Bob Lindquist and Jason

As regular readers of Wine Nation Underdog know, my husband and I have been preparing to make wine, so we’ve been eagerly awaiting the day our grapes are harvested.  Back near the end of September we toured the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard.   We tasted Syrah grapes from all over the vineyard and tried to decide which blocks’ fruit we wanted in our order.  Since this was our first time actually choosing and purchasing grapes, we were thrilled to have renowned winemaker Bob Lindquist there to offer his guidance.

Bob Lindquist sampling Syrah grapes

As we walked through the vineyard, we tasted Syrah clones including Estrella, 174, 383, 877 and UCD-01 from various blocks.  It was amazing to me that there were such distinct taste differences between the clones.  The Estrella had hints of coffee and black pepper.  The 174 had notes of black plum and dark berries.  After sampling many grapes, we decided that our order would be made up of three clones:  Estrella, 174 and UCD-01.    No one is sure when the grapes will be ready to pick, so I try (and fail) at being patient.  Weeks pass …

Our freshly picked Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Syrah

I’ve noticed that all plans during harvest seem to change dramatically.  We had everything all lined up for our Côte Rôtie inspired red wine.  We thought that the Syrah fruit was going to be picked the week before, but it wasn’t quite ripe enough, so we postponed for another week.   We’d also made arrangements to pick up Viognier skins and stems from Peter Work of Ampelos (thank you Peter) last week.  Since we changed the pick date, the plan had to change again.  Thankfully, Peter had more Viognier from Wezlau (formerly named Vigna Cesarina – located between Seasmoke and Mount Carmel vineyards) coming in the following Monday which coincided with our pick date.

Picking day finally arrives and the alarm goes off at 5:00am.  It is still dark, and Jason and I are groggy but we grab a quick breakfast and head over to the Lompoc Wine Ghetto to borrow the Jalama Wines truck (thank you Mark Cargasacchi!) so that we can go pick up our freshly picked Syrah grapes at Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard.   The sun comes up as we drive towards San Luis Obispo.   We arrive at 7am and find out from  Bob Lindquist that the pickers are working on our order (which included three different clones from three different blocks:  Estrella from block 4, UCD-01 from block 3 and 174 from block 1 ), so the bins aren’t quite ready yet.   High quality wine grapes are harvested by hand.  When the grapes are picked they are placed into bins that are lugged by hand getting heavier and heavier with each added cluster.  Pickers work in the early morning hours when it is cold and damp and often fend off yellowjackets and bees.  They work incredibly hard!   Many thanks to the crew who picked our fruit!

weighing the grapes

Once our order is completely picked, it gets weighed and then loaded by forklift onto the truck.  Though we only planned to get a half a ton (1000 pounds) we ended up with 1401 pounds.    Even now, after the grapes are picked, the plan keeps changing!  We have one barrel set aside for the Syrah, so we’ll need to figure out what to do with the juice from the additional 401 pounds of Syrah.  The plan keeps changing!  We arrive at Jalama Wines and Mark unloads the grapes by forklift.  We have plans to have the grapes destemmed at 10:00am…but the schedule for the destemmer changes (of course) so we end up waiting a few hours so we hang around Jalama Wines and try to make ourselves useful.  Once we get the fruit destemmed (thank you Doug!) we take a sample bottle of the juice to take to the lab for analysis.  We also check the brix using a hydrometer.  Next we make a few additions:  SO2 to prevent spoilage, Opti-Red (an inactivated dry yeast that improves color and adds body and mouthfeel) and Lafase He Grand Cru (an enzyme preparation that increases the extraction of stable phenolic compounds).   We are hoping that the grapes and the winery have enough wild yeast in order to have a native fermentation take place.  If that doesn’t happen, we’ll go ahead and inoculate the grape must with yeast..but I’m really hoping we don’t have to do that.

Mixing the additions into the destemmed fruit

Since we ended up with extra Syrah fruit, we’ve decided to drain off some of the juice in order to make a rosé.   I pop over to Home Depot to buy some plastic carboys to hold the juice for a short time until we figure out a long term plan for the rosé .   After we drain some of the juice (this process is called saignée in France) into the carboys we jump back into the truck and head over to Ampelos to pick up Viognier skins and stems that we’re going to add to our destemmed Syrah for the cold soak.   We arrive and Peter and his guys are working but the Viognier isn’t ready yet.  So, we head back over to Jalama, pick up our wine sample and head to Santa Maria to drop it off at Vinquery.  We also take the bins with us and drop these off at Qupé / Au Bon Climat winery in Santa Maria.  We also stop at a welding supply store to pick up dry ice which we’ll add to the destemmed fruit in order to bring down the temperature and prolong the cold soak which we hope will yield deeper color and more aromatics.

punching down the dry ice

Next, we head back over to Ampelos where they are done pressing the Viognier, so we pick up the skins and stems.  Once we reach Jalama (who knew winemaking involved so much driving?) we add the skins and stems to our bin of destemmed Syrah.  Jason adds 100 pounds of dry ice to the grapes which makes the whole bin look like some strange witch’s brew.  We’ll be back tomorrow to do punchdowns in the morning, afternoon and the evening.  Even though fermentation hasn’t even started, I am already anxious to taste the finishes wine…which won’t be for at least two years…perhaps I will learn patience from winemaking?

The person who so generously sold us barrels is none other than Randy Hester, the cellarmaster of Realm Cellars in St. Helena.  Not only does he have a hand in helping to make some beautiful, extremely hard to get wines (there is a waiting list, sigh), he is also an all-around good guy.  Randy graciously took us on a tour of the beautiful caves and  winemaking facilities they use at Chateau Boswell.  Realm’s focus is making wines utilizing fruit from world renowned vineyards in the area including the famed To Kalon, Beckstoffer and Dr. Crane.   Randy took us on a barrel sample tour of Cabernet Sauvignon made from these three vineyards.  I was really excited to taste these because so many top wine producers (like Quintessa, Paul Hobbs, Provenance, Realm, Cain, Alpha Omega and Harlan Estate) create vineyard designate wines showcasing these vineyards.  Though I didn’t take notes (I was there to pick up barrels after all) I thought that both the  To Kalon and Beckstoffer were quite masculine and dense whereas the Dr. Crane seemed more feminine with some notes of violets.   Of the three, the Dr. Crane was my favorite, though if I was eating a steak, I might choose the To Kalon or the Beckstoffer.  Sadly these wines won’t be released for quite some time…and there is that pesky waiting list for Realm’s wines.   I will have to be patient…this has never been my strong suit.  Perhaps making a 2011 vintage will teach me patience?  After all the wine is going to be sitting in barrel for at least 20 months and probably closer to 24 months.   At least that gives us some time to think of a good name for our winery…even though the wines are just for friends and family we want it to have a clever name.  If you have any great name ideas please let me know…if we choose a name you submitted you’ll score yourself some fabulous wine and Jason and I will take you out to dinner.   Dang, Screaming Eagle is already taken…how about Shrieking Parrot? 

Jalama’s wines were the centerpiece of a private dinner hosted by Winemaker/owner Mark Cargasacchi in the barrel room of his winery.   He transformed his industrial wine production space into a fabulous dining room complete with special lighting, elegantly decorated tables, orchids and oriental rugs.

I knew I was in for a treat when Mark handed me a glass of Veuve Cliquot – Champagne is one of my most favorite vices!  This was just the beginning of a fabulous evening that got better and better with each course of food paired with Jalama wine.  Here is the menu of wine-paired courses and a few notes I managed to scribble down in between bites:

	Pan-seared scallop on baked sopprasatta salami with greens and grapeseed oil - Barrel sample of 2009 Jalama Giallo (Pinot Gris – fruit from the Cargasacchi/Jalama vineyard, 100% neutral French oak, 50 cases produced, white peach, honeysuckle, good minerality – a great summer food wine)
	Watermelon, grilled beet and jicama salad served in a butter lettuce leaf with wine vinaigrette - Barrel sample of 2010 Jalama Clementina (55% Riesling, 45% Sauvignon Blanc – 100%, 50 cases produced, gorgeous tropical fruit aromas, perfect balance of fruit and acid)
	Tomato and cream bisque with Parmesan crisp and creme fraiche - 2008 Joseph Blair Heartbreak Pinot Noir (22 months in 100% neutral French oak, beautiful Pinot Noir)
	Stuffed cremini mushrooms with three cheeses, pesto and roasted pine nuts - 2008 Jalama Pinot Noir (22 months in 100% new French oak, includes a number of Pinot Noir clones: Dijon 114, Dijon 115 and Mt. Eden, flavors of black cherry, raspberry with subtle barrel influence of vanilla)
	Filet mignon wrapped wtih proscuitto, dark cherry reduction, confetti mashed yams and new potatoes, honey-glazed carrots with house made orange marmalade and a touch of crushed red pepper -2007 Jalama El Capitan (47% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, flavors of blackberry, plum with beautifully integrated tannins and a lingering finish- fabulous!)
	Chocolate layered cake with dark chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate bark. - 2007 Jalama Syrah, La Presa Vineyard (dark purple in the glass, aromas of dark fruit and baking spices, flavors of black cherry, plum with hints of clove, vanilla and nutmeg – a huge and beautiful wine)

I am not typically a dessert person as too often I find them sickeningly sweet.  Imagine my surprise when I took a bite of what is *hands down* the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!  It was absolutely fabulous – rich and chocolatey but not overly sweet.   I am only a little ashamed to admit that I actually brought some home and ate it for breakfast – *that* is how much I loved this cake!

The delicious meal was prepared and served by Catering by Lori Cordova‘s team.   Lori has been catering for events, weddings and parties of 20-2000 since 1988.  I highly recommend her services – every course was beautifully presented and tasted outstanding!

Here are a few more snapshots from this wonderfully decadent evening:

Yours truly, Pamela and Clinton Froehlich

Clinton serving Veuve Cliquot

Jalama Wines Winemaker Mark Cargasacchi

Albert & Pamela - appreciators of fine wine

Peter Work - winemaker/co-owner (with Rebecca Work) of Ampelos in the vineyard

Outstanding in the Field is a self-proclaimed “roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls”.   An Outstanding in the Field dinner is an adventure – it typically begins with a tour of the site and then everyone settles in to celebrate (and eat) the local ingredients prepared by one of the region’s top chefs.   Sites in the past have included gardens, mountains, vineyards and farms.  The theme of each dinner is to honor the people like local farmers, food artisans and winemakers whose hard work brings nourishment to the table.

Wine Nation Underdog friends, Peter and Rebecca Work, owners, grape growers and winemakers of Ampelos were asked to host an Outstanding in the Field dinner.  The dinner will be held in their biodynamic and certified organic vineyard in Lompoc located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA.  They will be pouring their fabulous wines at the dinner which will be held on Saturday, June 4th.  The dinner in the vines will be prepared by Chef Clark Staub of Full of Life Flatbread.  Tickets are available online.   If you cannot make it to the event you can always create your own seasonal dinner with recipes from Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook.  Just add great friends and some wines from Ampelos!

Grassini and Sanguis winemaker Matthias Pippig (he talks with his hand alot)

A few days ago I brought a group of friends to Grassini Family Vineyard in the American Viticultural Area (AVA) called Happy Canyon.  I tasted here in the summer and was very impressed with Grassini’s winemaker Matthias Pippig’s talents especially with his own label, Sanguis.  My reasons for scheduling this visit were twofold.  First, I wanted to see how the wines were evolving and secondly I wanted my friends to see the most beautiful winery in Santa Ynez Valley (in my humble opinion).  After driving through the scenic Happy Canyon area, with its horse farms and vineyards, we arrived at the Grassini gate and rang the intercom.  We were buzzed in and the gate opened to reveal gently sloping hills covered with grapevines with varying hues of autumn yellow leaves.  Further on we passed a beautiful lake surrounded by reeds and water-loving plants of many types.  After driving slowly so we could take in the beautiful vistas, we arrived at the winery.   Though the winery was recently constructed, it looked as though it had been there for many years.  It was built using reclaimed antique fir (circa the late 1800s), some of which was milled from timbers found in the Oregon River.  We were greeted by assistant winemaker, Jessica Gasca, who took us on a tour of the facility, which is itself a work of well engineered art.  It is solar powered and built such that the juice, must and wine are gravity fed (in lieu of using pumps) during the entire production process.  Moving grape must and wine by gravity is a technique used for centuries that fell out of favor because of the convenience of pumps.  Though the use of pumps is the norm, some winemakers and reviewers feel that the use of pumps can cause irreparable damage by introducing air and smashing berries and seeds in a way which can release unwanted off flavors.

The cave at Grassini Family Vineyard

Another time-honored method utilized at Grassini has to do with wine storage.  During the construction of the facility, a cave was excavated at the site so that the wines could be stored in a place that stays cool and dark with steady relative humidity.   After spending some time in the Grassini cave, I wanted to start digging one at my house.

The group tasting Grassini wines (that's me taking notes)

Our tour included a very comfortable family room with beautiful copper clad fireplace and dining room.  There is also a large bedroom suite (with a great view of the vineyard) that wine club members can rent.  We tasted a couple Grassini wines, both inaugural releases, while sitting at the dining room table.   We started with the spectacular 2007 Grassini Sauvignon Blanc which aged for 17 months:  60% in stainless steel, 20% in new French oak and the remaining 20% in neutral French oak.  With well integrated flavors of white flower, peach and pear this wine has extraordinary richness, an almost creamy mouthfeel, and a finish with hints of vanilla and caramel.  Next we tasted the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though a bit young, this wine already has beautifully integrated flavors of black currant, plum, cherry and a finish of chocolate.  I really enjoyed this painstakingly crafted wine and I look forward to tasting it over the next four or five years as the tannins soften.

2008 Sanguis Ramshackle & Threadbare

Next Jessica took us downstairs to the main tasting area which has stunning view of the vineyard.  The room was dominated by an enormous hand wrought table where we were seated to sample the Sanguis wines.  Those familiar with Manfred Krankl’s coveted Sine Qua Non will notice an unmistakable similarity with Sanguis as both labels feature unique artwork by their respective winemakers.  An observant wine taster in our group asked Pippig about this; Pippig cracked a smile and said that he and Krankl have been friends for years and that they share a passion for motorcycles.  Small world eh?  First up was the Sanguis 2008 Ramshackle & Threadbare, a heady white blend of 58% Roussane, 40% Malvasia Bianca and 2% Viognier with aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom.  Though very rich, the fruit and acidity are balanced.  I’d serve this wine in warm summer months with Asian or Thai cuisine or seafood.  When I tasted the wine I thought it would be fabulous with grilled thresher shark steaks in a spicy orange and ginger marinade.

We moved on to reds, beginning with the Sanguis 2007 Backseat Betty.  This is a blend of 83% Syrah, 14% Grenache and 3% Viognier.  Pippig, who’d taken a break from his tasks in the winery to greet us, commented that the Syrah and the Viognier were cofermented.  He feels that this influences the texture in a positive way.  Though it sounds counter intuitive (since Viognier is white), cofermentation helps to deepen the color and flavor of the Syrah.  This exceptional wine with flavors of white pepper, blackberry and plum is a real pleasure to drink young, but I think a patient collector will be rewarded in 2014 or 2015 with greater complexity and character.  I think that this wine will follow the same arc that I find with some Châteauneuf-du-Papes. They drink well young and then have a few sleepy years where they are best left undisturbed followed by a period of time when they’ve evolved into captivating, complex wines.

2006 Sanguis As the Crow Flies

Next up was the Sanguis 2006 As the Crow Flies, a classic Côte-Rôtie style blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, hints of smoke and herbs.  I have to admit that I fall head over heels for great Côte-Rôtie style wines and their oddly pleasurable combination of floral and meaty, bacon-y aromas.  I purchased some this beautiful wine on my last visit, so it was especially interesting to taste how well it is evolving.  I don’t plan on opening any of these bottles in my collection until sometime between 2013 and 2015.

Lastly we tasted the Sanguis 2007 Devil in the Deep Blue Sea a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though this is a brand new release, this wine is drinking beautifully now with dominant flavors of black and red fruits and hints of mocha and bittersweet chocolate.  I’d be willing to bet that this wine will evolve beautifully over the next few years.  If you have the patience, I’d recommend opening at least one bottle of this gorgeous wine every year beginning in 2012.

The exceptional wines we tasted from Grassini and Sanguis are the product of impeccable winegrowing practices and the beautiful marriage of art and chemistry in the winery.  Trust me, just go there.  You’ll thank me later.   Don’t forget to call a week or so ahead to make an appointment (888-686-3086).  And when you get there, let Jessica and Matthias know that Anne from Wine Nation Underdog says “hi and keep up the fabulous work”.

Presqu'ile Chardonnay

As the old saying goes, “no man is an island”, but Matt Murphy and Dieter Cronje, winemakers of Presqu’ile are good with “almost”.  Presqu’ile is French for “peninsula” (or almost an island) and it is the name that Murphy’s grandparents gave to a promontory of land they purchased off of the Missippi’s Gulf Coast.  It was a gathering spot for family celebrations for many years until hurricane Katrina destroyed it.   Years of fond memories inspired Matt Murphy to name his wine label Presqu’ile.

Dieter Cronje (L) and Matt Murphy (R) winemakers of Presqu'ile

I was fortunate enough to taste the Presqu’ile 2008 Chardonnay at the Chardonnay Symposium earlier this year.  Unfortunately, the bright sun conspired with my camera settings and my photos weren’t good – in fact they were really, really, bad.  (Thankfully their winemaking is way better than my photography.)  Suffice it to say, Presqu’ile is worth seeking out.  The Chardonnay fruit is from Solomon Hills and Bien Nacido and is cold fermented with native yeasts.  Some is aged in stainless steel and the rest in neutral French Oak.  This wine is too good to pour for your friends who insist they only like red wine…which leaves more for you!  Murphy and Cronje also make an incredibly bright and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc that you can find on the by-the-glass list at Full of Life Flatbread.   Now, you have yet another excuse to go to Flatbread this weekend.  =)  They also make a Pinot Noir, which I am looking forward to tasting soon.  For more information on Presqu’ile, check out this great article that the Santa Barbara Independent just published.   Until next time, remember life is too short to drink bad wine!

Morgan Clendenen winemaker/owner of Cold Heaven

When I think of Harvest Festival, I imagine there is an autumn chill in the air and I’m sipping red wines bundled up in a cozy sweater.  However, this year, the 20^th year of the festival, we were in the midst of a late summer heat wave, so shorts and sandals were de rigueur.  This year there were over 115 different wineries represented at the festival.  Of the 115, there were many wonderful, familiar wines from Ampelos, Beckmen, Brander, Dragonette, Fiddlehead, Foxen, Margerum, Jaffurs, Tre Anelli, Stolpman, Ken Brown, Cold Heaven, Palmina, Qupé, being poured, so I a made point to seek out wines that I had not sampled before.

Bob Lindquist winemaker/owner of Qupe and his son Theo

With far too many wines to sample everything, I had to really pick and choose carefully from the offerings.  Of the wines I tasted, there were a few real stands outs.  Jim Vogelzang was pouring an absolutely lovely ’06 Vogelzang Cabernet Sauvignon, but his superb 2009 Sauvignon Blanc was what took my breath away.  Jim took a few minutes to explain to me what they do differently.  Naturally, they start with great fruit – after all you cannot make an outstanding wine if you start with bad grapes.  Here is where it gets interesting.  After the grapes are picked; they are put on refrigerated trucks which are driven to Napa.   In Napa they delivered to renowned winemaker Robbie Meyer (of Versant, Jericho Canyon, Peirson Meyer and L’Angevin) who works his oenological magic.   Jim also let me know that for the Sauvignon Blanc, Meyer uses neutral French oak barrels that have been used for Chardonnay.   Another outstanding white was the unreleased ’09 Dragonette Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc which was heady with the aroma of honeysuckle and tasted of creamy lemon curd.  Yes, dear reader, I know I said I was going to avoid familiar labels, but this was an unreleased Sauvignon Blanc from Dragonette, so I had to bend my own rule.  It was less of a hard and fast rule and more of a guideline really, anyway. 

Dan Reeves of Reeves Ranch Vineyard

Even though it was a very warm day and white wines were helping me cool off, I did taste some wonderful reds at the festival.  I loved the 2006 Jalama Paradise Road Syrah, which is co-fermented with 3% Viognier in the classic French Côte-Rôtie style.  Young winemaker, Mark Cargasacchi is crafting some truly beautiful wines.  It runs in the family; Mark’s brother is making some outstanding wine too.  Speaking of Mark’s wines, he wasn’t pouring it at the festival, but his 2006 Jalama El Capitan is *really* worth getting your hands on (while you still can).  It is a red blend of 47% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 23% Cabernet.  He only made 92 cases of this rich beauty, and last time I checked they only had 8 cases left, so if you’re a fan of GSM blends, give the folks over at Jalama Wines a call: 805-735-8937 or go visit the new tasting room in the Lompoc.  Tell them that Anne from Wine Nation Underdog sent you.  You’ll thank me later after you’re tucking into your first glass.  Overall, my favorite Syrah of the festival was the 2008 Reeves Ranch Syrah.  I had heard of the name Reeves Ranch Vineyard because Kris Curran (winemaker/owner of Curran) made a Reeve’s Ranch Reserve Syrah from fruit from this vineyard a few vintages ago.  It was extraordinary, so naturally I had to go investigate the source of this outstanding fruit.  Boy was I in for a treat.   Dan Reeves poured me some of his 2008 Reeves Ranch Vineyard Syrah and I really enjoyed the well integrated flavors of coffee, mocha and spice.   Most of the fruit is from the estate which is located in the foothills above Los Olivos.  The vines which were originally planted in 1989, were grafted over to Australian and French Syrah clones (Shiraz clone 3, Estrella and Clone 99) in 1994.   The rest of the fruit is from Black Oak vineyard in Los Alamos.  Though the grapes from Reeves and Black Oak were fermented separately, it was eventually blended together and aged for 18 months in French oak, some of which was neutral.  After I tasted this wine, I thought it would be priced around $35 a bottle.  Are you ready for this?  The wine sells for $24 on the Reeves Ranch website and you get a discount if you order a case.  Don’t you love it when you find a great wine at a really good price?  I do!  If you are in the Central Coast area, you can taste this wine at Avant Tapas and Wine bar in Buellton.  It is also being poured by the glass at Los Olivos Café (in Los Olivos).  Don’t wait too long though, because they only make 400 cases a year.

Peter Stolpman of Stolpman Vineyards

There were lots of great events over the Harvest Festival weekend, including an open house at Au Bon Climat / Qupé winemaking facility.  There was also an open house event at Cold Heaven – as soon as I get my notes and snapshots organized I will post again.  Until then, let me leave you with this thought.  Those who abstain from alcohol die sooner than those who drink moderately (1 to 3 drinks per day)…as if you needed an excuse!

Danish visitors who are cellar ratting at Ampelos for the summer

Three winemakers to have on your radar - McPrice Myers, Edgar Torres, Russell From

Recently, a few wine geek friends and I organized a wine tasting trip to Paso Robles. We all met up and then our driver whisked us off to our first stop Barrel 27‘s tasting room at 2323 Tuley Ct. Suite 110, in Paso Robles. I’d made an appointment for us to taste the wines from Barrel 27, McPrice Myers, Herman Story and Bodega de Edgar. Barrel 27 is made by two young winemakers, McPrice Myers and Russell From. Their cellar master is Edgar Torres. Essentially, Barrel 27 is a collaborative effort while each winemaker has his own personal label as well. We walked into the tasting room (located in an industrial area just off the highway), grabbed a spot at the bar and proceeded to work our way down the list.

*2009 Barrel 27 “Sittin’ Pretty” Viognier – heady floral nose, honeysuckle, tangerine, orange marmalade. 100% Viognier. Most of the wine was done in stainless steel except for one neutral oak barrel. Retail price: $18

2008 Barrel 27 “High on the Hog” – blend of 39% Grenache Blanc, 36% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne. Florals on the nose with peach, honey and melon on the palate. Done half in oak and the rest in stainless steel. Wine Spectator 88 points. (Points, smoints, I drink wine, not points.) Retail price: $15

2005 Barrel 27 Central Coast Rosé of Syrah – 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache. Flavors of raspberry, cherry and smoky orange. This is a fabulous barbecue wine. Some of the Syrah was bled off soon after it came into contact with the skins. (This method of making rosé is called saignée -a French winemaking term). This results in a pink wine because there isn’t enough contact with the grape skins to make the wine red. Retail price: $13

2007 Barrel 27 “Rock and a Hard Place” Grenache – Nose of black and red raspberries, blueberries and dried cranberries. On the palate, flavors of the aforementioned berries plus hints of black tea and spice. Drinking this wine reminded me of wine tasting in France’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape region, where Grenache is often the primary grape. Retail price: $18

2006 Barrel 27 “Right Hand Man” Syrah – Aromas of black cherries, black pepper, anise and plum with flavors of black raspberry, pepper and hints of smoke. Retail price: $18

2007 Barrel 27 “Head Honcho” Syrah – Nose of ripe black fruit, sage and smoke. Palate of blackberries, cranberries, cola, pepper, clove, anise and dark chocolate. Retail price: $28

2007 Barrel 27 “Hand Over Fist” – Rhône style blend of 52% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre. Aromas of black plum, blueberry, rhubarb and violets. Palate of black cherry, blackberry, currants and spice. Retail price: $30

2006 Barrel 27 “Bull by the Horns” – Blend of 50% Petite Verdot, 25% Syrah, 25% Tempranillo. Aromas of blackberry, cocoa, clove, anise, pepper dominate the nose. The palate is fruit forward (blueberry, black plum, blood orange) and backed up clove, cinnamon, tea and vanilla.

Herman Story wines just waiting to be tasted in the barrel room

After tasting through the Barrel 27 list we were ushered through a doorway behind the bar and into the back of the warehouse where barrels and were stacked to the ceiling. We were surprised and delighted to be greeted by Russell From, McPrice Myers and Edgar Torres. They let us know that they would be leading us through a combined tasting of wines from all three of their personal labels. What an unexpected and exciting surprise! After all the introductions, we got down to tasting. Each winemaker stood by a makeshift table (made an upended barrel) ready to pour his wine. Here are the notes I managed to scribble down during this little adventure. The wines marked with an * are the ones that made it into the trunk of my car:

*2009 Bodega de Edgar Albariño – lively acidity, ginger, lychee – one of the best Albariños I’ve tasted.

*2009 McPrice Myers Larner Viognier – gorgeous floral nose, lychee, tropical fruits, creamy mouthfeel. 177 cases produced. Retail price: $28

2008 Herman Story “Tomboy” – blend of 80% Viognier, 10% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne. The Viognier is from Whitehawk Vineyard and the Marsanne and Roussanne grapes are from Bien Nacido Vineyard. Florals, honey, apricot and nectarine. My scribbled notes say “Tomboy will get your friends to stop drinking crappy white wine”. 228 cases produced. Retail price: $36

2009 McPrice Myers Roussanne – This was a barrel sample. Jasmine, honey. Fruit sourced from the James Berry Vineyard (Paso’s premier source of Rhône varietals).

*2008 Bodega de Edgar Garnacha – A dear friend brought me a bottle of this a few months back – it knocked my socks off! Some whole clusters were used to make this wine. Blackberry, raspberry with anise and baking spices on the finish.

*2007 McPrice Myers “L’Ange Rouge” Grenache – 92% Grenache, 4% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre. Fruit from Alta Mesa and Larner Vineyards. Big but still elegant with flavors of red raspberry, cranberry, bittersweet chocolate, tobacco leaf. 575 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 Herman Story “On the Road” Grenache – Fruit from Larner, Santa Barbara Highlands and Derby Vineyards. Cranberry, black raspberry, clove, anise, nutmeg, coffee and leather. 398 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 Bodega de Edgar Tempranillo – Fruit sourced from French Camp Vineyard. Boysenberry, with vanilla and dusty earth on finish (reminded me of Sangiovese)

*2008 McPrice Myers “Altas Vinas” – 47% Mourvedre, 34% Grenache, 19% Syrah. The fruit is sourced from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard located high in the Southern Santa Barbara Mountains. 243 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 Herman Story “Casual Encounters” – 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre. This is the first vintage of this SGM blend. The Grenache was whole cluster and was sourced from Thompson. The Syrah is from Laetitia. The wines were 100% co-fermented. Earth, leather, pepper, black plum and chocolate. 154 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 Bodega de Edgar “Mis Pasos” – 42% Syrah, 41% Merlot, 17% Tempranillo. Gorgeous, black fruit, coffee, leather, spice and earthy notes. 25 cases produced. Retail price: $45.

*2007 McPrice Myers Larner Vineyard Syrah – 3% Viognier was co-fermented with the Syrah. Flavors of black plum, dried blueberry, raspberry, hints of violets. 142 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 McPrice Myers Larner Vineyard Syrah – the ’07 and the ’08 are deeply colored and dense with flavor. Also, both vintages have long finishes. Retail price: $36

*2007 Herman Story “Nuts and Bolts” Syrah – This is the second vintage of “Nuts and Bolts”. Deep dark color, black cherry, baking spices, white pepper, earth, bacon – super long finish. 522 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2008 McPrice Myers “Beautiful Earth” – 79% Syrah, 16% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre. Flavors of black plum, blueberry, blackberry, baking spices and coffee. 650 cases produced. Retail price: $36

*2007 McPrice Myers Les Galets Vineyard Syrah – 100% Syrah – gorgeous deep ruby color. Blackberry, white pepper, anise, bittersweet chocolate, clove and hints of mint and tobacco leaf. 194 cases produced. Retail price: $36

These beautifully-crafted, small production wines are really, really, really worth getting your hands on. A huge thank you goes out to Russell From, McPrice Myers and Edgar Torres for personally introducing us to their fabulous wines. Thanks guys!

* – this marks wines I was compelled to bring home

A selection of Herman Story wines

Herman Story wines - the backs of the labels

Edgar risking life and limb to find us a couple bottles of his La Guerra white wine

Was it something McPrice said?

Ampelos 2007 Rho Pinot Noir – cola, black cherries, earth, hint of vanilla.  465 cases produced.  Scheduled release late Spring 2011.

Ampelos 2007 Gamma Syrah – pepper, leather, dark berries, bacon.  655 cases produced.  Scheduled release Winter 2010.

Autonom 2007 Rhône Cuvee Central Coast – 55% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre, black pepper, dark berries, meat, clove, mocha. 130 case produced.  Scheduled release Summer 2010.

Beckmen 2008 Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard – black fruits, fig, baking spices, bacon, mocha – next to my tasting notes I scribbled “this is a wine the critics will love”, I love it too.   400 cases produced.  Scheduled release Fall 2010

Clos Pepe 2009 Pinot Noir Estate – black cherry, cola, Dr. Pepper, cocoa – a blend of clones 665, 777, 513, Pommard.  1000 cases producedscheduled release Spring 2011.   Clos Pepe’s Wes Hagen was also pouring what he said was the “first ever sparkling wine from the Sta. Rita AVA” – a 2007 Brut Rosé, made by Norm Yost of Flying Goat Cellars.  Unfortunately my palate was blown out after so many fabulous reds…dang.

Ethan 2009 Grenache Blanc – heady nose of apple, melon and florals, good acid and minerality.  I was head over heels for this barrel sample – it was gorgeous – one of the top 5 wines I tasted at the event.  I spoke with winemaker Ethan Lindquist who indicated that this is the first time he made a Grenache Blanc.  With only 150 cases made, get it while you can when it is released.  Scheduled release Fall 2010.

Ethan 2009 Sangiovese – red cherry, garrigue, ripe strawberry, good acid.  Fabulous “food wine”.  150 cases produced.  Scheduled release Fall 2010.

Jaffurs 2008 Grenache – spice, tart cherry, chocolate covered raspberry, 50% Thompson Vineyard, 50% Stolpman (all Alban and Tablas clones).  390 cases produced.  Scheduled release late Summer 2010.

Jaffurs 2008 Syrah Larner Vineyard – heady and beautiful, blackberry, black pepper, mocha, allspice, super long finish.  340 cases produced.  Scheduled release late Summer 2010.

Kaena 2008 Grenache Larner Vineyard – bright and gorgeous with flavors of red raspberry, cranberry, leather, super long finish.  One of the top 5 wines I tasted at the event.  100 cases produced.  Scheduled release Winter 2010.

Kaena 2008 Hapa – 56% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 11% Mourvèdre, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon – blackberry, garrigue, cedar, clove.  Again, one of the top 5 wines I tasted at the event.  200 cases produced.  Scheduled release Winter 2010.

Rey 2007 Syrah – 10 % Grenache and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon – blackberry, black pepper, mocha.  Wonderful wine for $20.  Available now – but only 100 cases produced so get it while you can!  NOTE:  Rey is a second label – the reserve label is De Su Propia Coshecha – if you see it buy it – your mouth will thank you.

Samsara 2008 Syrah Melville Vineyard – Unexpected nose of florals, black plum, black pepper,  earthy. Only 120 cases produced.   Scheduled release Fall 2010.

Samsara 2008 Syrah Ampelos Vineyard – Very integrated flavors for a 2008, black fruits, black pepper, garrigue and herbs.  Only 75 cases produced.  Scheduled release Fall 2010.  Anyone who reads this blog knows that Ampelos is a big favorite of mine; I love what Samsara’s winemaker Chad Melville has created with the wonderful Ampelos fruit.

Vogelzang 2008 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard – Fiddlestix is a fabulous source of fruit in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, intense flavors of tart cherry, ripe raspberry and caramel, well integrated flavors for such a young wine.   Only 100 cases produced.  Scheduled release Spring 2011.

What a wonderful way to spend the day – I only wish that the event were spread over two days, so that I could taste *all* the wines.  Maybe next year?  Many thanks to Bob Wesley and his team from the Winehound for putting on such a fabulous event!

Be sure to stop by the tasting room and wine making facility at 92A Second Street in Buellton CA 93427.  The tasting room is open Friday through Monday from 12pm-5pm.

Kristy took us on a tour of the winemaking facility and barrel room.  Here are a few snapshots I took:

In the Cold Heaven barrel room

Spinning, mirrored Buddha head watches over the barrels at Cold Heaven

Barrel of Cold Heaven 2009 Le Bon Climat Vineyard Viognier marked with a horseshoe symbol

Barrel of Cold Heaven 2009 La Vina Vineyard Viognier marked with a pistol symbol

Barrel of Cold Heaven 2009 Le Bon Climat Vineyard Viognier marked with a high heeled shoe symbol

Barrel of wine at Cold Heaven marked with lotus symbol