The Year in Review: The Magnificent Seven
Nineteen ninety six brought more county grape acreage into big corporate ownership, most notably vineyard acquisitions near Los Alamos by Kendall Jackson. And Byron Vineyard, owned by Robert Mondavi, opened its new showcase winery east of Santa Maria.
Meridian and its related wineries, Beringer, Chateau Souverain and Maison Deutz were sold by Nestlé. And a major Australian player, Penfolds, has come to the California Central Coast in partnership with the Nivens Family, partners in Edna Valley Vineyard between Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo.
After a great harvest for 1995, albeit miniscule, crop levels for 1996 were pretty much back up to normal and the vintage looks to be superb at this point. Santa Barbara County continues to produce the cutting edge Rhone-style and Burgundian varietals in the United States.
Picks for the year: The Magnificent Seven
Going back close to 20 years when my friend and mentor Chris Whitcraft used to host the radio wineshow I produced, he would say, "we want you around for another vintage." We still do. Cheers!
1994 Alban Vineyards estate syrah- I think this is John Alban's best syrah to date. One of the classic aromas and descriptors of syrah, the great red grape of France's Hermitage and Cote-Rotie regions is white pepper. This wine offers generous notes of tangy white pepper in the nose with solid tannins, the mouth-feel component to a wine, which makes your mouth feel like there's little sweaters on your teeth. $18 1995 Jaffurs Chardonnay- Chardonnay is the varietal I find least likable; okay, I'll admit I have esoteric tastes. When I taste one I like a lot I do handstands. Here it is folks! Craig Jaffurs second chardonnay vintage with grapes from French Camp Vineyard. Five percent viognier adds to the complex and appealing aromatics of this wine. Barrel fermentation in both French and American oak gives a full, truly creamy and butter taste to this wine. Undervalued at $16 1994 Lane Tanner Bien Nacido Vineyard pinot noir- This wine conjures up exotic, even erotic, images of mushrooms, wet earth, leather and cherries. Her wine and its more macho counterpart, the 1994 Whitcraft Bien Nacido Vineyard pinot noir (named pinot noir of the year by the Wine Spectator magazine) are consummate examples of pinot noir from one of the greatest pinot noir vineyards in North America. The Lane Tanner $25; the Whitcraft $40+ 1994 Mosby Winery sangiovese- This red Italian varietal made by Bill Mosby is an absolute sensation (as was the '93 vintage)! The noble grape of Tuscany and Chianti seems to do quite well in the cool climes of Santa Barbara County, especially in the estate vineyard adjacent to the old adobe at Mosby. This supple and fragrant wine gives generous hints of cherries, plum, cinnnamon and cocoa--a fabulous food wine. $20 suggested retail. 1994 Qupé estate bottled Bien Nacido Hillside Select syrah- Consummate winemaker and visionary Bob Lindquist caused some serious eyebrow raising over a dozen years ago when he produced his first syrah--the 1992 Paso Robles. Historians will no doubt regard this as the benchmark syrah produced in California. This current limited release wine is Lindquist's crowning glory to date. A wine with great finesse, generous hints of white pepper, aromas of bacon cooking over an open fire, plums and spice in the nose and mouth, and a wonderfully long and silky finish, this wine marks the most quintessential Cote Rotie-style wine ever produced. This is the Holy Grail folks! If you can find it, expect to pay $40+ 1994 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée- Going from A to Z, my last pick for the year is Zaca Mesa's 1994 Z Cuvée, a blend of southern Rhone red varietals, the grapes you would generally find in a classy Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Specifically you'll find grenache, syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsaut in this blend. The nose and mouth are fresh and exciting with hearty notes of strawberries. Full and giving, this wine goes great with all sorts of fare. Greatly undervalued with a suggested retail of $15. News: Dates have been set for the April 1997 Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival. This premier event and showcase of Santa Barbara County wine has been set for Saturday and Sunday, April 19 & 20. Tickets are $60. To get on the Vintners' Association mailing list, call 688-0881. The association will start taking ticket orders in January. The holidays are here. Some imbibers think more is better. Those of us who love and appreciate good wine know that less is better. We drink for the taste, not the effect. But yes, wine, the food, the fermented juice of the grape does contain ethyl alcohol. And yes, consumed too quicky in too large a quantity for the liver to metabolize, we feel the effects and become impaired in judgement and motor skills. Bob Senn writes The Independent's monthly wine column, "Grapevine," and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
