Wines

2009 Pinot Grigio

$24.99

Santa Barbara County

This is our third year making a Pinot Grigio and I believe our best effort to date. Once again, the grapes come from Quail Crossing Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley and we have worked more closely with the owners each year to get the best possible quality from the fruit. This year, we harvested the grapes ourselves and were able to hand sort the fruit to select the perfect ripeness. The grapes were then whole-cluster pressed and put into tank for settling overnight. The clean juice was then racked to neutral barrels and inoculated with Prisse de Mousse yeast for fermentation. Once the fermentation stopped, sulfur was added to block the malolactic and keep the acidity bright and lively. The wine aged 4 months in barrel and 70 cases were bottled on February 2, 2010.

The wine displays beautiful fruit aromas of nectarines, apricot, and peaches, along with lavender and wet stone. In the mouth, the wine is full with more stone fruit and mineral notes. The sweet fruit is balanced by well-integrated acidity and the wine finishes with pear, apricot, and spice nuances. Serve well-chilled.

2009 Pinot Noir Rose'

$17.99

Santa Maria Valley

The 2009 Pinot Noir Rosé comes from our own Gold Coast Vineyard in Santa Maria. The wine is a saignée (bleed off of juice from the fermenter) that was taken within the first 24 hours from each fermenter. The juice was then put into neutral barrels for fermentation and vinified using Grenache yeast. Once primary fermentation was complete, the wine was SO2 to prevent malolactic fermentation, thereby keeping the wine fresh and lively. After 5 months aging, the blend was assembled, the wine cold stabilized and sterile filtered for bottling. 100 cases produced.

The wine displays strawberry fruit aromatics and citrus blossom, with a mineral and spice undertone. Flavors include mandarin orange, strawberry, and pineapple. The barrel fermentation provides a more complete palate and the refreshing acidity adds to the wine’s lengthy finish. This is a perfect alternative to lighter white wines as an aperitif.

2008 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara Cty

$20.99

Santa Barbara County

The 2008 vintage was a relatively easy vintage for us. We harvested 2.8 tons per acre in the Chardonnay vines with balanced sugars, pH, and acidity. There were no real challenges from Mother Nature and the fruit came into the winery in great condition. Five separate lots of Chardonnay were harvested and each lot of grapes were whole-cluster pressed with the juice going straight to barrel for fermentation. Primary fermentation finished smoothly and the wines were inoculated for malolactic, however, malolactic was very slow in the barrel. In fact, the ’08 SBC Chard did not completely finish malolactic and the wine was filtered at bottling. The wine was racked off gross lees in July ’09 and a blend assembled for bottling. AThe wine received a light fining and filtration prior to bottling in August 2009. 811 cases produced.

Classic nose of tropical/pineapple/pear fruit with sweet brown spices and a hint mineral . Rich mouthfeel and good balance throughout the mouth, showing more citrus and spice. The wine finishes with fullness and well integrated acidity.

2007 Estate Chardonnay, Gold Coast Vyd

$23.99

Santa Maria Valley

2007 is a great Chardonnay vintage in the Santa Maria Valley. The balance between sugar, acid, and pH on our own grapes was remarkable. These may be the best chardonnays we have ever released. The grapes for our 2007 Estate Chardonnay were whole cluster pressed and the juice settled overnight before going into neutral Francois Freres French oak for fermentation (25% new). After fermentation, the wine was allowed to go through malolactic and aged sur lie for 10 months before the blend was assembled. aThe wine was then returned to barrel for an additional 2 months. Two weeks prior to bottling, the wine was cold stabilized and lightly fined with bentonite. 1000 cases produced. Suggested retail $24.

The wine has beautiful pear/apple aromas with a backdrop of wood spice and caramel. Flavors of dried pineapple, lemon, and toast carry through the palate. Nicely balanced acidity compliments the rich texture to a full finish.

2007 Estate Chardonnay "Reserva Dorada"

$34.99

Gold Coast Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Reserva Dorada is our ultimate expression of chardonnay. It comes from the same grapes as our Estate Chardonnay but the treatment in the cellar is different. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed, the juice is cold settled overnight, and then put into Francois Freres French oak (50% new) for fermentation. At this point no yeast are introduced, only Native Yeasts are allowed to ferment the juice. This results in better texture and richer mouthfeel in the finished wine. The wine is allowed to go through malolactic, on it’s lees, and aged for 12 months before racking, assembling a blend, and returning the wine to barrel for an additional 4 months aging (total time in barrel 16 months). The wine was then bottled, unfiltered, in March 2009. 200 cases produced.

The wine displays rich aromatics of spiced pear, vanilla, and barrel toast. The palate is impressively rich with flavors of baked apple, buttercream, lemon zest, and mineral. Classic Central Coast acidity holds the wine together, finishing long and full with citrus and pear notes.

2008 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara Cty

$26.99

Santa Barbara County

2008 is a great vintage for Pinot Noir. It reminds me of the classic 2005 vintage. The wines are pretty and precise, not as structured as the 2007 vintage, but with everything in the right place and proportion. Our SBC Pinot Noir is no exception and will charm you with its pleasant and clean flavors. The grapes were destemmed and put into 1.5-ton fermenters for cold soaking prior to fermentation. After several days, the must was inoculated with RC-212 yeast and fermentation began, with manual punch downs twice a day. The fermentations typically completed after 11-15 days and the must was pressed to Francois Freres French oak barrels for aging. Malolactic took place and the wine was SO2’d by December of ’08. After 9 months, each barrel was tasted and blends were assembled. The Santa Barbara County blend was lightly egg white fined and returned to barrel to settle out. The wine was bottled, unfiltered, in August of 2009. 2,000 cases produced.

Vibrant nose of classic Pinot Noir fruit – strawberry, cherry – with white pepper spice and loam. Light and lively on the palate, the wine has sweet fruit up front which moves to refreshing acidity as the wine builds to a fresh and full finish.

2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Gold Coast Vyd

$31.99

Santa Maria Valley

Our Estate Pinot Noir is a blend of all the picks from our Gold Coast Vineyard. In 2007, 10 different lots were harvested over a 2 1/2 week period in September. Each lot was destemmed, fermented, and aged separately so that it’s individual characteristics could be evaluated. Once a blend is made, the resulting wine is a more complete pinot noir, with layers of flavor and complexity.

A cold soak lasted for 3-6 days depending on the lot and then each lot was inoculated with Assmanshausen yeast. Manual punch downs, twice a day, were carried out during fermentation, and the wine was pressed to barrel at dryness. Francois Freres French oak was used for aging (25% new). After 14 months in barrel, a blend was assembled, lightly egg-white fined, and returned to barrel for an additional 2 months to harmonize (16 months total time in barrel). The wine was bottled, unfiltered, on February 9th of 2009. 1800 cases produced. Release date May 1, 2009. Suggested retail $32.

The grapes are 100% Martini clone Pinot Noir – a traditional California clone that expresses itself in a more feminine style (soft, spice, floral, and layered). The wine has classic Pinot Noir aromatics of dried flowers, potpourri, earth, clove, and cinnamon, as well as strawberry/raspberry fruit. The mouth is soft and round with melded berry/cherry notes, cola, orange rind, tea, and white pepper. The wine’s finish is smooth with berries, sage, and clove.

2007 Estate Pinot Noir, "Reserva Oro Rojo"

$49.99

Gold Coast Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Reserva Oro Rojo is our barrel selection Pinot Noir. The idea is that this is the “Best of the Best”. We pick our vineyard multiple times during the harvest, pulling fruit off the vine at different levels of ripeness. These lots are fermented and aged separately, allowing each to express itself uniquely. Once blended, we feel the wine is more complete and layered. Each year, certain lots will stand out as truly special, ead and shoulders above the rest. A selection of these lots will be pulled aside, aged longer, and will become our Reserva Oro Rojo. In 2007, we have used the barrels from the 3rd, 6th and 8th picks of the Martini clone and 2 barrels of a blend of Dijon clones 115 & 777. Each lot was destemmed, cold soaked, and fermented in 1.5 ton fermenters, with manual punch downs twice a day. After fermentation, the wine was pressed to Francois Freres French oak barrels (50% new) and allowed to go through malolactic in barrel. After 12 months aging, the wine was racked, a blend assembled, and returned to barrel for an additional 4 months aging. Bottled, unfiltered in March 2009. 250 cases produced.

The wine has complex aromas of toasted berries, white pepper, and earth tones. The flavors have classic Santa Maria loam, spingth and bright cherry/earth notes.

2007 Vintage Red, Central Coast

$19.99

Central Coast

This wine is a blend 70% Tempranillo, 20% Petite Sirah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The idea behind our Vintage Red is to produce an excellent table wine and a great value. In the past, the grapes have come from both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. This year’s blend is 100% from the Laetitia –owned Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard. Located near Cuyama, on Hwy 33, this vineyard produces fruit with deep color, dark flavors, and great structure.

Each lot was destemmed and fermented separately in open-top fermenters. All were allowed a cold soak of 4-6 days before yeast was introduced and each was pressed to barrel and aged separately after fermentation. Full malolactic occurred in barrel prior to blending and the blend was assembled after 22 months aging. The wine was bottled in November 2009, unfiltered. 250 cases produced.

The 2007 is a bruiser! Black and blueberry fruit blend with earthy spices and leather for a complex and inviting nose. On the palate, the sweet plum-driven fruit to more spice and dusty firm tannins, with a luscious red fruit finish that lingers on!

2006 Syrah Dessert Wine

$24.99

A couple of years ago, we would have labeled this wine as Syrah Port or Port-styled Syrah. However, the folks in Portugal (or Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux) have gotten tired of us Americans using their names, so it is now illegal to label an American wine (or any other region) as Port (or Champagne, etc.) if it does not fall into all the legal parameters. We considered the name “Sweet Bitch” but I was overruled! So, Syrah Dessert Wine it is!

Port is a Portuguese style of fortified wine originating from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Fortified means a high proof alcohol has been added to get the finished wine up around 20% alcohol. Brandy is the fortifying material but it is not exactly like the Brandy you would buy from a store. Because the wine is sweet, usually around 7-10% residual sugar, Port is typically consumed as a dessert wine or after dinner drink.

There are different aging styles; most typical is to barrel age, allowing the wine to oxidize and get a sherry-like character. Tawny Ports are aged 10, 20, even 40 years before being bottled and often new wine is added each vintage to keep the fruit fresher in the wine.

Our Port is made from the Syrah grape (not typical in Portugal) and was fortified with neutral grape spirits (similar to grappa – high proof stuff!). The finished alcohol is 19% and the residual sugar is 7%. When serving to customers, remember, a little goes a long way!

We fermented the syrah to near dryness like we would any table wine, then added back the sugar as grape concentrate (68 brix syrup). Then the fortified material was added and the wine left alone for a long time! We did top the barrels for the first year or so, but I wanted to get more oxidation and high toned character in the wine. So, we stopped topping for the rest of the time in barrel…3 years (not a Tawny but fun anyway). We do have 1 additional barrel of this wine that we left, just to see where it goes.

The wine has high toned aromas of plum, burnt toffee, caramel, and Christmas spices. In the mouth, the sweetness is balanced and the rich viscous texture and overall warmth is inviting. Flavors of dark fruit, clove, cinnamon, and sweet caramel flow throughout the palate and finish with a rush of warmth and richness.