Yes, I Bought It Because of the Name...

There are many reasons to buy wine. You like the producer. You like the grape. You like the label. You like the designation--like the time last year I splurged wildly and bought a wine simply because it was the "Plague Doctor's Cuvee."

And yes, sometimes you buy it because of the name of the vineyard. Because with a name like "Jurassic Park" it has to be good, right?

Thankfully, the answer is yes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2008 Field Recordings Wine Chenin Blanc Jurassic Park Vineyard (domaineLA, $15; available elsewhere for the same price) This lovely, unfiltered Chenin Blanc was a touch cloudy in the glass. It had pronounced aromas and flavors of lemon curd, touched with mineral notes and a bit of freshly mown hay. The overall impression was a well-balanced mix of citrus, stone, and grass that was refreshing and impressive for the price. Excellent QPR.

(And the label isn't half bad, either...)

A wine with this much balance can handle almost any food. We are drowning in Thai basil at the moment, and so made some Thai-influenced grilled chicken breasts. The strong herbal flavors were a nice counterpoint to the lemony aspects of this wine, and picked up the grassy notes, too.

Note to Self: Syrah Can Be Stunning

Because of my special niche in the world of wine reviews, there are times when I have to deliberately uncork a bottle of wine that is MORE than $20. It usually happens when I've sipped 15 terrible/insipid/manufactured iterations of grape X and can no longer remember what the hell it's supposed to taste like.

This recently happened with Syrah. I love Syrah. It is arguably my preferred red grape, and appears in my favorite red blends from the Rhone. Bad Syrah, however, is nasty. As in cough syrup nasty. And after a dozen bottles of nasty, I just swear off the stuff for a while because it hurts my heart to see people treat grapes--especially grapes from the Rhone--badly.

I was touting up what I'd tasted so far this year and realized I'd only found four bottles of Syrah that were remotely drinkable. So I plucked out a bottle I was pretty sure would deliver a reminder of how stunning Syrah can be: the 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah from the Santa Ynez Valley. (suggested retail $23; available for $15-23) This is not a gentle Syrah, but a big, rich, in-your-face, mouth-coating wine that is a total steal for the price, delivers excellent QPR, and drinks like a wine that costs twice or three times what you will have paid for it. My only caveat about this wine is this: do not even think about having a glass of it and trying to walk in a straight line. The label says 15% alc./vol. and I believe it--and then some.

In the taste department, expect exotic aromas of summery flowers and plums, with a bit of clove around the edges. There are more plum and clove notes in the flavors, along with allspice and mocha. There's a nifty mocha jolt in the aftertaste, too. Very good, nicely made, and a reminder of what Syrah can be all about.

Most people reach for Cabernet when they're making steak, but I love Syrah with cuts like skirt steak that have been marinated for a long time and then popped on the grill. We paired this bottle with a skirt steak marinated in orange and ale and the spicy, coffee, and clove notes in the Syrah were just lovely with the citrus in the marinade. And the robust wine handled the beef nicely.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

The Benefits of Short-Term Aging: the Case of Cabernet Sauvignon

I suppose there is a technical difference between cellaring and short-term aging. Cellaring wine, for me, means putting wine away for so long that you forget you have it and then are pleasantly surprised to discover you actually do NOT need to buy wine for Christmas 2015 because you actually bought wine for that occasion back in 2007!

But even short-term aging--by my definition wine that you set aside for 1-3 years--can make for a nice discovery when, on a cold winter's night, you make yourself a soup or roast or even whip up some burgers and find that you have a perfect bottle of wine that's been sitting around waiting for you.

As you know I drink mostly wine under $20, but even bottles that cost relatively little can benefit from some time to grow. What happens when they do? To my taste, the wines become smoother and more subtle. The fruit steps quietly aside and lets other notes--floral, herbal, woody--come forward. These are all transformations that I enjoy.

Take, for instance, my recent experience with the 2005 Black Sheep Finds "Genuine Risk" Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought it from online retailer domaine547 (now with an LA-based store, domaineLA) back in February 2008 for $20.99. Fast forward two years to February 2010. I loved this wine, and found it had excellent QPR because of its outstanding Cabernet characteristics. There were aromas of currant, plum, graphite, and licorice, all of which were echoed in the flavors. Hints of herbs and a nice spark of green pepper emerged, too, keeping the wine lively and interesting. It never became too vegetal, with red and purple fruit continuing through into the aftertaste.

If you are interested in more recent releases, the 2006 is available. Based on my experience I'd recommend buying three bottles, enjoying one now for a point of comparison, and drinking the remaining two bottles sometime between 2011 and 2013.

Tropical Fruit from California's Central Coast: Firestone Sauvignon Blanc

I know it was just Labor Day, but if you still feel like you need a mini-break in the tropics in order to get through the fall, look no further than the Santa Ynez Valley and the 2008 Firestone Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. (suggested retail $11-13; in a market near you for $10-$18).

This was one of the more exciting Sauvignon Blancs I've had this summer. It's made very much in the style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, without the influence of wood. This zesty, tropical fruit inflected wine had aromas of lemongrass, starfruit, pink grapefruit, and lime. Layers of round, tropical fruit flavors were accented with the same citrusy grapefruit and lime notes that I detected in the aromas, and the wine has a fresh, grassy finish. Excellent QPR if you can find this wine for $15 or less, and no matter what the price you will consider it to be a good buy if you've always reached for New Zealand bottlings in the wine store but have been shocked at their rapidly rising prices.

If you're looking for a recipe to pair with this wine, try it with this yummy Green Goddess Chicken Salad. This fast and simple one-dish meal uses a bought roasted chicken to speed preparation, includes cubes of bread, and makes the most of late summer herbs. The wine really accentuated the herbal notes in the dressing, and the roundness of the tropical fruit flavors were lovely with the chicken.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #49: End of an Era?

Today's Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by dhonig of the wine blog 2 Days per Bottle. A Renaissance man, dhonig is part wine blogger, part cartoon artist, and part political commentator--and that's not all. But for this month, all we need to know is that he's our leader for Wine Blogging Wednesday. For his theme he's asked wine bloggers to consider the following: "What will you drink to toast the end of the Bush era?"

There were a number of ways to go with this one, and dhonig suggested several different angles in his announcement. But I decided to select a wine that that is suitable not only for this election day and inauguration, but for every subsequent election day and inauguration: the 2005 Great Whatsit Stolpman Vineyards Syrah brought to you by the good people at domaine547 ($20 on introductory special from domaine547; normally priced $25).

Let me explain why this wine was my choice for WBW #49 before I tell you about the wine.

Every four years I sit in front of a television, alone or with friends, and watch the election returns. Often, my candidate does not win. I am always shocked and somewhat horrified when this is the case, and then go through several months if not years of depression watching the news and wondering how people could have made such a colossal error.

Then, I remember that this is the entire point of this little experiment in self-governance we call America.

My family has been here a long time; a really long time. If you shake my family tree out will fall people persecuted for their religious beliefs, outlaws, rebels, poets, harborers of men who had executed a king, and heroic women who managed hardscrabble farms and families of eleven in the boondocks of Massachusetts and Connecticut in January while their husbands went off to fight in this war or that war before there was text-messaging or running water.

What they all lived and died for was their unshakable belief in the self-evident right of people to make their own bad decisions.

Bottom line is this: we never know what will happen on election day, or whether the person the majority of Americans have or have not voted into office will be an utter disaster. It's a mystery. Every election day we're left opening Pandora's Box and facing the great unkown. Who will it be? What will they bring? We never know. And that's why I chose this wine.

The 2005 Great Whatsit Syrah is a wine selected by domaine547 and made from fruit grown at Stolpman Vineyards. You can click here to find out why domaine547 called their "mystery in a bottle" wine The Great Whatsit. Kudos to domaine547 for selecting this excellent QPR wine for us ! The 2005 vintage is a little bit red (state) and a little bit blue (state) in its appearance: i.e. it's dark purple. This wine is as smooth as Barack Obama's prose, and as spunky as a hockey mom or pit bull wearing lipstick (your choice).There were aromas smoky enough to fill any room in Washington, and some rich plum and spice notes, too. I loved its cinnamon-inflected spiciness and its warm fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and black plum. The wine had a nice lift as it went over your tongue, which was almost enough to lift your spirits as we head into the final 40 odd days of the campaign.

I think the wine will continue to mellow out over the next 1-3 years, or until the next presidential campaign begins (which could be as early as February). Even now it's plummy and drinkable, and perfect for pairing with burgers, bbq, or even a pizza while you watch the election returns. I loved this wine's complexity, its drinkability, and its clever packaging. If you're having an election party, what better wine to serve to your guests as you await the outcome?

Thanks also to dhonig for an excellent theme to get us thinking about wine and politics. And if you're still thinking about wine and politics, don't forget to join us for the 5th edition of the Wine Book Club in late October.

MEANWHILE: GO OUT AND LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUES.
THEN GO OUT AND VOTE.

Remembering Charlotte at the Santa Barbara Celebration of Harvest

This is Charlotte, the beloved black lab who passed away during the last year and will be remembered at Huber Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills on Sunday, October 14 during the Santa Barbara Celebration of Harvest Weekend.

As a dog lover myself, I love to support winemakers and vineyard owners who help us get to know their wine while benefiting worthy animal causes, like the Humane Society.

On October 14, the Hubers will be sponsoring a wine tasting at their vineyard off Rte. 246 where they will be pouring their 2005 Dornfelder Reserve (aka "Charlotte's Reserve"), along with some help and additional wine contributions from fellow wine makers Kris Curran (you know how I feel about her wine!), Bruno D'Alfonso (from DiBruno and Badge wines), and Steve and Mary Russell of Prodigal Wines. The cost for the tasting will be $10, and all proceeds will benefit the Santa Ynez Humans Society. Good wine, and a good cause, too.

If you make it up to Santa Barbara wine country that weekend, be sure to check out all the other events happening around the Celebration of Harvest Weekend. With activities and tastings that last from Friday through Monday, it's a great time to make the trip to Santa Barbara if you are within driving distance of it in California. You can purchase a Vintner's Visa for just $35 that will admit you to your choice of 12 winery events amid the beautiful grounds of participating wineries. Tickets for the celebration festival are $65, which include tastings at Rancho Sisquoc of wines from more than 90 wineries, food demonstrations, and other activities. (And if you buy a festival ticket, the price of the Vintner's Visa drops to just $25).

It's harvest time, so get out there in the vineyards if you can, enjoy the company of your loved ones and fellow wine makers, and don't forget to remember Charlotte at Huber Vineyards!

Winery Watch: Beckmen Vineyards

An ongoing series of Friday posts highlighting California family wineries. You might not be familiar with all of these vineyards and winemakers--yet--but they produce wines that speak with the voices of this state's people, places, and history. They are worth seeking out. These posts will be longer than most posts on the blog, but I hope you will find them perfect for leisurely weekend reading and internet browsing. To read previous posts in the series, click here.

High up on a mountaintop overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, Steve Beckmen found a 365-acre plot of land that would be difficult to plant and hard to harvest. It was perfect, he thought, for Rhone varietals. In 1996 he bought this Purisima Mountain property and began planting grapes as high as 1250 feet. People probably thought he was nuts. (photo courtesy of Beckmen Vineyards)

Good news for us: Steve wasn't nuts. Beckmen's hilly vineyard was planted on a limestone subsoil just like the Cote Rotie and Chateauneuf du Pape, with marine influences, and lots of sunshine. The steep terrain dictated how he could plant his grapes, with the result that you don't see row after row of orderly lines of vines but a patchwork quilt of plantings (for a great map, click here), each one of which had its own microclimate and soil conditions. It turns out that Purisima Mountain was indeed perfect for growing the Rhone varietals Beckmen wanted to plant, including syrah, roussanne, grenache, marsanne, and mourvedre.

But Steve Beckmen didn't just want to grow Rhone varietals in a challenging spot. He wanted to respect the land, and to do that he decided to try out biodynamic farming protocols. Beckmen noted that the vines he grew biodynamically were strong and healthy, that the soil surrounding them retained its moisture, and that the grapes produced had a superb balance between natural sugar and tannin structure. In 2006, the vineyard began a new stage in its development, with 100% of the vineyards on Purisima Mountain farmed biodynamically, and watered by drip irrigation to minimize water waste.

Steve Beckmen, Judy Beckmen, and their son Tom have been winemakers in the Santa Ynez Valley since 1994, two years before they purchased the Purisima Mountain estate. They believe in the great potential of this area of Santa Barbara's wine country, and after tasting their wines it's easy to see why. Beckmen wines are rich and flavorful, with glimpses of the mineral composition of the vineyards, the rich earth where the vines are planted, and the softness of an evening breeze from the sea. They beautifully capture and incorporate the place where they were grown, and the care that went into making them. (photo of Steve Beckmen courtesy of Beckmen Vineyards)

Here are my notes on the Beckmen wines I tasted at the 2007 Rhone Rangers Tasting this spring. Prices indicated are the suggested retail prices at the winery; as always the price you pay may be higher or lower. Clicking on a wine's name takes you either to a list of merchants who stock the wine, or directly to the Beckmen online store.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Cuvée le Bec ($18) A super Rhone-style red blend with lots of great structure from the tannins and acidity, and deep fruit flavors. Made from a blend of grenache, syrah, counoise, and mourvedre, it has a lush set of berry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Excellent QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Estate ($28) Possibly my favorite of the Beckmen wines tasted, in large part because of its lovely aromas of blackberry, dusty earth, and flowers. These notes appear in the flavors, too, and the wine just screams out "summer in Santa Ynez." Excellent QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Le Bec Blanc Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($20) If you love white Rhone blends as much as I do, make sure you try to find this engaging blend of roussanne, marsanne, and grenache blanc. It has a nice balance between round fruit and acidity, with lots of citrus and orchard fruit flavors and aromas. This wine is aged in oak, but the oak is neutral and doesn't impart an oaky flavor, just adds a creaminess of texture. Excellent QPR.

2006 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Rosé Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($18). This is a crisp and light rose that is perfect for summer sipping. Watermelon in color, the wine has juicy watermelon aromas. Nice round fruit flavors of summer berries and melon build to a dry finish. Very good QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Estate ($25) Ripe red fruits, rich coffee, and dusty chocolate notes fill the aromas and flavors of this young red. There's still a pronounced grip of tannins to pucker the edges of your tongue, so I'd give it a few more months at least to settle down if you can possibly wait. Very good QPR.

2004 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($40) The distinctive mineral components of the Purisima Mountain vineyards really come through on this big syrah. Berries, coffee, dark chocolate, and spice are evident, too, in both the aromas and the flavors. Even at the relatively high price, good QPR for what it undeniably a very special syrah that doesn't taste like any domestic syrah I've ever tasted before.

If you like Rhone varietals, seek out wines produced biodynamically, or are drawn to wines that exude terroir, then you need to know more about Beckmen Vineyards. If you see them on the shelf of a wine store near you, don't hesitate to pick one up and give them a try. I think you'll be a fan. And if you're already a Beckmen fan, leave us a comment and tell us which are your favorites.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #30: the 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah

Tim Elliott from Winecast is the host for the 30th edition of the monthly wine-blogging event Wine Blogging Wednesday, started by new dad Lenn Thompson from Lenndevours. This month Tim's brief was to find a new world Syrah/Shiraz, or a blend that contained at least 51% of its juice from that varietal.

I decided to try a new wine this month, and was pleased to find a wine from a pair of new winemakers in the Santa Ynez AVA: Black Sheep Finds. The 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah is their very first wine. 600 cases were made, and it is available through many LA area retailers. Who are these Black Sheep? They are the duo of Peter Hunken (of Stolpman Vineyards, Piedrasassi and Holus Bolus) and Amy Christine (Sommelier of AOC restaurant and rep for Veritas Imports in Los Angeles), and their intention from the start was to make a wine that their friends would find delicious and affordable.

The 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah ($17.99, Mission Wines) is a supple, almost silky syrah with very good QPR that will appeal to pinot noir lovers. It is dark, dark violet in color and has abundant herbal aromas: thyme, anise, lavender. When you drink this smooth wine, you get loads of blueberry and blackberry fruit touched with a little bit of sweet wood and some mineral and herbal notes. Not as peppery or as dusty as many syrahs, it is also not overly oaky since it spends only 10 months in the barrel--20% in new oak, 80% in used oak. The resulting wine is not small, at 14.9% alc/vol but it is nicely in balance and easy to drink. Grapes for this syrah were sourced from the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Ynez AVAs, so it is a Santa Barbara County wine all the way.

We had the syrah with a Moroccan Lamb Tagine that combined aromatic spices with tomato and lamb cubes. After the lamb went through an interesting braising and browning method, it was cooked for an hour in the sauce before it topped off some fluffy couscous. The Hocus Pocus Syrah's smooth, silky flavors were a nice counterpoint to the cinnamon and cumin in the stew. It would be equally good with burgers, pizza, grilled meats, or other beef, chicken, or lamb stews that might be favorites in your house.

I'm looking forward to watching to see what Black Sheep Finds comes up with next, and checking out their new releases. They will have a Cabernet Sauvignon coming out this spring, and after tasting this yummy Syrah, I'll be eagerly anticipating tasting it. Meanwhile, you can get the 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah from K&L Wines, the Woodland Hills Wine Company, and Wally's in LA.

Grenache---Blanc?

I had never even heard of grenache blanc when I wandered into Malibu Wines last month and saw this bottle on offer. Made by Kris Curran, the winemaker at Sea Smoke, on her new personal label, there are fewer than 100 acres of grenache blanc under cultivation in the US. The wine is popular in both France (where it can provide up to 50% of the juice in Chateauneuf-du-Pape whites) and Spain (where the grape originated in the Priorat region). This is not a "white" version of a red grenache wine--it's a whole other grape.

The 2005 Curran Grenache Blanc ($25.2o, Malibu Wines) is a very good QPR wine that is pale straw in color, with aromas of fresh peaches and apples. A slight spritz on your first sip is the preamble to flavors of ripe, round peaches and melons. As you swallow, you are left with a rich, juicy impression that is all fruit. While grenache blanc is often aged in barriques, Curran ferments in stainless steel and inhibits malolactic fermentation to highlight the fresh flavors of the varietal. This is a full-bodied white with a luscious texture--but none of that comes from oak. It's all from the high-quality fruit.

I looked on the web for some suggestions of what to serve with Grenache Blanc and many sites mentioned pumpkin and squash dishes. I decided to try David at Cooking Chat's recipe for a chicken and butternut squash risotto. He didn't post a picture of his dish, so I took a picture of mine. And I hope David will forgive me for swapping the garlic powder for minced garlic, and omitting the truffle oil which I didn't have in the house and couldn't face shopping for it! It was absolutely excellent, and its rich yet delicate flavors went perfectly with this full-bodied, soft wine. It would also be good with spicy, creamy dishes like Thai and Indian curries, or with traditional French bistro fare. Kris's wines were recently featured at a wine-tasting dinner at Akbar in Santa Monica, where the 2005 Grenache Blanc was paired with an Indian fish dish, confirming my sense that the wine would go as well with spicy fare as it did with my risotto.

This is a special bottle of wine, and even if your normal wine ceiling is $20 every now and again it pays to go above it as long as the wine you are purchasing is of sufficient interest and quality. This one is. There are quite a few bottles of this wine available through retailers (check WineZap for one near you, or one that can ship to you). Curran also has an email list to notify customers of upcoming releases and allocations, in case you want to explore her syrah and other wines.

Andrew Murray Tasting Room, Los Olivos

After we finished over at Bridlewood, we took the short trip along Rt. 154 to the charming town of Los Olivos, where there is a string of tasting rooms extending down Grand Street. (you can click on this map to enlarge the view, and you will see all the tasting rooms listed). Boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and other shops fill the streets of this small town.

We wanted to taste some Andrew Murray wines, and since their vineyards on Zaca Station Rd. are closed to the public, our goal in Los Olivos was to stop into the tasting room pictured here. On the way we picked up sandwiches at the branch of Panino just off Grand in the heart of town.

Andrew Murray is a UC Davis graduate who has received all kinds of press for his distinctive wines. He plants only Rhone varietals in his own vineyards, though he does also serve as wine maker for his neighbors at Oak Savanna. Murray is devoted to syrah in particular, and crafts his wines with the philosophy that good wines are made in the vineyard, and the winemaker "merely takes care of them" in the cellar. This is a winemaker who specializes in small production wines, and although you can sometimes find his Tous les Jours Syrah in shops, most of these wines are sold directly through the winery or in the tasting room. The Andrew Murray wines website is full of information, so I encourage you to take a look.

In the tasting room, you received 10 pours (9 Andrew Murray wines, and 1 Oak Savanna wine) for $10, and got to keep the Andrew Murray glass. Contrary to the tasting room website, it is not a Riedel "O" series glass, but at least it doesn't have a rounded edge! The wines poured for us included:

2005 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley ($25): Aromatic with flowers, pineapple, and citrus, which come through as you sip the wine, too. Crisp, clean-tasting, and complex. 550 cases made. Good QPR.

2004 Enchante ($22): A blend of two white Rhone varietals (Roussanne and Marsanne). Rich tasting with melon and oak aromas and flavors. More full-bodied than the Viognier, and a nice change from chardonnay for lovers of that varietal. 800 cases produced. Good QPR.

2004 Oak Savanna Vineyards Chardonnay Rancho La Zaca ($30): An exceptional chardonnay, with pronounced pear aromas and flavors with a bit of citrus and a real streak of minerals. Bright acidity is kept in check with a little bit of oak. Round, complex, delicious. 350 cases produced. Very good QPR.

2004 Esperance ($22): Murray's red blend intended to translate Chateauneuf du Pape to the soils of Santa Ynez. Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre are blended into a wine with black cherry, blueberry, cinnamon, and black pepper aromas and flavors. Delicious, and will be more delicious in a few years. 850 cases produced. Good QPR.

2004 Grenache Central Coast ($28): Murray only bottles his Grenache by itself if the vintage is of sufficient quality, and the 2004 lived up to his standards. Raspberry, cranberry, and currant aromas and flavors. Unusually soft and drinkable for a 100% grenache wine, only 300 cases were produced. Good QPR.

2004 Syrah Estate Santa Ynez Valley ($25): Made only with Syrah grown on the hillsides of the Santa Ynez appellation, this wine is full of cherry flavors and aromas with an interesting note of black tar. Oak is used, which makes it nice and smooth, but the bright acidity keeps it interesting. Perfectly drinkable now, or cellar it if you can wait. 1100 cases produced. Good QPR.

2004 Syrah Roasted Slope Vineyard ($34): This is a big, interesting wine made from Syrah and Viognier grapes that are interplanted in the same hillside vineyard (just like in the Cote Rotie in France). The grapes are picked and fermented together. Black cherry, plums, and a hint of strawberry in the aromas and the palate. Would benefit from 2-10 years in the cellar to help round out all its edges, but I have no doubt in time it will be spectacular. 800 cases produced. Good QPR.

2004 Syrah Westerly Vineyard ($36): Made from grapes from the eastern part of the Santa Ynez AVA. This produces Syrah with higher alcohol and lower acidity due to ripeness and less marine influence. This monster wine had 15.4% alc./vol. and didn't even taste alcoholic. Flavors and aromas were typical of the varietal, with blackberry and spice notes. 284 cases produced. Good QPR.

2005 Viognier Late Harvest ($20/375 ml): A yummy dessert wine, with peach jam and honeysuckle aromas and flavors. On the back end you got a bit of apricot. Not as sweet as most late harvest viogniers, it would be excellent chilled and served on its own as a dessert, or with fruit-based desserts. Very good QPR.

I was really impressed with all the wines I tasted, and for Rhone lovers Murray is a name to watch. Murray does have a wine club, and given how few cases are made of these wines it is appealing to think of receiving them on a regular, reliable basis. The prices are a bit steep for me, but I did leave with a bottle of the Chardonnay, the Esperance, and the Late Harvest Viognier because they were so darn good.

Bridlewood Winery

Bridlewood Winery was our first stop in Santa Barbara. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Bridlewood specializes in Rhone varietals such as viognier, rousanne, marsanne, and syrah. Located on a beautiful spot, the winery used to be a horse farm, and still has horses roaming around in the back.

When we arrived we headed into the tasting room, which had lots and lots of Bridlewood gear--t-shirts, tote bags, baseball hats, it went on and on--and some snack foods in case you wanted to buy a bottle and go out to the terrace for a picnic.

We decided to go straight for the tasting, which was $7 for four pours (and the rolled-edge, Bridlewood etched glass was yours to keep). This tasting had the fewest pours, and the middle price of the three. Could it be all the merchandising that drives up the prices?? And do people really want all these glasses? I'd rather have a cheaper tasting and no glass!

We began the tasting with the 2005 Bridlewood Winery Viognier Reserve Central Coast ($24). 10,000 cases of this wine were made, and I felt it was the best wine of the tasting. I did find bottles at significantly lower prices on Wine-Tracker. This was a slightly sweet, aromatic viognier with citrus and flower aromas and a peachy palate. It would be excellent with curries and rich fish dishes. Good QPR.

The next wine poured was the 2004 Bridlewood Winery Arabesque ($24), Bridlewood's red Rhone-style blend made of Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Syrah, and Viognier. Light cherry in color, with spicy box aromas, there were cherry flavors and a bitter tobacco flavor on the palate. This wine just didn't hang together for me, and I wasn't at all sure that ageing the wine would help. Poor QPR, given the low prices of most Rhone blends from the Rhone. 970 cases produced.

Next up: the 2005 Bridlewood Winery Syrah Reserve ($22) Predominantly (93%) syrah grapes, blended with a bit of grenache, Roussanne, and Cinsault. This was a big wine, with blackberry, plum, and spicy cedar aromas. In your mouth, you got a smooth, extracted taste of blackberry jam. Unlike the Arabesque, I felt this would continue to improve during a few years of cellaring. Good QPR.

Finally, we had the 2003 Bridlewood Winery Syrah Blue Roan ($30). Faint blueberry and flowery aromas were accompanied by a definite whif of sweet, round oak. There were flavors of cassis and blueberry, with some soft tannins. Very round. Drinkable now, this wine should also improve steadily in the cellar for another 2-3 years. 554 cases produced. Good QPR.

I didn't feel any of these wines were special enough to warrant the prices, but my dad found a bargain: bottles of the 2001 Reserve Syrah for just $9. I wished they had poured some of their gewurztraminer, or one of their late harvest viogniers or syrah ports to round out the tasting a bit. Still, we were glad that we went and tasted these small-production wines that we would not in all likelihood see in the stores.