May '14 Santa Barbara Trip - Pretty Doesn't Mean Good

One day trips is a clever way to have Santa Barbara trips, lighter on the costs and time commitment, but they are tiring. Since we became members of Martian Ranch after having such a kick-ass experience during our March trip, we drove up this time for their pick up party. Our friends were up in the area as well, so we were able to visit Tyler and Stolpman (once again opting not to review since we're huge fans and always there) with them. I was also compelled to try out Rusack based on recommendations from folks we'd met along the away.

Tyler Winery ($15 tasting, wines $36-$55)
'12 Chardonnay, '12 Chardonnay - Dierberg, '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido

Once again we had brought another couple of friends to the Ghetto, and wanted to show off the quality we visited six months prior. I was also curious to try Tyler again, to see if my initial experience was emblematic or a one-off. Once again the tasting room was chilly and stark, though this time around it appeared that the construction was on hiatus. There was a different tasting room person this time around, which was a small bit of a relief - being distant is better than snotty. Just the same we didn't feel comfortable during the tasting, and didn't feel like lingering around after, we tasted the four wines and then hurried out.

During our previous visit, all of the wines that we tried were from the 2011 vintage. This time around, all 2012s. I'm not sure if this tasting was completely affected by the youth of the wines, or if the 2012 vintage is sub-par to 2011, but I was not as enamored with the wines, not nearly. Throughout the tasting, I wrote notes like: "not pretty right now," "stark," "not as poetic as I remember," and "intense as hell." The wine wasn't bad, they was just really compact. Certainly they were a quality product. I'm guessing that they all just need time to stretch their legs. For sure  it would be preferable if the winery were to be pouring the vintages of the wines that are ready to be tasted. Sure the wine can and should be held for five to ten years, but pour it when it's going to be enjoyable, not challenging. With that said, on the Chardonnays, I prefered the Dierberg, it was a bit more sunny than the Santa Barbara County bottling. The Bien Nacido Pinot Noir was too crazy dense for me, I found the Santa Barbara County Pinot to be pretty exciting with notes of stomped flowers and tar juice.
Experience: B- / Wines B

Rusack Vineyards ($12 tasting, wines $14-$45)
'11 Chardonnay - Catalina Island, '13 Rosé (Syrah/Sangiovese/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Solomon Hills, '12 Sangiovese, '11 "Soul of the Vine" Dessert Wine (Sémillon)

Ballard Canyon is the newest AVA in the region, and is home to some superstar wines - Stolpman, Beckman, super-cult winery Jonata, and Larner, not to mention being used by many other wineries that are in the general area.. The region is known for it's Rhones, especially Syrah. Rusack is one of the older wineries in the area, and is the only one with a tasting room on scenic Ballard Canyon Road. It's a beautiful drive along the canyon road. Driving from the south, the road is initially tight and windy, but opens up to a bucolic valley. The Rusack property sits at the ideal open spot of the valley. The winery has made ideal use of this setting with more than ample patio and garden seating. I get the feeling that Rusack's setting is well known, since the place was hopping with a wide variety of patrons - older yuppies, locals, bikers, and more. The tasting room counter was packed, but there was plenty of good seating outside. Allison Rusack, co-founder with her husband Geoff, is part of the well-heeled Wrigley family. The progenitor of the empire, William Wrigley Jr., was the major developer of Santa Catalina Island, a fun tourist destination just off the coast from Los Angeles. The family still has strong ties to the island, through a conservancy. This explains why Rusack Vineyards has a vineyard on Catalina.
I was not enthused by the quality of the wine itself. Each had nice elements, but the Chardonnay and Rosé suffered from being too sharp, and the reds were too fruity and hot. The Sangiovese had nice earthiness and acid, but fell apart late. The dessert wine was enjoyable, though simple.
Experience: B / Wines C+

Both visits on this trip were a let down. We had enjoyed Tyler so much on our first visit, I was hopeful they would knock it out of the park again, and impress our friends. And I had been looking forward to Rusack for a long time, but the wine didn't really stand out for me. I'll still hold out hope for Tyler. It's a critical darling, and even if the wines weren't pretty, they had authenticity.