August '13 Santa Barbara Trip - Second Chances

It's become an important holiday in our household to head up to Santa Barbara the first weekend of August for Ampelos' annual member appreciation party. They throw a hell of a party - and it's an excuse to have another wine weekend, quickly following our July trip. This time around we planned to check out a winery before and the party on Saturday and then another after the party, then to hit up a few places in Lompoc on Sunday.

Saturday (Santa Rosa Road & Highway 246)

Sanford Winery & Vineyards ($20 "Winemakers Flight" tasting, wines $30 - $80)
'09 Chardonnay - La Rinconada, '09 Chardonnay - La Entrada, '10 Viognier - Sanford & Benedict, '09 "Fleur de Domaine" (Viognier/Roussanne), '10 Pinot Noir - La Rinconada, '10 Pinot Noir - Sanford & Benedict, '09 Pinot Noir - Vista Al Rio

 I'd heard lots about Sanford prior to our visit. It happens to be a popular topic of conversation with folks who work at the wineries in the area. Sanford is a cornerstone winery to the region, and it's original owner - Richard Sanford - was instrumental in the growth of Santa Barbara wine, especially Pinot. Awhile back Richard Sanford lost the winery after corporate interests took over (though why he lost it is a bit of a point of dispute between the locals). Richard Sanford reopened as Alma Rosa in the old Sanford location, and the Sanford Winery kept the name and moved down Santa Rosa Road to its new home. Based on the stories that we heard, I avoided Sanford. I dislike the concept of corporate wineries. I've been to some pretty paltry ones, such as Rutherford Hill (though also some solid ones, ex: Byron). I guess its my assumption that corporations rely on market analysis to create their wines rather than using artistic intent. That sort of thing bums me out. I'm not really into wine for the acute market analysis. Sanford's space doesn't dis-spell my assumptions. Its a big, faux ranch house, filled to the gills with merchandise.
It being a Saturday, there were plenty of folks sidled up to the bar. As much I wanted to hate Sanford, I really appreciated how intelligent their staff was, and I felt that their wine was well made. The white wines didn't light my fire, but they were solid - the Viognier being the one that I enjoyed the most. Both of the Pinots were well constructed. I'm not sure if I'm over-reaching with my wine analysis here, but I've noticed that some winemakers nimbly use acid as a structural aspect within their wines, Bill Easton at Terre Rouge definitely does this, Sashi Moorman does this, especially at Sandhi. At Sanford, for some reason, I noticed the absence of this. Acid showed up as a specific aspect, a note, but not adding structure. Well it's a thought. In my notes, I wrote that the Vista Al Rio Pinot was a "swing voter," which still cracks me up. I guess I'm saying that the wine was a fence rider, trying to please as many as possible. Although I enjoyed the wines, the prices were too steep.
Experience: B- / Wines: B

Foley Estates Vineyards & Winery ($0 member's tasting, wines $30-$75)
'11 "Steel" Chardonnay, '10 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills, '10 Chardonnay - Bar Lazy S , '10 Chardonnay - Two Sisters, '10 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '10 Pinot Noir - Two Sisters
While at the Ampelos member event, we met a few lovely couples. One of the couples invited us to join them at Foley where they were members for a tasting. Now we'd been to Foley once before, and had a disliked the place on that visit. So I wasn't stoked to return, but we enjoyed their company, so we decided to go. The grounds were well manicured, the tasting room politely decorated with lots for sale, and commercials for Foley and its partner wineries played on the flat screen tv.
My major grudge with Foley (as with Sanford) is that it is a very corporate winery. That's certainly how I felt during our first visit. That visit was awhile back and now I think I've mellowed a bit on that issue. Just because a winery is corporate, that doesn't mean its product isn't smartly made. I guess early in my experience with visiting wineries on I lumped wines into two categories: artisanal and corporate. Obviously there's a hell of a lot more complexity to that spectrum.
Since we were with members, the staff were happy to pour us the good stuff. The Bar Lazy S Chardonnay was definitely a mainstream Chardonnay, 40% new oak, but was nicely balanced. As well the Two Sisters Chardonnay - their top shelf bottling was enjoyable. It was made with 100% new oak and full malolactic fermentation, sure to be a golf club crowd pleaser, but pleasing to me as well. The Pinots were pretty good. The Santa Rita Hills wasn't exciting but had some nice notes on the back end. The Two Sisters probably is a bit young still - showing tightness - but had a fun chewy, leafy green entry, smartly used oak, and was nicely balanced.
Experience: C+ / Wines: B

Sunday (Lompoc)

Scott Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $18-$42)
'10 Pinot Blanc - Sierra Madre, '10 Chardonnay - Sierra Madre, '09 Pinot Noir - Sierra Madre, '10 Sangiovese - Whitehawk,  '09 Sangiovese - Stolpman, '10 "Cuvee JP" (Sangiovese/Syrah), '10 "WHOLL" (Syrah/Sangiovese/Zinfandel), '10 Syrah - Larner
The minute we walked into Scott, we were enthusiastically greeted by perhaps the friendliest winery person I've ever met. He - as we figured out as the tasting went on - ended up being Peter "Scott" Fraser the owner/winemaker. He was so excited to share his wines, and tell his stories - which I'm sure he's told thousands of times. His excitement was infectious,  it was difficult to not get amped up about the wine industry in response. Peter really built himself up into the wine world, going from wine clerk to winemaker and then to owner. Peter opened Scott Cellars in 2005, buying grapes from an assortment of vineyards in the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria AVAs. This independent winery is the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Sanford and Foley.
As much as I liked Peter, I felt that the wines were clunky. The Pinot Blanc was cute and tasty - and the bottle that we brought home and drank later was enjoyable. The acid on the Pinot Noir made the wine less enjoyable - rough around the edges. Both of the Sangioveses were fun to drink but a bit sharp and unrefined. I had a good time drinking the Cuvee JP - nice kick, but a bit too sweet. The WHOLL was definitely an interesting and fun blend, quick pepper, lively but calm. The Syrah was enjoyable - very juicy.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Bratcher Winery / Arcadian Winery ($15 tasting, wines: Bratcher - unknown / Arcadian $45-$75)
Bratcher '09 Chardonnay - Santa Maria Valley, Bratcher '08 Pinot Noir - Santa Maria Valley, Bratcher '09 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, Arcadian '07 Chardonnay - Sleepy Hollow, Arcadian '06 Syrah - Stolpman, Arcadian '07 Pinot Noir - Sleepy Hollow
 I guess that I was unclear that Bratcher and Arcadian shared a tasting room. We'd visited Arcadian once before, a year ago, and we thought that the wine was quite good, but expensive. My intention was for us to check out one of the few wineries in the Ghetto that we hadn't been to before - Bratcher. But we walked into Arcadian, which was now serving Bratcher wine as well. The dude at the tasting room seemed nice, so we agreed to try the Bratcher wines and the Arcadian wines.
There is a relationship between the two labels, Joe Davis of Arcadian has been mentoring Chris Bratcher as he grows his winery, therefore it makes sense that they share a tasting room as well.
The Bratcher wines were enjoyable but not remarkable - soft, mellow, round. The Chard was a bit syrupy but had a nice sunniness. The Santa Maria Valley Pinot had some nice herbal qualities, unfortunately it had no tannins at all. The La Encantada showed slight brown aging and lacked depth. I'm having some trouble with the Bratcher website, and I don't recall what their wine prices were, but I feel like they were in the high $20 to high $30 range - not quite the price that I would hope for with their wines.
On the other hand, the Arcadian wines are quite pricey and quite good. The Chardonnay - served at room temp - was super calm with forthright acid, crisp. The Syrah was very flavorful, even a bit of cool funk. The Pinot showed talented balance with "chewy fancy jams." Quite an enjoyable drink.
Experience: B / Wines: B

Zotovich Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $22-$48)
'10 Chardonnay, '12 Rosé of Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir, '10 Syrah

While we wandered around the Ghetto considering what one additional place we should visit, the first visit to Zotovich, we thought the wine was okay, but we definitely didn't love the experience. On that visit the tasting room was packed with mid-fifties frat dudes that were already pretty soused. So clearly there was a chance that the experience could improve the second time around.
thinking was: which place deserves a second chance? Zotovich and Fiddlehead were the two places that sprung to mind. We chose Zotovich, and planned to revisit Fiddlehead on another day. One our
And it did. First off, we were the only visitors at the time, so no worries about obnoxious old guys. Second, the staff person was quite knowledgeable, also a departure from the first visit.  As well, the wine was something that I definitely enjoyed more this time around. The Chardonnay was quite bright, with a nutty flavor and hints of greenness. The Rosé was flavorful and balanced, a fun to drink "jam vinegarette." I found the Pinot to be calm and intricate, there's a mouth kick that hangs toward the end. The Syrah was pretty good, but my least favorite, not as well rounded as the others.
Experience: B / Wines: B+

I left from this weekend a bit confused. Things had gotten a bit topsy-turvy. With having to alter my perceptions about the qualities of Sanford and Foley, my anti-corporate values had taken a bit of a hit. Moreover, I started to recognize that my first impressions of Foley and Zotovich were off-base. I guess that means that I'm going to have to revisit a bunch of other wineries in the future - its a heavy burden, but I guess I'll take it on.
On the other hand, it was a stellar weekend. The Ampelos party was awesome as usual. We met some great folks and really enjoyed the wines that we had at the various places that we visited. I'll seek to have more of an open mind about wineries that I investigate in the future.

July '13 Santa Barbara Trip - The Old New is Old, the New New is Very New

Even though visits to the Santa Barbara wine country are old hat for me now, new was the theme for this trip. We went with new friends, checked out some newly opened wineries, and we experimented with mixing camping and winery-hopping together (what I am trying to brand as "wamping," though without much success).

 Saturday (Los Olivos)

Sandhi Wines ($10 tasting, wines $28-$45)
'11 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Chardonnay - Rita's Crown, '11 Chardonnay - Sanford & Benedict, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir - Rita's Crown, '11 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, '11 Pinot Noir - Wenzlau
Sandhi is a rather new winery that's been created by partners Rajat Parr - a super famous sommelier, Charles Banks - owner of Jonata and Screaming Eagle wineries, and the winemaker and all-around badass Sashi Moorman of Piedrasassi, Stolpman, and Evening Land. The tasting room is in a small building in the back of what is now Mattei's Tavern - originally built in 1886 as a hotel for the carriage line that went through the Santa Ynez Valley. Now Mattei's Tavern is hip restaurant serving both traditional and modern local fare. Sandhi moved into the complex in November, and has intentions to expand to making pizzas out on their patio.
It was a bit tricky for us to find the tasting room, it's placed on the far back corner of the property, though it would have been easy enough to drive up to if we had taken the alleyway. We were welcomed into the old made new sleek space. The tasting room attendant was a fun guy to chat with, he was very much on our wavelength.
The wines were all top shelf quality. Acid was well utilized to provide structure, and the alcohol levels were kept low, so the wines were calm and polite. Subtle notes crept in throught the experience of each sip. For the most part, these were wine nerd wines - not something that would be smart to indoctrinate new wine drinkers on. They might find the wines agreeable, but they wouldn't get a deep appreciation for the artistry. Both of the Chardonnays had effective sharpness, balance and length. The Rosè was straight crazy-times. It was led through carbonic maceration during fermentation, which is not a process that I'm familiar with, but is the same process used to make Beaujolais nouveau. It was super interesting - a candied vegital note - definitely something to nerd out on. The Pinots were all light, tart fruit with sprinkles of pepper, serious but fun. The Wenzlau had a bizzare nose of pickles, which thankfully wasn't present in the taste, it was my favorite of the whole lineup.
Experience: B / Wine: B+

Sunday (Highway 246 and Lompoc Wine Ghetto)

Babcock Winery & Vineyards ($15 "Terroir" tasting, wines $14-$60)
'11 White Syrah "Identity Crisis", '11 Chardonnay, '12 Pinot Gris "Naughty Little Hillsides", '11 Pinot Noir "Precocious" - El Camino Ranch, '11 Pinot Noir "Ocean's Ghost", '11 Pinot Noir "Déjà vu" - Rabbit Ridge, '10 Cabernet Sauvignon "Block 15" - Estelle

I've driven by Babcock many times, and have intended on stopping for the past few years, but for whatever reason it never jumped to the top of my list of places to visit. It's on the same route as Melville, Dierberg/Star Lane and Clos Pepe, wineries that I think highly of, so I guess I felt that the other wineries on Highway 246 couldn't be as good, so I should keep on driving. I'm now making a conscious decision to visit places that I'd skipped over before, so it was high time to make a Babcock stop. It's not like I dragged myself there kicking and screaming. The website for the winery touts the numerous accolades for winemaker Bryan Babcock, and a few different people had suggested that I visit there.
Though the winery's been around for a long time (since the early 80's), the tasting room is brand new. It's a big open warehouse building, and it has a hip aesthetic. Apparently Mona Babcock is a top executive at Forever 21, and designed it with goal of creating a "modern mid-century vibe."
There were a few other couples at the counter when we arrived, so we sidled on up like the wine cowboys that we are. The guy behind the counter was cool. He was local and chatted enthusiastically about the area and the local wine.
I respect the wine that we tried, but I didn't love it. Across the board the wines were "too much." The Chardonnay was too pillow-y from too much malolactic fermentation. The Pinot Gris was too boisterous. The "Ocean's Ghost" Pinot Noir was too juicy. The Cabernet had too much garnet. By no means were these bad wines, but a little bit overboard, and because they did show interesting subtleties, it bummed me out a bit with the "too much" aspects. Bryan Babcock is definitely an interesting winemaker. He's making exciting wines - especially Pinots - with a variety of takes. I'd just rather that the wines would be a bit less brash.
Experience: B / Wine: B-

Palmina ($10 tasting, wines $18-$30)
'11 Arneis, '12 Pinot Grigio, '12 Tocai Fruliano, '11 Malvasia Bianca, '12 "Botasea" Rosè (Dolcetto/Barbera/Nebbiolo), '11 Dolcetto, '10 Barbera, '07 Nebbiolo
I thought quite highly of Palmina on my first visit there in April, 2011. I thought that the hospitality was grand and that the wines were made with talent and confidence. It's not that I was off-base with my opinion, nor is Palmina inhospitable with untalented wines, but two years later the wine and experience isn't a standout in the field. It's still a welcoming place to visit.
The gents working there were friendly, though the guy that took could have used some more training. He stated that "not many people have heard of Pinot Grigio," hmmm, not so sure you're right about that buddy. There were snacks to enjoy, breadsticks, cured meats, olive oils, etc. As we were there the place packed up to the point that there was quite a din.
My opinion of their wine has changed pretty dramatically. On this visit I found the wines to be bland and monochromatic. Most had a singular upfront flavor and then fell away dramatically. The Malvasia Bianca was some fun, the nose was very light and sweet and the taste was quite dry, nothing like the nose at all. Of the reds, the Barbera was the most enjoyable, some complexity with pepper and plum notes as well as earthiness.The Nebbiolo, aka the wine of kings, had some nice acid and tannins, but fell away pretty quickly.
I'm more familiar with wines from Italy than from France, due to the fact that there's a wine bar and store down the street from my place that I used to frequent. Outside of Sangioveses and Barberas, I've not encountered really good Italian varietals being made in California. They come off more safe and boring. Perhaps if I knew French wine better I'd feel the same way about French varietals being made in Cali.
Experience: B- / Wine: C

Joseph Blair Wines ($10 tasting, wines $22-$30)
'10 "Ghetto White" Chenin Blanc, '10 Viognier, '10 Gewurztraminer, '09 "Heartbreak" Pinot Noir, '09 "Reveller" (Merlot/Petit Verdot), '10 Cabernet Sauvignon

Image from http://wine-dingroad.com/

Joseph Blair is the alternative label from Mark Cargassachi of Jalama. At Jalama, he's focusing on Rhone wines, whereas at Joseph Blair he's taking a crack at Bordeaux varietals as well as pinots and various whites.
Even though Joseph Blair is a new winery, we've attempted to visit twice before. The first time the doors were locked, and the folks at Jalama told us that Marc had a tractor break down, so we wouldn't be able to taste at the new place. The second time the doors were unlocked, but there was no one around, and after poking around for 10 minutes, we headed to another place. Finally on this visit, we were able check out the wines.
First off, Mark Cagassachi's dog Chester is the coolest dog ever. He's a rat terrier I think. That's it, just had to be said.
The tasting room has rotating art from local artists and a few high tables to sit around as well as a large desk counter where the wine is poured. The woman pouring the wines for us is an enthusiastic fan of Jalama and Joseph Blair, and happily took care of us.
The whites were nicely full-flavored, though all showed a little too much oak. The Viognier showed pretty, fragile flowers, which I always enjoy. The Ghetto Red had some fun notes, two well combined notes, pretty with a kick. The Reveller had a similar profile, but was a bit more convoluted. The Cabernet was really interesting, almost like sweet dirt. It had just been bottled, so it's likely that the wine will get better.
I've visited Jalama a handful of times and think highly of the wines that Mark Cargasacchi creates. That talent is carrying over to his Joseph Blair wines. They are a little bit more vivacious and silly, though not quite as deep. At this point, the prices of these wines are pretty decent, which is always appreciated.
Experience: B / Wine: B

Tyler Winery ($15 tasting, wines $36-$60)
'11 Chardonnay, '11 Chardonnay - Clos Pepe, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido, '11 Pinot Noir - Bentrock
Justin Willett of Tyler Winery definitely represents the cutting edge of Santa Barbara wine. He's young, he's got a bunch of different wine projects going, and like Sandhi Wines, is trying to honor the Burgundian style with his wines in the Sta. Rita Hills region.
The winery warehouse that we tasted in was brand new - walls are still being built to create offices. Apparently Ryan Zotovich of Zotovich Cellars owns the big building that houses Tyler, and the plan is to have both wineries in the space, as well as a boutique hotel and an eatery. That would be a huge cultural shift for Lompoc, and definitely speaks to the potential greater trend that's occurring in the area. I've heard that the Lompoc City Council are pretty anti-growth, so perhaps the project won't get off the ground.
The lady that ran the tasting room exuded a hoity-toity vibe. She was very proud of Tyler wines, and was happy to show it off, but she also was a bit dismissive of other winemakers in the area. When I asked er the prices of the Tyler wines, she answered "They're all under $60." as though any decent wine drinker would be happy to buy any bottle as long as it's under $60.
I will say that the wines were incredibly impressive. The Chardonnays were flavorful but respectful, the Clos Pepe maybe a bit too dense in flavor. The Pinots were excellent. Similar profiles, but nicely distinct aspects. The Bentrock was the most impressive. It had a cool blood orange note.
Experience: B- / Wine: A- 

Monday (Foxen Canyon Road and Santa Maria)

Demetria Estate ($10 tasting, wines $22-$45)
'12 Riesling, '11 Chardonnay, '12 Rosè of Grenache, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, '10 Syrah, '10 "Cuvee Constantine" (Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah), '10 "North Slope" Syrah
The drive up to Demetria off of Foxen Canyon is a long and winding one, but the view from estate makes trip worthwhile. The Tuscan style building and grounds overlook a slight ravine, and the opposing slope is covered with vines, and rolling hills and vines continue on behind for a long distance. There's a peaceful garden and patio with plenty of tables and chairs. There were a few other groups at the same time. Some folks were lunching which we ended up doing after our tasting.
The one drag about this place was the staff person who took care of us. Perhaps he was having a shit day, but I'm guessing that he's generally an ass, because he managed to be a snot, a schlub, and a general doofus as the same time. Right off the bat he gave me guff for asking for tasting notes that I could write on - acting as though he had to go to great lengths to grab me a blank piece of paper. He also was fussy at our friend for wanting to fill up her water bottle. And last be not least he called my wife nosey for overhearing that another patron was being pouring a Rosè that wasn't on the pouring list, and asking if we could try it as well.
Thankfully our severe dislike of that dude was overcome by superb wine. The Riesling and the Chardonnay were just pretty good, and the Rosè of Pinot didn't blow me away, but the rest of the wines were fantastic. My favorites were the Rosè of Grenache (flowers and peaches, quite precious and flavorful), the Pinot Noir (affirmatively against grain for Santa Barbara - earthy and vegital, calm and delicious), and the Estate Syrah (mellow, light, some sweet peppers and green vines).
Experience: B / Wines: A-

Presqu'ile Winery ($20 tasting, wines $18-$55)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Chardonnay, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir - Rim Rock, '10 Estate Pinot Noir
Our traveling companions had visited Presqu'ile's tasting room in Los Olivos a few months prior and had spoken quite highly of the wines, so we decided to check them out and to have a look at their brand new winery complex out in Santa Maria. The grounds are gorgeous. The airy main building incorporates posh elements that are rare in the region, such as a member's only tasting room, and a wine cave that is only granted to higher level members.
The wines were impressive - it justified the highbrow atmosphere of the space. All were low alcohol compared to the region, between 12.9% and 13.6%. The Pinots were nicely varied - the Santa Maria Valley was peppery and meaty, the Rim Rock was circumspect (first time I've used that adjective in my tasting notes - check out the big brain on Brad!), and the estate was light with a cute little kick.
As much as we enjoyed the wines, I was a bit thrown by the exclusivity vibe at Presqu'ile. Members receive no discount on the wine - as far as I know, no other Santa Barbara area winery does that with their memberships. Members do receive free shipping on purchases, free tastings, and access to parts of the winery that non-member are restricted from - such as the special tasting room and the wine cave. I'll be interested to see if that strategy catches on with other wineries in the region.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

Based on the quality of wine being produced at the three very new wineries that we visited - Sandhi, Tyler, and Presqu'ile - it really feels like the Santa Barbara region is gaining momentum. Sure, it's been booming for awhile, catalyzed by "Sideways" and the general notion of wine tourism, but now there seems to be a stronger majority of wineries been created with very talented staff and deep-pocketed backers. I'm hopeful that this trend continues, but somehow without making the region more snooty and pricey.