the maraschino cherry, rasberry liquer, bitter coffee and black tea flavors. they are all really well-integrated. a big, but really sexy pinot that rocked me, especially for $32 a bottle. could age well for sure.
Red
2006 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces
tasted at the winery. aromas of loam and meat are really nice. rich and hedonistic palate on this pinot, but it's really delicious and savory with minerals, currants and pepper. not my favorite of their pinots, but it's really unique and i enjoyed it.
Red
2006 Melville Pinot Noir Carrie's
tasted at the winery. light burgundy in the glass. rose nose with some black currants. this is a more candied style of pinot, with brighter fruit, but it still has serious weight and structure. rich rasberries, cherry liquer and kirsch flavors and a solid finish. 14.8% alcohol isn't bothersome.
Red
2006 Melville Syrah Estate Verna's
tasted at the winery. dark red colored and big in the glass. i absolutely adore the nose on tihs wine. there are aromas of olive tapenade, wool, blackberries and rosemarries. like a farmer's market and farm combined! totally dark and hedonistic fruit is there on the palate (blueberry, blackberry) but the leather, pepper, plack tea and toast are there in equal parts and they all go together seamlessly. it's got this great toasty finish with a cinnoman kick at the end. my kind of syrah. officially kick-ass, and a great bargain for $22.
Flight 5 - Babcock Vineyards (8 notes)
We stopped by Babcock right after Melville. (After all, they share the same driveway!) The winery is located up a hill and provides spectacular views of the surrounding vineyards and hills. I got to taste some great wines. Some were more to my liking than others, but every wine I sipped was unique and had a great personality. When discussing the wines with the tasting room staff and learning how they were made, you really get an understand of how each wine is a unique expression of place and the winemaker's vision. I had a great time and highly recommend this winery. It was the highlight of the trip.
White
2007 Babcock Pinot Gris Naughty Little Hillsides Sta. Rita Hills
tasted at the winery. this is a barrel aged pinot gris that undergoes maloactic fermentation. rich goldern color, this has a huge nose of pineapple and spice. lots of butter on the palate, and creamy pineapple and melon flavors with some cinnamon, but the oak overshadows the fruit a bit.
White
2007 Babcock Chardonnay
tasted at the winery. 100% stainless steel fermented, this chardonnay undergoes 50% maloactic fermentation. its yellow colored and has a tart nose, with green apple and lime. on the palate, it's big, but crisp, with spicy pear, green apple, lots of acid and flavors of rocks and limestone on the finish. very enjoyable chardonnay and the 14.5% alcohol is balanced by that great acidity and bright fruit.
White
2007 Babcock Syrah Identity Crisis
tasted at the winery. wow, this is an interesting wine, i'll give them that! a still blanc de noirs syrah? hmmm... it's 100% estate syrah that's 100% barrel fermented in 17% new french oak and it undergoes 100% malo. it's not a white wine, and it's not a rose. it's very light copper colored in the glass, almost the color of fading yellow onion skins. the nose explodes with nectarines, peaches and ripe canteloupe. the nose is quite spectacular. it has a creamy palate, and the maloactic fermentation shows, with white peach and ripe honeydew flavors and a long, creamy finish. a really intriguing wine that's worth more than the $20, even if it's just for the strange experience.
White
2007 Babcock Sauvignon Blanc
tasted at the winery. there's 4% chardonnay in this as well and it's 100% stainless steel. it's a darker yellow color, with a nose of pineapples and kiwis, which leads me to think it's going to be an overripe, tropical style. but there is a lot of zesty acidity in this sauvignon blanc and some really nice grapefruit, sugar snap pea, asparagus, and grass flavors and a medium+ finish. impressive effort. it rides the line between california and marlborough and i really like that.
Red
2006 Babcock Pinot Noir Déjà Vu Rabbit Ridge Vineyard
tasted at the winery. only 310 cases made of this pinot, which was aged in 50% new french oak for 11 months. this is a really big, luscious pinot. medium purple in the glass. it has a hugely expressive nose of licorice rope, juicy maraschino cherries and toast. big, fruity and full on the palate with rasberry jam, licorice, toast and black cherries. for fans of bigger pinots. i can't help but love this wine.
Red
2006 Babcock Syrah Under the Radar
tasted at the winery. this is babcock's second label syrah, but it packs a lot for the money. purple colored with lots of plums, blackberries on the nose. same on the palate, but this also some complex spice and earth notes. it's fat and rich, but has solid tannic structure. much more complex than most syrahs at this price point. would be a great wine for a by the glass program for sure.
Red
2006 Babcock Cabernet Sauvignon Classic Rock Cuvee
tasted at the winery. 22% merlot and 1% syrah in here as well, it spends 16 months in 25% new french oak. it has light currants, spice and rocks on the nose. soft tannins on the palate, this cab is fruity, but a bit restrained and not just a total bomb. it's a lighter-styled cab with smoke, tobacco, dust and currant fruit with the right amount of toast. i really liked this, but fans of super extracted cabs wouldn't.
Red
2005 Babcock Cabernet Sauvignon The Loin Estelle Vineyard
tasted at the winery. 100% cab aged 19 months in 50% new oak. this is a much darker color than the classic rock and has darker fruits like plums and blackberries on the nose. very hedonistic on the palate with rich black cherries, plum liquer, blackberries, spice, cinnamon and toast. solid tannic strucuture and acidity give this big wine tremendous weight and balance and it has a long fiinish. a spectacular cab.
Flight 6 - Dinner at the Hitching Post (2 notes)
We had a great time at the Hitching Post in Buellton after tasting all day. We were starving, and had been drinking all day, so we passed on doing a flight of their own wines and just each got a glass to go with our meal. The food was excellent. We got shrimp cocktails and corn chowder to start and for entrees I got grilled quail with sweet mashed potatoes and my wife got the ostrich steak with wild rice. Wow. Great food and the wines, atmosphere, staff and entire experience were great too.
Red
2005 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Cork Dancer 4.1 Santa Barbara County
had this with grilled ostrich and it went quite well. bold garnet color. spicy cherries on the nose and palate with some licorice, anise, cedar and toast notes. decent pinot with some good complexity for a by-the-glass wine.
Red
2005 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Syrah Big Circle
this is a really dark and brooding syrah, with lots of blackberries and black plums on the nose and palate. rich, fruit-forward with plush tannins, plums, toast, earth flavors. there's secondary notes of spice, grilled meat and herbs. great syrah for the price, although it was a little big for the grilled quail.