Instead of taking our usual route through the Central Valley back home to LA, we decided to take our time heading back, and stop off and visit friends in Monterey. Lucky for us, our friends were willing to indulge our need for wine tourism, and happened to be members at Morgan. So we went with them to the Morgan tasting room in Carmel.
Morgan Winery (member tasting, wines $13-$58)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, Lee Family '13 Albariño, '13 "Metallico" Chardonnay, '13 "Highland" Chardonnay, '13 "Twelve Clones" Pinot Noir, '13 Pinot Noir - Gary's Vineyard, '13 Pinot Noir - Tondre Vineyard, '13 "G17 (Syrah/Grenache/Tempranillo), '13 "Double L" Syrah, Lee Family '13 "Rio Tinto"
(Touriga Francesca/Touriga Nacional/Alvarelhao)
The wines of the Monterey area are a mystery to me. I know that there are some large brands from the area, such as Hahn, Estancia and Morgan, but I know that there are many more to explore. Morgan's "Taste Morgan" tasting room is in a high end shopping center, not my idea of a quintessential venue, but clever I admit. The tasting room is long with lots of bar space and lots of seating. The decor was very much the rustic country club fare, as well were the other patrons. We grabbed a set of low chairs around a coffee table. Once we settled in, the tasting room attendant came out and introduced himself, poured the first round, and then would revisit with each subsequent tasting.
I gathered that we got a more expansive tasting, thanks to our friends being members. I found it interesting that there were a variety of sub-labels to the wines that we tried: Morgan proper wines are blends from the whole area, Lee Family are sourced from various wineries in or outside of Monterey, Double L from their home vineyard, and then other vineyard designates such as Gary's, Tondre, etc. I've seen lots of wineries doing some of these types of designations, but it seemed like Morgan did it to the greatest degree that I've seen.
No doubt that I was prejudiced coming in to the tasting room. Given the fact that Morgan is a huge wine producerI expected the wines to be widely appealing. And they definitely were that. But they were also kind of interesting, not amazing and definitely safe, but pleasantly intriguing. The Sauvignon Blanc was a burst of friendly tropical and stone fruit, simple with medium acid throughout. The Albariño was bland, or as I wrote in my notes: "All Cali no Spain." The "Metallico" (aged in stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels) Chardonnay was enjoyable, but too sticky and too mainstream. The "Highland" Chardonnay was definitely mainstream, though well built. A good gateway drug wine. I enjoyed all of the Pinots. The "Twelve Clones" was quite conventional, but well built and enjoyable. The Gary's Vineyard Pinot was very smooth with mature fruit. The Tondre Vineyard was my favorite. Very pretty, very exciting - lots of acid. The G17 blend was pretty pedestrian - just came off as a bland Syrah, but the Double L Syrah was massively flavorful - blood orange, boysenberries - dense as hell. The Rio Tinto blend was also pretty fun - a big juice pop.
To credit Morgan - they are making broadly appealing wine that is interesting. It's not the sort of stuff that I'd hang my hat on, but at the same time, I respect their game. The prices varied pretty widely - Rio Tinto for $13, the vineyard designate pinots for $58 - so I can see that they are trying to include lots of folks in their pricing scheme, which is smart. I'd prefer to visit a tasting room that isn't in a shopping center, but they obviously know what they are doing.
Experience: C+ / Wines: B
December '14 El Dorado County Trip - Great Views, Patient Family
I've got to share my appreciation for my in-laws. At least once a year, we come into town for the holidays or other event, and my wife and I state our interest in visiting wineries in the area. And every year, they volunteer to come along. Mind you, they don't drink wine, they've tried, but it's never been something that they've enjoyed. Just the same, they come along. We go into the wineries, unleashed due to the fact that we have a designated driver, and they wait patiently in the car. Sometimes they go for walks, but for the most part, they wait. Each time I feel guilty, but not so guilty as to give it up and do something else.
For this day's journey, we knew that we wanted to hit up a few places in the Fairplay/Pleasant Valley area of El Dorado County. We knew that we wanted to go to Skinner first, and considering that Sierra Vista was on the way back to the in-law's, we'd make that our final stop. What we didn't account for is how long we'd spend at Skinner, meaning that any plans to hit up any places in between were scrapped.
Skinner Vineyards and Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$48)
"Seven Generations" (Grenache Blanc/Roussanne/Picpoul Blanc/Viognier), '12 Rosé (Mourvèdre/Grenache), '12 Grenache - Estate, '11 "Eighteen Sixty One" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '11 "Dry Diggings" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre), '11 "Six Horse" Zinfandel, '09 Syrah - Stoney Creek Vineyard, '12 Grenache -Sumu Kaw Vineyard, '12 Grenache - Fenaughty Vineyard
During this visit, I had started reading Jon Bonné's The New California Wine. What a great book. In it he seeks and finds wineries that are doing their own thing, eschewing the California archetype of wine (big, bold, jammy). Since reading it, I decided to visit a number of wineries that he recommended that I hadn't heard of. Skinner was one of those. The Skinner story is a neat one. The current generations of Skinners, Mike and Carey, as well as their son Kevin and his wife Kathy came upon historical info about James Skinner - a great great great grandfather to James. James Skinner, a Scottish miner, had established a winery in gold country in 1861. Learning this, they decided to purchase land in the same area, and start up a new Skinner winery - to extend the family tradition. The space that they have built is gorgeous. A great, tall wooden building rests on a hillside that overlooks forested hills. Inside are a number of historical photos and drawings that tell the Skinner story.
The staff were very knowledgeable, some of the most astute in the area. The were good ambassadors for the family. I would say that there was one weird thing. Right near the tasting bar was a spiral staircase that wound down into what looked like a wine cellar. Everyone that came in, including us asked "Oh cool! Can I do down there?" And each and every time they answered, "NO! That's a private space just for the family!" This folks, is what you call an attractive nuisance. Everyone knows that spiral staircases are badass, especially ones that go down to secret cellars. And at the time that I was there, there wasn't any signage declaring the space off limits. But whatever, just weird. It did highlight the slight awkwardness of the space and the staff.
Regardless, the wine was banging. The white was super enjoyable, and the Rosé was a delicious ride. They allowed us to try a number of their Grenaches. All were great. The Estate was calm, quiet preserves, followed by late acid. The Sumu Kaw Vineyard Grenache was ridiculously light, but still carried acid and flavor. It was like a macho Rosé. The Fenaughty Vineyard Grenache was concentrated juice with pretty and light acid. Both of the GSM blends were good, I enjoyed the Eighteen Sixty One more. The Zinfandel, their one non-Rhone varietal, was a fine take - calm entry, grows in the mouth, blueberries, and a slight zip at the end. The Syrah was a big mamma-jamma. It was well constructed, mature, but too overbearing for me.
Experience: B / Wines: B+
Sierra Vista Vineyards and Winery ($0 tasting, wines $18-$35)
'13 "Old Vine" Chardonnay, '11 Roussanne,'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '13 Viognier, '13 Grenache, '11 Mourvèdre, '02 "Fleur de Montagne" (Grenache/Syrah,Mourvèdre/Cinsault), '04 "Fleur de Montagne", '08 "Fleur de Montagne", '12 "Fleur de Montagne", '09 "Old Clone" Zinfandel, '11 Syrah "Ancient Vine Reserve", '10 "Red Rocks Ridge" Syrah, '05 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, '12 Viognier Dessert Wine "Doux", '04 Viognier Dessert Wine "Doux"
There are a number of new, hip and well-heeled wineries in the Sierra Foothills - Skinner for one, but also, Andis, Turley, and Renwood. Sierra Vista is none of those things. It's been around since 1977, and is about as unassuming as a winery can be. We sat down at picnic tables with our leftover turkey sandwiches and looked out over the vineyard and the rolling hills beyond. While we sat, the owner and winemaker, John MacCready, and his family happened by. He was goofing off with his grandkids, or actually probably great-grandkids. Even though he's eighty two, he was still shimmying back and forth on one of the kid's scooters pretty well - or perhaps he was the one who got a shiny new scooter from Santa for Christmas.
The staff inside the tasting room were just as sweet. The wine list was exhaustively long, and it was only through great insistence on our part were we able to persuade them to allow us to skip a few wines here and there. Even through our protests, they were still able to get us to try sixteen (!!) different wines. Part of the reason that the list was so long was because they were doing library tastings of their "Fleur de Montagne" Rhone blend. Just the same, the list was quite varied.
Basically, there were a few big hits for us with the wines, and lots of misses. The table whites were not especially enjoyable. We liked the Viognier okay, but it wasn't very remarkable. Many of the reds were off-balanced, too sharp, sweet, with concentrated fruit, or had off-putting flavors. The "Fleurs" were pretty good, especially the younger ones, the older ones a bit sticky. The guy that was serving us was kind enough to hold on to some of the '05 Cabernet that they had, instead of serving what was left to a couple of other folks there ahead of us. He told us "You guys seem to like wine a lot, I think you'll get a kick out of this." The dude was right. It was fantastic. And given the other wines, we were taken aback. It had been decanted for a full day ahead of time. With a big cocoa nose and hits of toast, it was quite pretty, some sneaky sweetness, and a nice layer of dust. It was a tremendous experience. Finally we tried the dessert wines. The '12 was too quiet, but the '04 was tons of fun. Nutty, grippy, with slight hints of greeness.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B-
El Dorado County never ceases to intrigue. It's almost always going to assure good conversation and interesting history. It's hard to know if the wines are going to impress, surprise or underwhelm. Skinner and Sierra Vista represent two very distinct aspects of the region - new investment versus old-timer. Both are aggressively independent, and for that they are completely within the sweet spot for what's to love about the area. Just one thing though, do not go down the secret staircase.
For this day's journey, we knew that we wanted to hit up a few places in the Fairplay/Pleasant Valley area of El Dorado County. We knew that we wanted to go to Skinner first, and considering that Sierra Vista was on the way back to the in-law's, we'd make that our final stop. What we didn't account for is how long we'd spend at Skinner, meaning that any plans to hit up any places in between were scrapped.
Skinner Vineyards and Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$48)
"Seven Generations" (Grenache Blanc/Roussanne/Picpoul Blanc/Viognier), '12 Rosé (Mourvèdre/Grenache), '12 Grenache - Estate, '11 "Eighteen Sixty One" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '11 "Dry Diggings" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre), '11 "Six Horse" Zinfandel, '09 Syrah - Stoney Creek Vineyard, '12 Grenache -Sumu Kaw Vineyard, '12 Grenache - Fenaughty Vineyard
During this visit, I had started reading Jon Bonné's The New California Wine. What a great book. In it he seeks and finds wineries that are doing their own thing, eschewing the California archetype of wine (big, bold, jammy). Since reading it, I decided to visit a number of wineries that he recommended that I hadn't heard of. Skinner was one of those. The Skinner story is a neat one. The current generations of Skinners, Mike and Carey, as well as their son Kevin and his wife Kathy came upon historical info about James Skinner - a great great great grandfather to James. James Skinner, a Scottish miner, had established a winery in gold country in 1861. Learning this, they decided to purchase land in the same area, and start up a new Skinner winery - to extend the family tradition. The space that they have built is gorgeous. A great, tall wooden building rests on a hillside that overlooks forested hills. Inside are a number of historical photos and drawings that tell the Skinner story.The staff were very knowledgeable, some of the most astute in the area. The were good ambassadors for the family. I would say that there was one weird thing. Right near the tasting bar was a spiral staircase that wound down into what looked like a wine cellar. Everyone that came in, including us asked "Oh cool! Can I do down there?" And each and every time they answered, "NO! That's a private space just for the family!" This folks, is what you call an attractive nuisance. Everyone knows that spiral staircases are badass, especially ones that go down to secret cellars. And at the time that I was there, there wasn't any signage declaring the space off limits. But whatever, just weird. It did highlight the slight awkwardness of the space and the staff.
Regardless, the wine was banging. The white was super enjoyable, and the Rosé was a delicious ride. They allowed us to try a number of their Grenaches. All were great. The Estate was calm, quiet preserves, followed by late acid. The Sumu Kaw Vineyard Grenache was ridiculously light, but still carried acid and flavor. It was like a macho Rosé. The Fenaughty Vineyard Grenache was concentrated juice with pretty and light acid. Both of the GSM blends were good, I enjoyed the Eighteen Sixty One more. The Zinfandel, their one non-Rhone varietal, was a fine take - calm entry, grows in the mouth, blueberries, and a slight zip at the end. The Syrah was a big mamma-jamma. It was well constructed, mature, but too overbearing for me.
Experience: B / Wines: B+
Sierra Vista Vineyards and Winery ($0 tasting, wines $18-$35)
'13 "Old Vine" Chardonnay, '11 Roussanne,'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '13 Viognier, '13 Grenache, '11 Mourvèdre, '02 "Fleur de Montagne" (Grenache/Syrah,Mourvèdre/Cinsault), '04 "Fleur de Montagne", '08 "Fleur de Montagne", '12 "Fleur de Montagne", '09 "Old Clone" Zinfandel, '11 Syrah "Ancient Vine Reserve", '10 "Red Rocks Ridge" Syrah, '05 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, '12 Viognier Dessert Wine "Doux", '04 Viognier Dessert Wine "Doux"
There are a number of new, hip and well-heeled wineries in the Sierra Foothills - Skinner for one, but also, Andis, Turley, and Renwood. Sierra Vista is none of those things. It's been around since 1977, and is about as unassuming as a winery can be. We sat down at picnic tables with our leftover turkey sandwiches and looked out over the vineyard and the rolling hills beyond. While we sat, the owner and winemaker, John MacCready, and his family happened by. He was goofing off with his grandkids, or actually probably great-grandkids. Even though he's eighty two, he was still shimmying back and forth on one of the kid's scooters pretty well - or perhaps he was the one who got a shiny new scooter from Santa for Christmas.The staff inside the tasting room were just as sweet. The wine list was exhaustively long, and it was only through great insistence on our part were we able to persuade them to allow us to skip a few wines here and there. Even through our protests, they were still able to get us to try sixteen (!!) different wines. Part of the reason that the list was so long was because they were doing library tastings of their "Fleur de Montagne" Rhone blend. Just the same, the list was quite varied.
Basically, there were a few big hits for us with the wines, and lots of misses. The table whites were not especially enjoyable. We liked the Viognier okay, but it wasn't very remarkable. Many of the reds were off-balanced, too sharp, sweet, with concentrated fruit, or had off-putting flavors. The "Fleurs" were pretty good, especially the younger ones, the older ones a bit sticky. The guy that was serving us was kind enough to hold on to some of the '05 Cabernet that they had, instead of serving what was left to a couple of other folks there ahead of us. He told us "You guys seem to like wine a lot, I think you'll get a kick out of this." The dude was right. It was fantastic. And given the other wines, we were taken aback. It had been decanted for a full day ahead of time. With a big cocoa nose and hits of toast, it was quite pretty, some sneaky sweetness, and a nice layer of dust. It was a tremendous experience. Finally we tried the dessert wines. The '12 was too quiet, but the '04 was tons of fun. Nutty, grippy, with slight hints of greeness.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B-
El Dorado County never ceases to intrigue. It's almost always going to assure good conversation and interesting history. It's hard to know if the wines are going to impress, surprise or underwhelm. Skinner and Sierra Vista represent two very distinct aspects of the region - new investment versus old-timer. Both are aggressively independent, and for that they are completely within the sweet spot for what's to love about the area. Just one thing though, do not go down the secret staircase.
December '14 Livermore Valley Trip - Drinking in the 'Burbs
The Livermore Valley lacks he bucolic charm of other California wine regions. On approach, you find yourself in the exurbs of the greater Bay Area - chain restaurants and sub-divisions. Old friends of mine live nearby, and have sung the praises of the Livermore wine scene to me over the past several years. After doing a trip with them to the Santa Barbara area, they reciprocated by having me stay with them for the weekend and sharing their region with me.
To get to the wineries, you drive through the neighborhoods of Livermore. Homes, homes, homes, and then you break through and find yourself in a rural setting with lazy rolling hills. Many of the wineries have peaceful views looking down into the valley over expanses of green slopes. During the weekend that we were there, the wineries were all celebrating Christmas with craft shows, Santas, live music, etc.
We did the region over two days, one day it was just two of us, and then the second day it was three of us, plus their adorable child. They set the agenda, these were all wineries that they were very familiar with and enjoyed.
Saturday
Wente Vineyards ($10 "Winemaker's Flight" tasting, wines $25-$120)
'13 Small Lot Viognier, '12 Small Lot Counoise, '12 Small Lot Zinfandel, '12 GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '12 Small Lot Grenache, '12 "Nth Degree" Cabernet Sauvignon
To start us off, we drove to the edge of the region. Wente's vineyard backs right up to the hillside. It's a large campus with a golf course attached to it, a full restaurant and a handful of large, mission-style buildings. The tasting room is a bit cramped considering the palatial grounds. Our host was a lovely and knowledgeable woman. She had considerable experience in the wine industry and was happy to participate in a wandering conversation.
Wente is the grandaddy in the area - its also "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." Carl Wente established the winery in 1883. Wente's name comes up a lot in the California wine scene, especially since Carl's son, Ernest Wente brought a specific Chardonnay cutting from France, that clone is now 75% of all Chardonnay made in California.
We both chose to go with the "Winmaker's Flight," a selection of wines that were all considered small lot bottlings. It seemed like the more interesting selection. While I didn't enjoy all of the wines equally, they were all confidently made. The Viognier was light, calm and laden with citrus. The flowers that often accompany Viogniers weren't there sadly. I had a good time with the Counoise, it was bright, natural and had fun green funk. Their Zinfandel was much more restrained that the normal Zin beasts I experience - light beef and checked back acid. The GSM was quite dense, well woven with big boy acid. I'm thinking it would be well served to be aged a few more years. The Grenache was the weakest of the bunch - too much oak and a slight medicine kick, though had an interesting cinnamon hint. The Cabernet was show-stopper. Velvety raspberries guided by smart acid and solid length - mainstream but delicious. As with most of the larger scale wineries, the prices were steep.
Experience: B- / Wine: B
Cuda Ridge Wines ($10 tasting, wines $21-$36)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Cabernet Franc, '12 Malbec, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Bordeaux Blend" Cabernet Sauvignon, '12 Petit Verdot, '05 "Cuda Amis" Port-Style Dessert Wine
From the country club stylings of Wente, Cuda Ridge seemed like visiting a new neighbor's house. Their tasting room and small vineyard is immediately adjacent to homes, and the layout of the building was very suburban house-like. For their holiday festivities, each room was pouring different wines and had snacks and desserts to nosh on, sort of like a progressive house party. One of the rooms had delicious Portuguese soup that hit the spot. There were plenty of folks there, we may have crashed a member party, but who knows. We did get a chance to chat with the matriarch of the winery for a bit, she was terribly sweet - I got the feeling that they invested deeply in the familial feel to their wine community.
The wines were flavorful and generally lacked structure. The Sauvignon Blanc had a crazy grassy nose, and lots and lots of lemons. I don't think I've ever gotten banana bread off of a red wine before, but the Cabernet Franc's nose was dead on bready, the body was bright red fruit. I liked the Malbec, it was jumbled, but was enjoyable. The Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, was big acid, big fruit, not very well defined. Alternatively, the Bordeaux Blend Cab was much more poetic. It probably needed aging, but was calm and varied, slight hints of mint. The Petit Verdot was a mouthful, big acid opening, tart black fruit and then a calm exit. Fianlly, the dessert wine was bacon and maple, but too much stickiness for me.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+
Big White House and Jon Evan Cellars ($5 tasting, wines $24-$45)
'12 Chardonnay - Spendorio Vineyard, '12 Viognier - Ripkin Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Sangiovese - Ripkin Vineyard, '13 Pinot Noir - Ripkin Vineyard, '10 "East/West Blend" Syrah, '12 Zinfandel - Splendorio Vineyard, '11 "Chateau Marion" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "The Winter Star" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "Les Famille des Amoureux" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Sirah), Jon Evan '11 Late Harvest Syrah
We had a hell of a time finding a parking space in their huge dirt lot. The tasting room is in an airy barn, but on the day that we visited, that joint was wall to wall people. And everyone was there to have a good time. The vibe was like a festive sports bar at a country club - a bit older, chill, but saucy (in both was). We were able to select any wines we wanted to try from a massive list. We tried ten, but there were at least five more on the list that we skipped. The list offers two different labels - Big White House are wines that are made by Jon Marion, while Jon Evan wines are made by his son, Jon Evan Marion. Both men create bombastic wines, though Jon Evan's are much more interesting.The place definitely has an upbeat family vibe, though they certainly weren't equipped to deal with so many people. You had to wiggle your way to front to get wines, and then shout above the din to tell them which wine you wanted next.
Neither of the whites struck my fancy. Both featured an apricot skin flavor. The Viognier was a bit more interesting, it wasn't sweet, but had a dessert wine profile. The Big White House reds all had big flavor profiles, and the flavors ran amok - the Sangiovese had a juicy film, the Pinot showed burned branches and cranberries, the Syrah was sloppy, the Zin was a velvet punch straight in the mouth, and the "Chateau Marion" was jammy, jammy acid. Jon Evan's wines were more interesting. "The Winter Star" was dense, boisterous, had high tannins, but was the most thoughtful and enjoyable wine of the day. I also enjoyed the "Les Famille des Amoureux." It was a big dude, but the tannins were more calm, and a fun cranberry jam blend. I did not enjoy the Late Harvest Syrah - that dried apricot flavor showed up again, and the wine was un-centered.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C+
Les Chênes Estate Vineyard (member tasting, wines $23-$32)
'12 "Deux Blanc" (Chardonnay/Viognier), '12 "Anniversary" Pinot Noir, '12 Estate Syrah Reserve, '12 "Deux Rouge" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah), '12 Primitivo, NV Old Vine Dessert Wine
Another winery, another dirt road and a barn for a tasting room - I'm starting to get a feel for the Livermore aesthetic. Les Chênes is a more calm and centered place in comparison to Big White House and Cuda Ridge. The folks behind the winery are Richard and Candice Dixon - a sweet older couple that have been married for over 50 years. In 1999 they purchased the Livermore property to retire on it, grow grapes, and make wine. They opened the winery in 2007.
The love that they have for each other and the wine was palpable upon our visit. The tasting room was busy, but thankfully not as crazed as other places that day. A group of carolers sang while folks mingled and enjoyed the wines. I was mixed on how I felt about the "Deux Blanc." Specifically my note says "seems like a county fair entrant - though a competitor." It had some very interesting characteristics, white smoke on the nose, strong acid, apple and viscous. The Pinot Noir was specifically made by Richard for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was tart and peppery, maybe too flavorful, but if that's commentary on their marriage, good on them. The Syrah was bright red and stark, lots of fun. A second flavor accompanied that primary note - thready and green, interesting. The "Deux Rouge" was a bit too cloying for me, juice added to the nice Syrah flavor. The Primativo was tons of fun. Green notes with a fogginess to it. Calm plums, prunes and raspberries. Finally the dessert wine wasn't very refined, but it was enjoyable - nutty, woody, with bright red fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B
Sunday
BoaVentura de Caires Winery (member tasting, wines $24-$46)
'13 "White Table Wine" (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc/Orange Muscat), '11 "Red Mutt" (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel), '10 Syrah - Nelson Vineyard, '10 Petite Sirah, '11 "Green Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, NV "Platinum Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Blue Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 "DePorted" Dessert Wine
BoaVentura was the hippest and best place that we visited all weekend. Quite honestly, I'm generally resistant to hip spots, but they were right on the money with their style and thankfully the wine was good as well. The BoaVentura barn has cool industrial art wrapped up in it.
Brett Caires was inspired to pursue wine based on his family traditions. He remembered wine being a part of family dinner. After a career in real estate and the food world, he and his wife purchased the five acre site that is now their winery and vineyard. The atmosphere was festive, lots of happy tasters on a chilly grey morning. Outside the barn door was a fire where kids enjoyed s'mores.
The white wine was pretty enjoyable. It had a soft effervescence, it was full mouthed and bright. Aside from the green funkiness, it was quite tasty. The "Red Mutt" was very good - medium bodied and a light entry. It had a Bordeaux/California vibe. The Syrah was sour candy grapes with late, soft tannins and nicely apportioned acid. The Petite Sirah was a showy pony - a dark raisin nose, a calm entry, and then a boysenberry juice body.
BoaVentura specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. They have two vineyard locations for their Cab growing. The back vineyard is a more stable location and easier to grow on. The front vineyard is rockier, sloped and receives less light. Given it's more challenging location, the grapes from the back vineyard make more interesting wines. All of the Cabs that I tried were thoughtful and flavorful. The Green Label (100% back vineyard grapes) was challenging, pine and cedar nose, sharp with high tannins and acid. The Black Label (50% front/50% back) had a much more grand profile. Lots of plum, very Californian. The Platinum Label (60% front vineyard, 40% back vineyard) had a big fruit nose, lots of tart jam and complexity. Finally, the Blue Label (60% front, 40% back) was most decadent. A pretty port nose, calm, velvety entry, and mature juice. Quite the show horse. We ended with the port. It was nice - caramel, leaves, herbs - but a note of medicine threw it off slightly.
Experience: B / Wine: B+
McGrail Vineyards and Winery (member tasting, wines $25-$45)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '13 Chardonnay, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel tasting), '08 Proprietary Red (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), '11 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
To their credit, McGrail put on a heck of a holiday party. They had a Santa, a lively band, and a bunch of folks enjoying the festivities. Aside from that, McGrail felt very different from the other wineries. Upon receiving our first glass of wine, we were also giving a little map that showed us the layout of the Tuscan-style building, and where we could find the rest of our wines for the tasting. The feel of the staff was stiff, and slightly annoyed. Perhaps this was specific to the holiday event, but I have a feeling that McGrail is always a stoic place. It did not have the happy, friendly atmosphere of the other wineries in the area. It felt like they were trying to emulate a larger winery, like Wente, but didn't have the same panache.
I was led to this conclusion partially by the wine. All of it was bland. The Sauvignon Blanc was nicely balanced, had lemon juice and peel, but was unengaging. The Chardonnay was simple and seemed watered down. The barrel tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon was most interesting. It was lively and had soft peppers. It was mainstream. Seemed like a top shelf supermarket mine. I disliked the Proprietary Red most. It hinted at rotten strawberries. The last tasting, the Cab Reserve was big flavored with raspberries and cherries, but uninspiring.
Experience: C / Wine: C-
Page Mill Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$39)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc - Ghielmetti Vineyard, '13 Chardonnay - Chandler Vineyard, '13 "Angela's Cuvée" Grenache Rosé - Lake County, '13 Grenache - Ghielmetti, '12 Zinfandel - Spencer Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Merlot - Cote Vineyard, SF Bay Region, '12 "GPS" (Syrah/Grenache/Petite Sirah), '12 Syrah - Tazatta Vineyard, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 Petite Sirah
Our last stop on the way to the airport was Page Mill. It wasn't one that my friends were familiar with, I had read a positive review about it in a wine blog. The tasting room was in a quaint rock building. The staff were very nice - surprisingly nice considering that we showed up near the end of the day, and they were starting to close up. The feel to the place was homey. Staff were not the most knowledgeable, but friendly, and were happy to pour as much wine as we liked. There was a lot to choose from. We bounced from taste to taste based on recommendations from the staff.
It was a mixed bag of wines. In addition to some being from the Livermore area, some of them were from various nearby regions: Lake County, Lodi, San Francisco Bay Area. Wines varied from off to good. The Sauvignon Blanc was completely unique. Hints of nastiness and pineapples on the nose. The body had cute, fragile characteristics, and a soft marshmallow mouthfeel. The Chardonnay was too much flavor. It had a sulfur aroma and strongly tasted of candied lemons. The Rosé was reminiscent of a stereotypical surfer - kinda vacuous and bland. I enjoyed the Greneche. It was simple but had a nice melange of flavors - flat cola, fruit juice, sage and funk. The Zinfandel was crazy dense, a kick in the mouth. The Merlot was just fine, pretty mainstream. I enjoyed the other Rhone, the Syrah as well. It had meaty pepper, and hinted of watermelon steak, backed by lots of acid. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a fun green entry with tons of fruit - not amazing, but quaff-able. We ended on the Petite Sirah - the one estate wine. It was similar to the overall experience - densely sweet, with light fruit, kind edges, and kind of jumbled.
Experience: B / Wine: C+
Well there it is. A whirlwind tour of the Livermore Valley. It's a sleepy region that has inspired folks to strike out and do what they love. And along the way they create friendly communities to join them. No one was really stuffy or seemed to look down on folks for not being knowledgeable enough - heck most of the places operated out of barns, and they maintained that quiet, supportive farmer mentality. I will say that I encountered very few interesting white wines. Many places relied upon Cabernet Sauvignon as their flagship grape. Aside from Napa, the California wine regions that I've visited are looking to stake their reputation to other varietals. Does this mean that Livermore will attempt to pivot away from Cab eventually? I'm guessing not, it's been a region for a long time, and while it's expansion is being fueled by the artisinal/locavore movement, I think they've defined themselves already.
To get to the wineries, you drive through the neighborhoods of Livermore. Homes, homes, homes, and then you break through and find yourself in a rural setting with lazy rolling hills. Many of the wineries have peaceful views looking down into the valley over expanses of green slopes. During the weekend that we were there, the wineries were all celebrating Christmas with craft shows, Santas, live music, etc.
We did the region over two days, one day it was just two of us, and then the second day it was three of us, plus their adorable child. They set the agenda, these were all wineries that they were very familiar with and enjoyed.
Saturday
Wente Vineyards ($10 "Winemaker's Flight" tasting, wines $25-$120)
'13 Small Lot Viognier, '12 Small Lot Counoise, '12 Small Lot Zinfandel, '12 GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '12 Small Lot Grenache, '12 "Nth Degree" Cabernet Sauvignon
To start us off, we drove to the edge of the region. Wente's vineyard backs right up to the hillside. It's a large campus with a golf course attached to it, a full restaurant and a handful of large, mission-style buildings. The tasting room is a bit cramped considering the palatial grounds. Our host was a lovely and knowledgeable woman. She had considerable experience in the wine industry and was happy to participate in a wandering conversation.
Wente is the grandaddy in the area - its also "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." Carl Wente established the winery in 1883. Wente's name comes up a lot in the California wine scene, especially since Carl's son, Ernest Wente brought a specific Chardonnay cutting from France, that clone is now 75% of all Chardonnay made in California.
We both chose to go with the "Winmaker's Flight," a selection of wines that were all considered small lot bottlings. It seemed like the more interesting selection. While I didn't enjoy all of the wines equally, they were all confidently made. The Viognier was light, calm and laden with citrus. The flowers that often accompany Viogniers weren't there sadly. I had a good time with the Counoise, it was bright, natural and had fun green funk. Their Zinfandel was much more restrained that the normal Zin beasts I experience - light beef and checked back acid. The GSM was quite dense, well woven with big boy acid. I'm thinking it would be well served to be aged a few more years. The Grenache was the weakest of the bunch - too much oak and a slight medicine kick, though had an interesting cinnamon hint. The Cabernet was show-stopper. Velvety raspberries guided by smart acid and solid length - mainstream but delicious. As with most of the larger scale wineries, the prices were steep.
Experience: B- / Wine: B
Cuda Ridge Wines ($10 tasting, wines $21-$36)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Cabernet Franc, '12 Malbec, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Bordeaux Blend" Cabernet Sauvignon, '12 Petit Verdot, '05 "Cuda Amis" Port-Style Dessert Wine
From the country club stylings of Wente, Cuda Ridge seemed like visiting a new neighbor's house. Their tasting room and small vineyard is immediately adjacent to homes, and the layout of the building was very suburban house-like. For their holiday festivities, each room was pouring different wines and had snacks and desserts to nosh on, sort of like a progressive house party. One of the rooms had delicious Portuguese soup that hit the spot. There were plenty of folks there, we may have crashed a member party, but who knows. We did get a chance to chat with the matriarch of the winery for a bit, she was terribly sweet - I got the feeling that they invested deeply in the familial feel to their wine community.
The wines were flavorful and generally lacked structure. The Sauvignon Blanc had a crazy grassy nose, and lots and lots of lemons. I don't think I've ever gotten banana bread off of a red wine before, but the Cabernet Franc's nose was dead on bready, the body was bright red fruit. I liked the Malbec, it was jumbled, but was enjoyable. The Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, was big acid, big fruit, not very well defined. Alternatively, the Bordeaux Blend Cab was much more poetic. It probably needed aging, but was calm and varied, slight hints of mint. The Petit Verdot was a mouthful, big acid opening, tart black fruit and then a calm exit. Fianlly, the dessert wine was bacon and maple, but too much stickiness for me.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+
Big White House and Jon Evan Cellars ($5 tasting, wines $24-$45)
'12 Chardonnay - Spendorio Vineyard, '12 Viognier - Ripkin Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Sangiovese - Ripkin Vineyard, '13 Pinot Noir - Ripkin Vineyard, '10 "East/West Blend" Syrah, '12 Zinfandel - Splendorio Vineyard, '11 "Chateau Marion" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "The Winter Star" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "Les Famille des Amoureux" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Sirah), Jon Evan '11 Late Harvest Syrah
We had a hell of a time finding a parking space in their huge dirt lot. The tasting room is in an airy barn, but on the day that we visited, that joint was wall to wall people. And everyone was there to have a good time. The vibe was like a festive sports bar at a country club - a bit older, chill, but saucy (in both was). We were able to select any wines we wanted to try from a massive list. We tried ten, but there were at least five more on the list that we skipped. The list offers two different labels - Big White House are wines that are made by Jon Marion, while Jon Evan wines are made by his son, Jon Evan Marion. Both men create bombastic wines, though Jon Evan's are much more interesting.The place definitely has an upbeat family vibe, though they certainly weren't equipped to deal with so many people. You had to wiggle your way to front to get wines, and then shout above the din to tell them which wine you wanted next.
Neither of the whites struck my fancy. Both featured an apricot skin flavor. The Viognier was a bit more interesting, it wasn't sweet, but had a dessert wine profile. The Big White House reds all had big flavor profiles, and the flavors ran amok - the Sangiovese had a juicy film, the Pinot showed burned branches and cranberries, the Syrah was sloppy, the Zin was a velvet punch straight in the mouth, and the "Chateau Marion" was jammy, jammy acid. Jon Evan's wines were more interesting. "The Winter Star" was dense, boisterous, had high tannins, but was the most thoughtful and enjoyable wine of the day. I also enjoyed the "Les Famille des Amoureux." It was a big dude, but the tannins were more calm, and a fun cranberry jam blend. I did not enjoy the Late Harvest Syrah - that dried apricot flavor showed up again, and the wine was un-centered.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C+
Les Chênes Estate Vineyard (member tasting, wines $23-$32)
'12 "Deux Blanc" (Chardonnay/Viognier), '12 "Anniversary" Pinot Noir, '12 Estate Syrah Reserve, '12 "Deux Rouge" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah), '12 Primitivo, NV Old Vine Dessert Wine
Another winery, another dirt road and a barn for a tasting room - I'm starting to get a feel for the Livermore aesthetic. Les Chênes is a more calm and centered place in comparison to Big White House and Cuda Ridge. The folks behind the winery are Richard and Candice Dixon - a sweet older couple that have been married for over 50 years. In 1999 they purchased the Livermore property to retire on it, grow grapes, and make wine. They opened the winery in 2007.
The love that they have for each other and the wine was palpable upon our visit. The tasting room was busy, but thankfully not as crazed as other places that day. A group of carolers sang while folks mingled and enjoyed the wines. I was mixed on how I felt about the "Deux Blanc." Specifically my note says "seems like a county fair entrant - though a competitor." It had some very interesting characteristics, white smoke on the nose, strong acid, apple and viscous. The Pinot Noir was specifically made by Richard for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was tart and peppery, maybe too flavorful, but if that's commentary on their marriage, good on them. The Syrah was bright red and stark, lots of fun. A second flavor accompanied that primary note - thready and green, interesting. The "Deux Rouge" was a bit too cloying for me, juice added to the nice Syrah flavor. The Primativo was tons of fun. Green notes with a fogginess to it. Calm plums, prunes and raspberries. Finally the dessert wine wasn't very refined, but it was enjoyable - nutty, woody, with bright red fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B
Sunday
BoaVentura de Caires Winery (member tasting, wines $24-$46)
'13 "White Table Wine" (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc/Orange Muscat), '11 "Red Mutt" (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel), '10 Syrah - Nelson Vineyard, '10 Petite Sirah, '11 "Green Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, NV "Platinum Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Blue Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 "DePorted" Dessert Wine
BoaVentura was the hippest and best place that we visited all weekend. Quite honestly, I'm generally resistant to hip spots, but they were right on the money with their style and thankfully the wine was good as well. The BoaVentura barn has cool industrial art wrapped up in it.
Brett Caires was inspired to pursue wine based on his family traditions. He remembered wine being a part of family dinner. After a career in real estate and the food world, he and his wife purchased the five acre site that is now their winery and vineyard. The atmosphere was festive, lots of happy tasters on a chilly grey morning. Outside the barn door was a fire where kids enjoyed s'mores.
The white wine was pretty enjoyable. It had a soft effervescence, it was full mouthed and bright. Aside from the green funkiness, it was quite tasty. The "Red Mutt" was very good - medium bodied and a light entry. It had a Bordeaux/California vibe. The Syrah was sour candy grapes with late, soft tannins and nicely apportioned acid. The Petite Sirah was a showy pony - a dark raisin nose, a calm entry, and then a boysenberry juice body.
BoaVentura specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. They have two vineyard locations for their Cab growing. The back vineyard is a more stable location and easier to grow on. The front vineyard is rockier, sloped and receives less light. Given it's more challenging location, the grapes from the back vineyard make more interesting wines. All of the Cabs that I tried were thoughtful and flavorful. The Green Label (100% back vineyard grapes) was challenging, pine and cedar nose, sharp with high tannins and acid. The Black Label (50% front/50% back) had a much more grand profile. Lots of plum, very Californian. The Platinum Label (60% front vineyard, 40% back vineyard) had a big fruit nose, lots of tart jam and complexity. Finally, the Blue Label (60% front, 40% back) was most decadent. A pretty port nose, calm, velvety entry, and mature juice. Quite the show horse. We ended with the port. It was nice - caramel, leaves, herbs - but a note of medicine threw it off slightly.
Experience: B / Wine: B+
McGrail Vineyards and Winery (member tasting, wines $25-$45)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '13 Chardonnay, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel tasting), '08 Proprietary Red (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), '11 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
To their credit, McGrail put on a heck of a holiday party. They had a Santa, a lively band, and a bunch of folks enjoying the festivities. Aside from that, McGrail felt very different from the other wineries. Upon receiving our first glass of wine, we were also giving a little map that showed us the layout of the Tuscan-style building, and where we could find the rest of our wines for the tasting. The feel of the staff was stiff, and slightly annoyed. Perhaps this was specific to the holiday event, but I have a feeling that McGrail is always a stoic place. It did not have the happy, friendly atmosphere of the other wineries in the area. It felt like they were trying to emulate a larger winery, like Wente, but didn't have the same panache.
I was led to this conclusion partially by the wine. All of it was bland. The Sauvignon Blanc was nicely balanced, had lemon juice and peel, but was unengaging. The Chardonnay was simple and seemed watered down. The barrel tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon was most interesting. It was lively and had soft peppers. It was mainstream. Seemed like a top shelf supermarket mine. I disliked the Proprietary Red most. It hinted at rotten strawberries. The last tasting, the Cab Reserve was big flavored with raspberries and cherries, but uninspiring.
Experience: C / Wine: C-
Page Mill Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$39)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc - Ghielmetti Vineyard, '13 Chardonnay - Chandler Vineyard, '13 "Angela's Cuvée" Grenache Rosé - Lake County, '13 Grenache - Ghielmetti, '12 Zinfandel - Spencer Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Merlot - Cote Vineyard, SF Bay Region, '12 "GPS" (Syrah/Grenache/Petite Sirah), '12 Syrah - Tazatta Vineyard, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 Petite Sirah
Our last stop on the way to the airport was Page Mill. It wasn't one that my friends were familiar with, I had read a positive review about it in a wine blog. The tasting room was in a quaint rock building. The staff were very nice - surprisingly nice considering that we showed up near the end of the day, and they were starting to close up. The feel to the place was homey. Staff were not the most knowledgeable, but friendly, and were happy to pour as much wine as we liked. There was a lot to choose from. We bounced from taste to taste based on recommendations from the staff.
It was a mixed bag of wines. In addition to some being from the Livermore area, some of them were from various nearby regions: Lake County, Lodi, San Francisco Bay Area. Wines varied from off to good. The Sauvignon Blanc was completely unique. Hints of nastiness and pineapples on the nose. The body had cute, fragile characteristics, and a soft marshmallow mouthfeel. The Chardonnay was too much flavor. It had a sulfur aroma and strongly tasted of candied lemons. The Rosé was reminiscent of a stereotypical surfer - kinda vacuous and bland. I enjoyed the Greneche. It was simple but had a nice melange of flavors - flat cola, fruit juice, sage and funk. The Zinfandel was crazy dense, a kick in the mouth. The Merlot was just fine, pretty mainstream. I enjoyed the other Rhone, the Syrah as well. It had meaty pepper, and hinted of watermelon steak, backed by lots of acid. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a fun green entry with tons of fruit - not amazing, but quaff-able. We ended on the Petite Sirah - the one estate wine. It was similar to the overall experience - densely sweet, with light fruit, kind edges, and kind of jumbled.
Experience: B / Wine: C+
Well there it is. A whirlwind tour of the Livermore Valley. It's a sleepy region that has inspired folks to strike out and do what they love. And along the way they create friendly communities to join them. No one was really stuffy or seemed to look down on folks for not being knowledgeable enough - heck most of the places operated out of barns, and they maintained that quiet, supportive farmer mentality. I will say that I encountered very few interesting white wines. Many places relied upon Cabernet Sauvignon as their flagship grape. Aside from Napa, the California wine regions that I've visited are looking to stake their reputation to other varietals. Does this mean that Livermore will attempt to pivot away from Cab eventually? I'm guessing not, it's been a region for a long time, and while it's expansion is being fueled by the artisinal/locavore movement, I think they've defined themselves already.
November '14 Santa Barbara Trip - Black Friday
When your wife has work to do on the day after Thanksgiving, and you've got the day off, might as well hook up with some friends and check out some wineries. We wanted to check out some estate wineries, as well as a few tasting rooms in Los Olivos. Lincourt and Roblar are two of a handful of estate wineries that are on the east side of the Santa Ynez Valley that I had not yet visited, so we wanted to check those places out. After a morning afield, we planned to lunch in Los Olivos and meet up with a few more friends. Los Olivos was filled with folks who found themselves in the same predicament as us - thirsty and looking for something to do.
Once again I apologize for the lack of photos - I'm crap at remembering to take them, that's something my wife is smart about doing.
Lincourt Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$50)
'12 Steel Chardonnay, '13 Rosé (Grenache/Grüner Veltliner), '10 "Carol Ann" Chardonnay, '12 Pinot Noir - Lindsay's Vineyard, '12 "Annie Dyer" Pinot Noir, '12 Syrah, '11 Merlot, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon
A long while back, a coworker recommended Lincourt to me. I'd been dismissive of her recommendation, largely because Lincourt is a piece of a wine empire. Lincourt was the first piece, but the Foley Wine Group also is connected to Foley and Firestone in Santa Barbara, as well as wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Washington and New Zealand. Empires give me pause - their products can be obnoxiously mainstream. However, over the years, I'd heard random folks saying supportive things about Lincourt, so I put it on my list.
Since my friend and I got such an early start leaving LA, Lincourt was an easy choice being that they are one of the only wineries in the area that opens at 10am. Arrive at 10am we did, first ones in the door. The property was pretty expansive from what I could see, open lawns, and a few patio areas. Inside was decorated typically - light coloring, a good amount of stuff for sale, a few different counters to sidle up to. The tasting room staff were still getting prepped when we waltzed in. We had a good conversation with the dude that took care of us. He was very enthusiastic about Lincourt's wines, and wine in general. He had all sorts of recommendations about where to travel to in France to enjoy wine.
Given the fact that Lincourt and Foley share a winemaker, it's not surprising that the profiles of the wines are similar - calm, smartly made, simple, broad-scale appeal. Of the chardonnays, I preferred the Carol Ann, despite the presence of aging in oak barrels, it was pretty. The Rosé was enjoyably crisp with a slight effervescence. Both Pinots were enjoyable, the Anne Dyer characteristics were well integrated and was quite full flavored - my favorite wine of the tasting. The Syrah was dense with jumpy fruit and vegetable notes. The merlot was overt - too much pucker. I'm bearish on the idea of Cabernet Sauvignons being grown in the region, I don't think that they work out all that well. The Lincourt Cabernet was good for the area, well layered with some chocolate, though still not as contemplative as the exciting Cabernets that I've had before.
Experience: B / Wine: B
Roblar Winery ($10 tasting, wines $20-$42)
'11 "Block One Reserve" Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Central Coast Chardonnay, '12 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, '11 Grenache, '11 Estate Merlot
I've driven past Roblar a number of times, its on the road to a handful of places that I've visited before. From that vantage, I've been inclined to keep on driving by because it looks like a place that is popular with party buses - expansive parking lot and tons of touristy-looking folks rambling about. While researching this trip, I happened across Roblar's website, and noticed that they are a sister winery to Michel-Schlumberger in Sonoma, which I visited a few years back and loved. Well, if Robar had any of that magic, I was in.
The building is huge - it houses a sprawling tasting room and their winery. The tasting room evokes a hunting lodge feel, lots of wood and a massive fireplace. Even here we were early arrivals, so we grabbed a few tall chairs and sat at the bar. Given the high ceiling, I imagine when the place is busy it can get loud. Thankfully we had the run of the place when we were there. The tasting room manager was fun, very animated and very much about the Roblar wine.
The regular tasting list only scratched the surface of the wines that Roblar offers. It seemed for every varietal, there were three levels of choices. For the chardonnays, we were told that the premium chard was "like Land 'o Lakes," the moderate "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," and the budget "Parkay." Categorizing the wines like that was a bad sign to me. Buttery chardonnay can beat streets. If that's what they're after they weren't going to be very enjoyable to me. The Sauvingnon Blanc followed that mold - too sweet, various flavors but mainstream. Despite my apprehension, the chardonnay was decent, crisp and approachable, The Pinot Noir as well was pretty good, classic juicy mainstream flavors, lots of cherry. The Grenache was a big disappointment. It is often a favorite of mine, but this fella was far too sweet to be enjoyable. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Merlot - fruit-forward yet calm, and very nice acid.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C+
Larner Wine ($10 tasting, wines $23-$65)
'12 Rosé (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre), '10 "Elemental" Red Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '10 Grenache, '10 Syrah, '09 Reserve Syrah
I'm a bit familiar with Larner's vineyard, as it's been a esteemed source of grapes for other wineries - supplying Samsara, Kaena, Bonaccorsi, Kenneth-Crawford and others. More recently, they've started making wines for their own label. Larner's tasting room is hidden in plain sight. Right at the main intersection in Los Olivos, smushed next to the Los Olivos General Store and the Panino sandwich shop is their tasting room. It's not even really a room, it's like an alcove. At one point during our tasting there were six people including us, and it was really crowded. Despite that, the woman in the tasting room was very cool, and excited to share Larner wines.
Small room, big wines. The rosé was grand - stark yet had a bright note in the middle. The reds were increasingly bombastic and creative. The "Elemental" was savory, vibrant and dense. The grenache started smooth, but became quite grippy toward the end - too overt for me. The sweet tomato entry on the regular syrah gave way to a dark blueberries profile - quite tart. The reserve syrah was the most interesting red - crushed flowers and juicy tannins - very boisterous.The wines were funny, as I was drinking them I was really engaged in them, until I realized how overt they were - these are big mamma-jamma wines, but they are made with intricate characteristics. Not my favorite profile, but definitely enjoyable and respectable.
Experience: B / Wines: B+
Byron Wines ($10 tasting, wines $22-$45)
'12 Pinot Blanc, '12 Chardonnay, '12 Chardonnay - Nielson Vineyard, '11 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Nielson Vineyard, '11 Pinot Noir - Julia's Vineyard
We really enjoyed Byron on our first visit there a few years back. The wine was expressive and mature, and the staff were confident and fun. This time around they seemed a bit off their game. I will have to say that it was quite crowded, but even with that they didn't seem to be able to deal with the situation. One of my friends purchased wine, which is supposed to then waive the tasting fee, when she pointed out that they had failed to do that, they took ten minutes to fix it, but still didn't fix it correctly. When she brought their attention to that mistake, they were not receptive. Rather than push it, my friend gave up. This experience definitely runs counter to to calmness and nimbleness that we were treated to before - so hopefully an anomaly.
Perhaps it was the busyness, or the exasperated manner of the staff when they were pouring, but I didn't enjoy the wine as much this time either. The whites were quite clean and crisp, but seemed buttoned up. I wrote in my notes that the Nielson Vineyard Chardonnay was the Tracey Flick of wines. The pinot noirs were more compelling. While the Santa Maria Valley Pinot was a bit too sweet, the Nielson Vineyard and the Julia's Vineyard were delicious - dark entry, good acid, well balanced.
Experience: B- / Wines: B
For a one day jaunt, we covered a good amount of ground (I didn't bother to add any notes about my tastings at Stolpman and Samsara considering that I've written so positively before about both that there's little new to add to my enthusiasm for those place). I was definitely thankful to not be the driver for this trip. Visiting some of the older estate wineries - Lincourt and Roblar - was interesting. The Foley/Lincourt empire is definitely smart about their enterprise. And while I didn't love Roblar, I can appreciate that they are creating quality wines with a smart business practice. I think I'm going to have to go back to Larner at some point to figure out if their wines are too big for me, or justifiably bombastic.
Once again I apologize for the lack of photos - I'm crap at remembering to take them, that's something my wife is smart about doing.
Lincourt Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$50)
'12 Steel Chardonnay, '13 Rosé (Grenache/Grüner Veltliner), '10 "Carol Ann" Chardonnay, '12 Pinot Noir - Lindsay's Vineyard, '12 "Annie Dyer" Pinot Noir, '12 Syrah, '11 Merlot, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon
A long while back, a coworker recommended Lincourt to me. I'd been dismissive of her recommendation, largely because Lincourt is a piece of a wine empire. Lincourt was the first piece, but the Foley Wine Group also is connected to Foley and Firestone in Santa Barbara, as well as wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Washington and New Zealand. Empires give me pause - their products can be obnoxiously mainstream. However, over the years, I'd heard random folks saying supportive things about Lincourt, so I put it on my list.
Since my friend and I got such an early start leaving LA, Lincourt was an easy choice being that they are one of the only wineries in the area that opens at 10am. Arrive at 10am we did, first ones in the door. The property was pretty expansive from what I could see, open lawns, and a few patio areas. Inside was decorated typically - light coloring, a good amount of stuff for sale, a few different counters to sidle up to. The tasting room staff were still getting prepped when we waltzed in. We had a good conversation with the dude that took care of us. He was very enthusiastic about Lincourt's wines, and wine in general. He had all sorts of recommendations about where to travel to in France to enjoy wine.
Given the fact that Lincourt and Foley share a winemaker, it's not surprising that the profiles of the wines are similar - calm, smartly made, simple, broad-scale appeal. Of the chardonnays, I preferred the Carol Ann, despite the presence of aging in oak barrels, it was pretty. The Rosé was enjoyably crisp with a slight effervescence. Both Pinots were enjoyable, the Anne Dyer characteristics were well integrated and was quite full flavored - my favorite wine of the tasting. The Syrah was dense with jumpy fruit and vegetable notes. The merlot was overt - too much pucker. I'm bearish on the idea of Cabernet Sauvignons being grown in the region, I don't think that they work out all that well. The Lincourt Cabernet was good for the area, well layered with some chocolate, though still not as contemplative as the exciting Cabernets that I've had before.
Experience: B / Wine: B
Roblar Winery ($10 tasting, wines $20-$42)
'11 "Block One Reserve" Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Central Coast Chardonnay, '12 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, '11 Grenache, '11 Estate Merlot
I've driven past Roblar a number of times, its on the road to a handful of places that I've visited before. From that vantage, I've been inclined to keep on driving by because it looks like a place that is popular with party buses - expansive parking lot and tons of touristy-looking folks rambling about. While researching this trip, I happened across Roblar's website, and noticed that they are a sister winery to Michel-Schlumberger in Sonoma, which I visited a few years back and loved. Well, if Robar had any of that magic, I was in.
The building is huge - it houses a sprawling tasting room and their winery. The tasting room evokes a hunting lodge feel, lots of wood and a massive fireplace. Even here we were early arrivals, so we grabbed a few tall chairs and sat at the bar. Given the high ceiling, I imagine when the place is busy it can get loud. Thankfully we had the run of the place when we were there. The tasting room manager was fun, very animated and very much about the Roblar wine.
The regular tasting list only scratched the surface of the wines that Roblar offers. It seemed for every varietal, there were three levels of choices. For the chardonnays, we were told that the premium chard was "like Land 'o Lakes," the moderate "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," and the budget "Parkay." Categorizing the wines like that was a bad sign to me. Buttery chardonnay can beat streets. If that's what they're after they weren't going to be very enjoyable to me. The Sauvingnon Blanc followed that mold - too sweet, various flavors but mainstream. Despite my apprehension, the chardonnay was decent, crisp and approachable, The Pinot Noir as well was pretty good, classic juicy mainstream flavors, lots of cherry. The Grenache was a big disappointment. It is often a favorite of mine, but this fella was far too sweet to be enjoyable. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Merlot - fruit-forward yet calm, and very nice acid.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C+
Larner Wine ($10 tasting, wines $23-$65)
'12 Rosé (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre), '10 "Elemental" Red Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '10 Grenache, '10 Syrah, '09 Reserve Syrah
I'm a bit familiar with Larner's vineyard, as it's been a esteemed source of grapes for other wineries - supplying Samsara, Kaena, Bonaccorsi, Kenneth-Crawford and others. More recently, they've started making wines for their own label. Larner's tasting room is hidden in plain sight. Right at the main intersection in Los Olivos, smushed next to the Los Olivos General Store and the Panino sandwich shop is their tasting room. It's not even really a room, it's like an alcove. At one point during our tasting there were six people including us, and it was really crowded. Despite that, the woman in the tasting room was very cool, and excited to share Larner wines.
Small room, big wines. The rosé was grand - stark yet had a bright note in the middle. The reds were increasingly bombastic and creative. The "Elemental" was savory, vibrant and dense. The grenache started smooth, but became quite grippy toward the end - too overt for me. The sweet tomato entry on the regular syrah gave way to a dark blueberries profile - quite tart. The reserve syrah was the most interesting red - crushed flowers and juicy tannins - very boisterous.The wines were funny, as I was drinking them I was really engaged in them, until I realized how overt they were - these are big mamma-jamma wines, but they are made with intricate characteristics. Not my favorite profile, but definitely enjoyable and respectable.
Experience: B / Wines: B+
Byron Wines ($10 tasting, wines $22-$45)
'12 Pinot Blanc, '12 Chardonnay, '12 Chardonnay - Nielson Vineyard, '11 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Nielson Vineyard, '11 Pinot Noir - Julia's Vineyard
We really enjoyed Byron on our first visit there a few years back. The wine was expressive and mature, and the staff were confident and fun. This time around they seemed a bit off their game. I will have to say that it was quite crowded, but even with that they didn't seem to be able to deal with the situation. One of my friends purchased wine, which is supposed to then waive the tasting fee, when she pointed out that they had failed to do that, they took ten minutes to fix it, but still didn't fix it correctly. When she brought their attention to that mistake, they were not receptive. Rather than push it, my friend gave up. This experience definitely runs counter to to calmness and nimbleness that we were treated to before - so hopefully an anomaly.
Perhaps it was the busyness, or the exasperated manner of the staff when they were pouring, but I didn't enjoy the wine as much this time either. The whites were quite clean and crisp, but seemed buttoned up. I wrote in my notes that the Nielson Vineyard Chardonnay was the Tracey Flick of wines. The pinot noirs were more compelling. While the Santa Maria Valley Pinot was a bit too sweet, the Nielson Vineyard and the Julia's Vineyard were delicious - dark entry, good acid, well balanced.
Experience: B- / Wines: B
For a one day jaunt, we covered a good amount of ground (I didn't bother to add any notes about my tastings at Stolpman and Samsara considering that I've written so positively before about both that there's little new to add to my enthusiasm for those place). I was definitely thankful to not be the driver for this trip. Visiting some of the older estate wineries - Lincourt and Roblar - was interesting. The Foley/Lincourt empire is definitely smart about their enterprise. And while I didn't love Roblar, I can appreciate that they are creating quality wines with a smart business practice. I think I'm going to have to go back to Larner at some point to figure out if their wines are too big for me, or justifiably bombastic.
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