The weekend was coming to an end, and we were on our way back down to Santa Ynez to pick up club shipments from Beckmen and Sunstone. We stopped at Sunstone first.
2005 Sunstone Chardonnay, Central Coast
2006 Sunstone Pinot Noir, "Founder's Reserve"
2005 Sunstone Merlot, Estate
2003 Sunstone "Fred's INXS"
2003 Sunstone "Eros"
2004 Sunstone "Eros"
2005 Sunstone "Eros"
2006 Sunstone "Eros"
2004 Sunstone Cabernet Franc, Estate
2003 Sunstone "Milestone"
First of all, this was our last club shipment we would be picking up. Since we added D'Alfonso-Curran to our list, we needed to drop one and Sunstone was it. The Pinot was $80, are you kidding?! I could EASILY get a much better wine for half of that. I've always liked their merlot and the INXS is a good house wine, I think it's $10 a bottle or so. The Eros is always great and we always look forward to it, loved being able to taste the past 4 years of it. The Milestone was terrible, don't know if it was a bad bottle or what. It's merlot from their original merlot vines planted 17 years ago when the moved to Santa Ynez. Either those vines need some serious help or it was a bad bottle. Funny how the lady pouring the wine had never heard of it either. Maybe it wasn't meant for us. And now to Beckmen...
2007 Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2006 Beckmen Marsanne, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2007 Beckmen Grenache Blanc, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2006 Beckmen Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate
2006 Beckmen Grenache, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2007 Beckmen Syrah, Estate
2006 Beckmen Syrah, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2005 Beckmen "Purisima"
2006 Beckmen Syrah, Block Six, Purisima Mountain Vineyard
2001 Beckmen Grenache, Late Harvest
NV Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc, Late Harvest
I'm sure I am biased about these wines, but I loved them all. Favorites were the Marsanne, the Block Six Syrah, and both late harvest wines. Got a lot of coffee on the nose of the Estate Syrah.
We then tried to make our 2nd stop in 3 days at D'Alfonso-Curran, but they were closed. Bah. Thus the weekend ended, with only a measly 106 wines tasted.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Valentines Weekend, Day #2, Paso Robles
The main reason we were in Paso Robles was to take part in the Far Out Wineries Passport weekend. There were 16 wineries taking part in it, and for the $20 for the passport it allowed you free tasting at all the wineries as well as specials (library wines/food/discounts/etc). A fantastic deal that we could not pass up. I also wanted to check out Linne Calodo which I heard great things about, so that was our first stop.
2007 Linne Calodo "Pale Flowers"
2006 Linne Calodo "Outsider"
2006 Linne Calodo "Cherry Red"
2006 Linne Calodo "Slacker"
2006 Linne Calodo "Rising Tides"
2006 Linne Calodo "Nemesis"
Finding the place was a bit of a challenge. It was under some major construction and the only sign was "tasting room open during construction" ... But no indication where the tasting room was. We eventually found it and everything was very good, although a bit pricy. $45-65 each, except the rose (Pale Flowers) which was only $20. All were Rhone varietal blends with Zinfandel thrown into a few, it being Paso and all. It was a toss up for me between the Outsider and the Slacker, but ended up getting a bottle of Outsider (Zin/Syrah/Mourvedre).
And now it was onto the Passport wineries, up first was Opolo.
2006 Opolo Viognier
2005 Opolo Sangiovese
2005 Opolo Merlot
2004 Opolo "Rhapsodie"
2005 Opolo Cabernet Franc-Merlot
2006 Opolo "Mountain Zinfandel"
2007 Opolo Zinfandel, Late Harvest
Everything was just ok, well actually not everything ... The Merlot was just bad. I liked the Cabernet Franc-Merlot, but not enough to buy any. We did make sure to grab some of the bbq sausages they were cooking on our way out though. Up next was Norman Vineyards.
2007 Norman Pinot Grigio
2007 Norman Chardonnay, Reserve
2006 Norman Viognier
2006 Norman Tempranillo
2005 Norman "Buzzard Tree Meritage"
2005 Norman Petite Sirah
2006 Norman Zinfandel "The Monster"
2003 Norman Syrah
2003 Norman "Reflection Bin 4"
2005 Norman Zinfandel Port
The only thing that was good was the Reserve Chardonnay, it was all stainless and very fruity, got a lot of lemon on the palate. Everything else was bad, the décor, the employees, everything. The lady pouring was talking about how she preferred the 2003 Syrah of the two syrahs. I didn't have the heart to tell her that Petite Sirah is not a Syrah. Oh well, onto the next ... Halter Ranch
2007 Halter Ranch Viognier
2006 Halter Ranch "Ranch Red"
2005 Halter Ranch Merlot
2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Franc
2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Halter Ranch "Ancestor"
Everything was pretty good here, I liked their low end wine the "Ranch Red" and would've bought a bottle or two at the $18 but I decided to save my money. Also walked around the house on the property built in the 1850's that had been restored. Nice, but whatever. Onto the next winery which was one I actually wanted to get to ... Tablas Creek Vineyard.
2007 Tablas Creek "Cotes de Tables Blanc"
2007 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc"
2001 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc"
2006 Tablas Creek "Cotes de Tablas"
2006 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
2004 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
2003 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
Everything was great, although I wish they were pouring some of their single varietal stuff. I thought about asking if we could go in the proper tasting room to see if they were pouring any, but we had more wineries to get to. I really liked the 03 and 04 Esprit de Beaucastel and bought a bottle of the 2004. Up next was Le Cuvier.
2004 Le Cuvier Chardonnay
2005 Le Cuvier "L'Enfant du Pape"
2005 Le Cuvier Cabernet Franc
2005 Le Cuvier Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Le Cuvier Zinfandel
2005 Le Cuvier Syrah
NV Le Cuvier "Pentimento"
All great stuff, really liked the Cab Franc and the "L'Enfant du Pape" ... The Chardonnay was also really interesting, deep gold color from fermenting on the skins. We ended up not buying anything, but were really impressed with the wine. Up next was Justin
2007 Justin Chardonnay Reserve
2006 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Justin Syrah
2006 Justin "Isosceles"
2007 Justin "Obtuse"
2007 Justin "Deborah's Delight"
Really liked the Isosceles, I like it every year, but this one seemed to be REALLY good. Would've bought some bottles but they list it at $62, and I can get it at retail for around $55. Up next was Whalebone Vineyard.
2006 Whalebone Zinfandel
2006 Whalebone Syrah
2005 Whalebone Syrah
2006 Whalebone "Bob Wine"
2005 Whalebone "Bob Wine"
2006 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
First off, have to say that the people running this place are great. A small, family operation. Also the tri-tip sandwiches were phenomenal. Barely seasoned meat, on garlic bread, with a few drops of their balsamic reduction. Fantastic. But on to the wines, all were good. I liked the 2005 Bob wine, a blend of Cab/Syrah/Zin. Being cheap bastards, we ended up not buying anything, but everything was reasonably priced and very good.
That ended our Paso Robles extravaganza. We ended up stopping for dinner at an Italian place in Pismo Beach, Rosa's. It was terrible, seriously terrible. Never go there.
2007 Linne Calodo "Pale Flowers"
2006 Linne Calodo "Outsider"
2006 Linne Calodo "Cherry Red"
2006 Linne Calodo "Slacker"
2006 Linne Calodo "Rising Tides"
2006 Linne Calodo "Nemesis"
Finding the place was a bit of a challenge. It was under some major construction and the only sign was "tasting room open during construction" ... But no indication where the tasting room was. We eventually found it and everything was very good, although a bit pricy. $45-65 each, except the rose (Pale Flowers) which was only $20. All were Rhone varietal blends with Zinfandel thrown into a few, it being Paso and all. It was a toss up for me between the Outsider and the Slacker, but ended up getting a bottle of Outsider (Zin/Syrah/Mourvedre).
And now it was onto the Passport wineries, up first was Opolo.
2006 Opolo Viognier
2005 Opolo Sangiovese
2005 Opolo Merlot
2004 Opolo "Rhapsodie"
2005 Opolo Cabernet Franc-Merlot
2006 Opolo "Mountain Zinfandel"
2007 Opolo Zinfandel, Late Harvest
Everything was just ok, well actually not everything ... The Merlot was just bad. I liked the Cabernet Franc-Merlot, but not enough to buy any. We did make sure to grab some of the bbq sausages they were cooking on our way out though. Up next was Norman Vineyards.
2007 Norman Pinot Grigio
2007 Norman Chardonnay, Reserve
2006 Norman Viognier
2006 Norman Tempranillo
2005 Norman "Buzzard Tree Meritage"
2005 Norman Petite Sirah
2006 Norman Zinfandel "The Monster"
2003 Norman Syrah
2003 Norman "Reflection Bin 4"
2005 Norman Zinfandel Port
The only thing that was good was the Reserve Chardonnay, it was all stainless and very fruity, got a lot of lemon on the palate. Everything else was bad, the décor, the employees, everything. The lady pouring was talking about how she preferred the 2003 Syrah of the two syrahs. I didn't have the heart to tell her that Petite Sirah is not a Syrah. Oh well, onto the next ... Halter Ranch
2007 Halter Ranch Viognier
2006 Halter Ranch "Ranch Red"
2005 Halter Ranch Merlot
2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Franc
2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Halter Ranch "Ancestor"
Everything was pretty good here, I liked their low end wine the "Ranch Red" and would've bought a bottle or two at the $18 but I decided to save my money. Also walked around the house on the property built in the 1850's that had been restored. Nice, but whatever. Onto the next winery which was one I actually wanted to get to ... Tablas Creek Vineyard.
2007 Tablas Creek "Cotes de Tables Blanc"
2007 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc"
2001 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc"
2006 Tablas Creek "Cotes de Tablas"
2006 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
2004 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
2003 Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel"
Everything was great, although I wish they were pouring some of their single varietal stuff. I thought about asking if we could go in the proper tasting room to see if they were pouring any, but we had more wineries to get to. I really liked the 03 and 04 Esprit de Beaucastel and bought a bottle of the 2004. Up next was Le Cuvier.
2004 Le Cuvier Chardonnay
2005 Le Cuvier "L'Enfant du Pape"
2005 Le Cuvier Cabernet Franc
2005 Le Cuvier Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Le Cuvier Zinfandel
2005 Le Cuvier Syrah
NV Le Cuvier "Pentimento"
All great stuff, really liked the Cab Franc and the "L'Enfant du Pape" ... The Chardonnay was also really interesting, deep gold color from fermenting on the skins. We ended up not buying anything, but were really impressed with the wine. Up next was Justin
2007 Justin Chardonnay Reserve
2006 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Justin Syrah
2006 Justin "Isosceles"
2007 Justin "Obtuse"
2007 Justin "Deborah's Delight"
Really liked the Isosceles, I like it every year, but this one seemed to be REALLY good. Would've bought some bottles but they list it at $62, and I can get it at retail for around $55. Up next was Whalebone Vineyard.
2006 Whalebone Zinfandel
2006 Whalebone Syrah
2005 Whalebone Syrah
2006 Whalebone "Bob Wine"
2005 Whalebone "Bob Wine"
2006 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Whalebone Cabernet Sauvignon
First off, have to say that the people running this place are great. A small, family operation. Also the tri-tip sandwiches were phenomenal. Barely seasoned meat, on garlic bread, with a few drops of their balsamic reduction. Fantastic. But on to the wines, all were good. I liked the 2005 Bob wine, a blend of Cab/Syrah/Zin. Being cheap bastards, we ended up not buying anything, but everything was reasonably priced and very good.
That ended our Paso Robles extravaganza. We ended up stopping for dinner at an Italian place in Pismo Beach, Rosa's. It was terrible, seriously terrible. Never go there.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Valentines Weekend, Day #1, Santa Ynez
To celebrate Valentine's weekend and to take advantage of the extra day off, we headed up to Santa Ynez and Paso Robles. The plan was to hit Santa Ynez wineries on Saturday, spend the night in Santa Maria, then hit Paso Robles for the Far Out Wineries Passport weekend on Sunday, the hit a few more in Santa Ynez on the way back to LA on Monday. In other words, the perfect weekend.
Started out at Alma Rosa Winery in the Santa Rita Hills. We are members of their club and I love their Pinots.
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara County
2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc, Santa Barbara County
2006 Alma Rosa Chardonnay, El Jabali Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, La Encantada Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Mount Eden Clone, El Jabali Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Clone 667, La Encantada Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Clone 777, La Encantada Vineyard
My favorites were the 2007 Santa Rita Hills Pinot and the Clone 667. Picked up a couple bottles each of the three clones as our club shipment. Really looking forward to trying them over the next couple years.
Up next was D'Alfonso Curran at their tasting room in Solvang.
2007 Curran Grenache Rose, Santa Ynez Valley
2005 Badge Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
2005 Curran Sangiovese, Santa Ynez Valley
2004 Di Bruno Sangiovese, Stolpman Vineyard
2006 Di Bruno Merlot, Grassini Vineyard
2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranch, Santa Barbara County
2005 Curran Tempranillo, Santa Ynez Valley
2005 Curran Sangiovese, Bruce Vandale Reserve
2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranch Reserve
All fantastic wines from two of the areas best winemakers. We ended up joining their club and picking up bottles of the Grenache Rose, Badge Pinot, and Curran Sangiovese Bruce Vandale Reserve. I would've gotten a bottle of Bruno's Merlot, but it will be in an upcoming club shipment.
We then decided to try and hit up Stolpman before we got on the road to Santa Maria. We soon discovered that they moved from their location in Solvang to a little red house in Los Olivos, just a block or so off the main Grand Ave.
2006 Stolpman "L'Avion"
2005 Stolpman "Angeli Blanc"
2005 Stolpman Syrah "La Coppa"
2005 Stolpman Sangiovese
2005 Stolpman Sangiovese "La Coppa"
2006 Stolpman "La Cuadrilla"
2006 Stolpman Syrah, Estate
2006 Stolpman Syrah "Hilltops"
2006 Stolpman "La Croce"
2005 Stolpman Malbec
This winery constantly amazes me. Everything is just fantastic. The "La Coppa" line of wines replaces their "Poetry In Red" and "Poetry In White" labels that someone else claimed they had the rights to. The "La Cuadrilla" is a Merlot that their vineyard crew makes all the farming decisions and then are helped through the winemaking process. I also believe all profits are then distributed amongst the crew. Great idea. Their Syrahs are wonderful, and I was surprised by the "La Croce" a blend of Syrah and Sangiovese. It was very good, but needs some time for the tannins to mellow.
We then got back in the car and headed up north. We stopped for dinner at Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos for a wonderful dinner and then finished the drive to Santa Maria to the hotel. Enjoyed a bottle of 2005 Melville Syrah, Vernas Vineyard with our sausage & mushroom pizza. The next day would begin early with the hour drive up to Paso Robles.
Started out at Alma Rosa Winery in the Santa Rita Hills. We are members of their club and I love their Pinots.
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara County
2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc, Santa Barbara County
2006 Alma Rosa Chardonnay, El Jabali Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, La Encantada Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Mount Eden Clone, El Jabali Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Clone 667, La Encantada Vineyard
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Clone 777, La Encantada Vineyard
My favorites were the 2007 Santa Rita Hills Pinot and the Clone 667. Picked up a couple bottles each of the three clones as our club shipment. Really looking forward to trying them over the next couple years.
Up next was D'Alfonso Curran at their tasting room in Solvang.
2007 Curran Grenache Rose, Santa Ynez Valley
2005 Badge Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
2005 Curran Sangiovese, Santa Ynez Valley
2004 Di Bruno Sangiovese, Stolpman Vineyard
2006 Di Bruno Merlot, Grassini Vineyard
2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranch, Santa Barbara County
2005 Curran Tempranillo, Santa Ynez Valley
2005 Curran Sangiovese, Bruce Vandale Reserve
2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranch Reserve
All fantastic wines from two of the areas best winemakers. We ended up joining their club and picking up bottles of the Grenache Rose, Badge Pinot, and Curran Sangiovese Bruce Vandale Reserve. I would've gotten a bottle of Bruno's Merlot, but it will be in an upcoming club shipment.
We then decided to try and hit up Stolpman before we got on the road to Santa Maria. We soon discovered that they moved from their location in Solvang to a little red house in Los Olivos, just a block or so off the main Grand Ave.
2006 Stolpman "L'Avion"
2005 Stolpman "Angeli Blanc"
2005 Stolpman Syrah "La Coppa"
2005 Stolpman Sangiovese
2005 Stolpman Sangiovese "La Coppa"
2006 Stolpman "La Cuadrilla"
2006 Stolpman Syrah, Estate
2006 Stolpman Syrah "Hilltops"
2006 Stolpman "La Croce"
2005 Stolpman Malbec
This winery constantly amazes me. Everything is just fantastic. The "La Coppa" line of wines replaces their "Poetry In Red" and "Poetry In White" labels that someone else claimed they had the rights to. The "La Cuadrilla" is a Merlot that their vineyard crew makes all the farming decisions and then are helped through the winemaking process. I also believe all profits are then distributed amongst the crew. Great idea. Their Syrahs are wonderful, and I was surprised by the "La Croce" a blend of Syrah and Sangiovese. It was very good, but needs some time for the tannins to mellow.
We then got back in the car and headed up north. We stopped for dinner at Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos for a wonderful dinner and then finished the drive to Santa Maria to the hotel. Enjoyed a bottle of 2005 Melville Syrah, Vernas Vineyard with our sausage & mushroom pizza. The next day would begin early with the hour drive up to Paso Robles.
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