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Sunday, March 17, 2001
2001
Santa Barbara Wine Futures Tasting
1999-2000 Vintage Releases
photos courtesy
of: A. David Chan
______________________
Report on the 12th annual
futures offering sponsored by the Wine
Cask restaurant and wine store in Santa Barbara. This event is a
tasting of locally grown and/or produced wines from soon-to-be-released
vintages. It is usually presented twice during the Spring in order to
accommodate all those interested. The tasting notes compiled below are
from the first of this year's tastings. 77 wines from 32 labels were
being poured to a sizable crowd at the Wine Cask restaurant in downtown
SB. This year's event was $45, up from $35 last year, but still a bargain
considering the array of wines, and they will credit $15 on purchases
to attendees.
I did manage to try a couple
of whites, but definitely concentrated on the reds, and managed to taste
the majority of them. My scores are an alpha rating, based on an overall
opinion of the wine's qualities. All prices listed are Futures prices
from the Wine Cask, and are generally good through 4/28.
AU BON CLIMAT: pouring
10 wines
 1999 Pinot Noir "Rincon & Rosemary's Vnyds".
$32.95. Complex nose of black cherry, toast, and a touch of cola. Nearly
mouthfeel, with lots of somewhat subtle fruit and a long finish. Overall
score: A-
1999 Pinot Noir "Knox
Alexander". $35.95. Sweet spicy nose and mouthfeel. Nice body, excellent
balance, long finish. Overall score: A-
1999 Pinot Noir "Isabelle".
$44.95. Complex nose, excellent body and balance, long fruit-filled
finish. Overall score: A-
Comments:
the Rincon & Rosemary's was already sold out by tasting time. But,
I found the more gutsy style of the Knox Alexander and the Burgundian
qualities of the Isabelle a little more.
BABCOCK: pouring 2
wines
1999 Fathom $27.95.
Slightly sharp and veggie in the nose. A little high-strung on its acids
right now, with obvious fruit, but also a backbone of the greener side
of Cab Franc. Bordeaux-style blend of 45%CF, 45%Merlot, 10%Cab Sauv.
Overall score: B
1999 Pinot Noir "Black
label ". $39.95. Very nice nose of strawberry, black cherry, with
a touch of meat. Medium mouthfeel, long finish. Overall score: B+
Comments:
the Black Label was another sold out wine, and it showed a lot of
refinement. The Fathom seemed like a lost effort to me - while the
acids may quell a bit over time, I'm more worried that the CF may
make it come across as a can of green beans.
BECKMEN:
pouring 2 wines
 2000 Grenache "Purisima Vnyd". $19.99. Very nice
sweet raspberry with some floral components. Full mouthfeel, tannic
and dry, with a somewhat sweet finish, long finish, and nice aftertaste.
Tablas clone. Overall score: A-
2000 Syrah "Purisima Vnyd".
$25.95. Major extraction here, black and purple color. Huge nose of
blueberry and blackberry fruit, with a touch of game/leather. Massively
jammy mouthfeel of blueberry and blackberry fruit, and very long finish.
Extra points for its ability to substitute for Rit dye. Tablas clone.
Overall score: A
Comments:
both of these reds are excellent, with the Syrah being my favorite,
as well as my nomination for President of the Purple Gang.
BREWER-CLIFTON:
pouring 4 wines
2000 Pinot Noir
"Julia's Vnyd". $33.99. Beautiful nose of black cherry, cinnamon,
and cola. Medium-full mouthfeel, very nice fruit, long finish. Overall
score: B+
2000 Pinot Noir "Melville
Vnyd, Carrie's Block". $39.99. Effusive nose that almost had more
sweet Syrah qualities than Pinot. Young mouthfeel, good concentration,
lots of fruit, very long finish. Nice stuff. Overall score: A-
Comments:
both of these wines by Greg Brewer are very nice. And, even though
I've never met a Julia's I didn't like, I prefered the abundant fruit
and concentration of the Carrie's Block.
DI BRUNO: pouring
1 wine
1999 Sangiovese
"Stolpman Vineyard". $14.95. Slight smoky nose of dried cherries
and toast. Somewhat acidic in mouthfeel, with off-sweet fruit and a
long finish. Long finish. Overall score: B+
Comments:
a very nice, if more old world (read: acidic) kind of Sangiovese,
at least, more than previous year's renditions.
DOMAINE SANTA BARBARA:
pouring 1 wine
2000 Cabernet-Syrah.
$23.95. Sweet floral nose with cassis and blackberry/blueberry notes.
Moderate mouthfeel, with lighter-than-expected fruit across the palate,
and none of the punch expected, given the nose. Overall score: B
Comments:
an interesting wine that might be appealing if it weren't a little
over-priced.
FOLEY: pouring 1 wine
2000 Pinot Noir
"Dierberg Vnyd, Lot 13". $35.99. Some opaqueness to the color, indicating
probable recent bottling. Moderate nose of slightly spicy fruit. A bit
angular, green and bitter in mouthfeel, with a slight peppery streak
through medium-long finish. Maybe this will work itself out in time,
but for now... Overall score: B
Comments:
a disappointment, considering the Foxen version from this Vnyd. Admittedly,
the Foxen is a '99 and has had the benefit of some age. Might be worth
a try in 6 mos to see if it improves -- but not at this price.
FOXEN: pouring 3 wines
1999 Pinot Noir
"Dierberg Vnyd". $23.95. Fleshy and stemmy cherry nose with what
seems like a dollop of blueberry. Full mouthfeel, smooth chewy texture,
lots of fruit and toast on long finish. Overall score: A-
1999 Syrah "Carhartt
Vnyd". $ 31.95. Dense, slightly gamey blackberry nose, with background
aromas of tar, licorice, and black pepper. Full and chewy mouthfeel,
spicy blackberry fruit, with a slight licorice flavor to the long
finish. Overall score: A-
1999 Reserve SYV.
$31.95. Huge fleshy cassis and earthy nose. Big juicy mouthfeel, with
lots of flesh and fruit, with a dab of that SYV earthy/herbaceousness
as well. Seems a bit pricey. Overall score: B+
Comments:
the Syrah was apparently sold out, but was being poured. On the other
hand, the Ma Mere was sold out, and wasn't being poured. But that's
okay, both the Pinot and Syrah were dynamite, and the Reserve SYV
was not slouch either.
GAINEY: pouring 1
wine
1998 Merlot "Limited
Select". $35.95. Fleshy and stemmy nose, with an interesting licorice
and tar component. Big mouthfeel, very extracted, stemmy with a somewhat
earthy taste, very long finish. Overall score: B+
Comments:
this has been a fairly dependable offering each year, and is suited
for those who like full-throttle fully extracted Merlots. This one's
surprisingly better than the '97.
GARRETSON: pouring
2 wines
1999 Syrah "Alban
Vnyd, 'The Finne'". $35.99. Big extraction, and dense nose with
lots of blueberry/blackberry aromas, and hints of leather and game in
the background. Chewy mouthfeel, big on blackberry fruit, still very
tight, long finish. Overall score: A-
Comments:
the Syrah is an excellent, maybe fabulous wine. I just don't know
if it's a $60 wine -- which is probably why it got snapped up immediately
at this pre-release price. Luckily for the rest of us, it was being
poured, so we did get a chance to taste it. I didn't try the Berwyn,
a late harvest Roussanne (or maybe it's Viognier - who knows anymore?),
in order to move on to other reds. Both of these wines had the dubious
distinction of having the biggest disparity between the futures price
and release price, with a difference of $12 on the Berwyn, and a whopping
$24 on the Finne.
HARTLEY-OSTINI: pouring
2 wines
1999 Pinot Noir
"Santa Maria Hills". $n/a. Stemmy floral and fruity nose. Moderate
mouthfeel and fruit, long finish. Overall score: B
1999 Pinot Noir "Highliner".
$31.99. Nose of cherry/strawberry and cola. Big mouthfeel, off-sweet
fruit, long finish that shows a bit of heat. Overall score: B+
Comments:
they were sold out of the Julia's PN and didn't pour it, substituting
instead tastes of the Santa Maria Hills PN.
JAFFURS WINE CELLAR:
pouring 2 wines
 2000 Syrah "Stolpman Vineyard". $25.99. Nose of
blackberry and mocha, with floral and spice notes. Medium-full mouthfeel
of smooth blackberry fruit and mocha, with a nice long smooth finish.
Overall score: B+
2000 Syrah "Thompson Vineyard".
$26.99. Nicely concentrated jammy blackberry and toasted chocolate nose.
Jammy mouthfeel, thick fruit that coats the palate, very long full finish.
Overall score: A-
Comments:
Craig was pouring from magnums - nice touch. The Stolpman has refinement
as its most obvious quality; but the Thompson gets the nod for its extracted
jamminess. Interesting and appealing chocolate/mocha components in both
wines - almost a Carignane or Mouvedre quality to the aroma/taste.
KUNIN: pouring 2 wines.
2000 Syrah "Gainey
Vnyds/Santa Rosa Hills". $27.95. Big sweet blackberry nose. Full
mouthfeel, off-sweet chewy fruit, that has a slight tang and tartness
to its long finish. Very nice nose on this Syrah, but the mouth doesn't
deliver what the nose promises. Overall score: B
Comments:
was also pouring a Viognier that I didn't try.
LINCOURT: pouring
1 wine.
2000 Pinot Noir
"Santa Maria Hills Vnyd, Lot 6". $21.99. Light-medium black cherry/strawberry
nose. Only moderate mouthfeel, with light flavors and moderate finish.
Overall score: B
Overall Comments:
I've found this winery produces some lower-priced dependable Pinots.
This one's a quaffer.
LONGORIA: pouring
1 wine.
1999 Lusso $22.95.
Big full fruity nose. Substantial mouthfeel, slightly stemmy and chewy
fruit, with good balance and acids and just a bit of tartness to its
long finish. Interesting wine. An Italian blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera,
and Dolcetto. Overall score: B+
Comments:
don't know if his Pinot or Cab Franc was considered for inclusion,
but this is an interesting diversion.
MELVILLE: pouring
2 wines.
2000 Chardonnay
"Clone 76 - Inox". $19.95. Very clean, pure fruit aromas in the
nose, with a background of something swampy. Clean crisp taste shows-off
the stainless steel fermentation. Fruity across the palate, slightly
off-sweet finish. Overall score: B
2000 Pinot Noir "Clone
115 - Indigene". $27.95. Fabulous somewhat sweet fruity floral
nose of cherry, strawberry, cinnamon and rose petal. Full mouthfeel,
nearly chewy fruit, excellent balance, very long finish. Overall score:
A
Overall Comments:
first time here for Melville, and the Pinot made a stunning debut.
I tasted this wine in barrel a few months back and was impressed --
but now it's even better. Obviously more New World and gutsy than
something like the ABC Isabelle, this one gets my vote for #1 Pinot
of the day. The Chard ...well, it just isn't my style ...or maybe
it needs more time.
ANDREW MURRAY VINEYARDS:
pouring 2 wines
2000 Mourvedre
"Clautiere Vnyd". $17.95. Slightly sweet raspberry/blackberry nose,
with a background note of chocolate and herb. Sweet moderate mouthfeel
of chocolate-infused fruit leads to medium-long finish. Not a lot of
punch here, but there's almost more of an old-vine smoothness that makes
it interesting and tasty. Overall score: B+
1999 Syrah "South Slope".
$23.95. Sweet blackberry and mocha nose. Full and smooth mouthfeel,
with blackberry fruit and a mocha quality that lasts through the long
finish. Overall score: B+
Overall Comments:
I was told the Mourvedre fruit was from a phyloxera-infested vnyd
in Paso Robles, and that it probably has another 3-yrs on it before
replanting is necessary. For the life of me, I can't figure out how
that's considered a selling point for a wine -- unless of course the
resultant stress on the vine produces something magic in the fruit.
The South Slope this year was good, but seemed a bit more tame than
usual.
OJAI VINEYARD: pouring
5 wines
 1999 Chardonnay "Clos Pepe Vnyd". $23.95. Lovely
fruit, with a clean crisp apple/citrus nose with a hint of some smoked
wood tones. Full clean mouthfeel, nice integration of flavors, excellent
balance, very nice long and slightly toasty finish. Overall score: B+
1999 Pinot Noir "Bien
Nacido". $29.95. Nose of strawberry, cinnamon, and floral tones.
Moderate-to-full mouthfeel, slightly candied strawberry fruit with a
bit of hamburger, fruity and spicy flavors last through the long finish.
Overall score: B+
1999 Syrah "Roll Ranch".
$35.95. Blackberry, with some blueberry and licorice in the nose. Full
mouthfeel, very smooth and chewy, with blackberry and licorice flavors,
and a very long finish. Overall score: A-
Overall Comments:
the Roll Ranch was sold out, but was poured for tasting. Very nice stuff.
I was pleased with the Clos Pepe Chard as well.
PALMINA: pouring 2
wines
2000 Sangiovese
"Stolpman Vnyd". $28.95. Smoky, somewhat tart/sour burnished cherry
nose. Medium mouthfeel, fruit seems a bit thin and sour, with a long
finish. Overall score: B
Overall Comments:
seems like this just duplicated last year's the effort. And, it seems
overpriced ...again. When I can get the Stolpman fruit in the DiBruno
Sangiovese for $14 less, what's the selling point here?
QUPE: pouring 5 wines
 1999 Syrah "Bien Nacido Reserve". $19.95. Nose
of crushed floral aromas, blackberry, spice, and a bit of bacon. Full
mouthfeel of blackberry fruit, and spice, with a nice toasty, if a bit
tart, finish. The nose is terrific; the mouth is having a hard time
keeping up. Overall score: B+
1999 Syrah "Hillside Estate".
$31.95. Bright dense nose of blueberry/blackberry fruit, with a hint
of game or leather. Big mouthfeel, chewy black nearly jammy fruit, long
smooth finish. Overall score: A-
Overall Comments:
very nice well-made Syrahs - the both of them. In the past, I've enjoyed
the more forward aspects of the regular B/N bottling. This time I preferred
the Hillside, but the Bien Nacido is great wine for the price.
SANFORD: pouring 3
wines
1999 Pinot Noir
"Sanford & Benedict Vnyd". $37.95. Classic Sanford nose of stemmy
cherry, spice, and cola. Moderate mouthfeel, somewhat tart stemmy cranberry
fruit, long finish. Overall score: B+
1999 Pinot Noir "La
Rinconada Vnyd". $44.95. Beautiful nose of slightly stemmy strawberry,
cinnamon, and cola. Full mouthfeel, somewhat chewy off-sweet strawberry/cherry
fruit, very long finish. Overall score: A
Overall Comments:
the "Barrel Select" seemed just a little green and stemmy right now,
and contrasted heavily with the big effusive and sweet Rinconada.
On heck of a wine, that, and my #2 Pinot of the day. Spend the extra
$7-8, because this blows the doors off the S&B.
STOLPMAN: pouring
2 wines
1999 Grenache
/ Syrah / Mourvedre. $19.95. Lots raspberry, tar and licorice in
the nose. Slightly sweet fruit in on the palate, with a chewy consistency
and a long finish. Overall score: B+
Overall Comments:
the second year for Tom Stolpman's own label, and another solid offering.
The other wine poured was a Sangiovese "Riserva," which I didn't try.
Should have though, since everybody else is using his fruit for their
Sangiovese.
TENSLEY:
pouring 2 wines
2000 Syrah "Thompson".
$23.95. Very dark color. Huge wheaty/toasty nose of blackberry, herbs,
and spice. Jammy mouthfeel, chewy and smooth consistency, the fruit
stays constant through the long finish. Overall score: A-
2000 Syrah "Purisima
Mtn". $23.95. Nearly black-purple in color. Very jammy nose of
blackberry, spice, and toast. Huge mouthfeel, jammy blackberry fruit
and tar/licorice, huge long finish. Tablas clone. Overall score: A-
Overall Comments:
in his second effort here, Joey Tensley has knocked out another pair
of fabulous Syrahs. The Thompson has some fabulous toasty/hoppy notes
-- almost with a beer-brewing quality -- that accentuate the toast
in the nose. The Purisima is pure black and blue fruit. This is a
brooding wine that that is still a bit shy right now, but will undoubtedly
be a winner when it comes out of its shell. Dark as this one is, the
Beckmen rendition edged this out for darkest wine of the day. Oughta
be a category.
VITA NOVA: pouring
2 wines
1998 Reservatum.
$17.95. Somewhat tart/sour nose, with a pinch of herbaceousness thrown
in. Slightly singed fruit, fleshy mouthfeel, long finish. Might develop
into something, but for now... Overall score: B
1999 Sangiovese "Stolpman".
$15.95. Sweet and spicy dried cherry nose. Moderate mouthfeel, lots
of fruit, though it seems a bit tart or green, and a smooth long finish.
Overall score: B
Overall Comments:
I recall they used to make a Cab Franc under this label that seemed
very nice. Wish they'd go back to it.
WESTERLY:
pouring 1 wine:
1999 "W".
$29.95. A bit vegetal in the nose, with thankfully higher amounts of
sweet cassis, and black cherry. Very full mouthfeel and chewy consistency,
the local Cab Franc seems to gain control of the blend around mid-palate,
with more "real" fruit showing up through the long finish. 60/40 CF/Merlot
blend. Overall score: B
Overall Comments:
impressive with it's chewiness, the light Cab Franc-induced vegetal
streak is a distraction from the wine's obvious fruit.
WINE CASK: pouring
5 wines:
2000 Pinot Noir
"Bien Nacido Vnyd, Lot 2". $13.95. Both in nose and mouth, this
a junior version of most of the Bien Nacido Pinots at the tasting. Very
nice, and a steal at this price! Overall score: B+
2000 Super Deluxe Red.
$7.95. A bit swampy and slightly veggie in the nose, the fruit seems
to come on much better on the palate, and the wine finishes with a
nice balance and aftertaste. Overall score: B
2000 Merlot "Reserve".
$10.95. Initially bit funky and stinky in the nose, more of a steely
cherry aroma takes over with some swirling. Crisp backbone to the
mouthfeel, with slightly fleshy fruit lasting through long finish.
Overall score: B
Overall Comments:
this is the label to look for to find a few diamonds in the rough.
Sure enough, the Bien Nacido Pinot is the bargain of the tasting for
someone looking for a solid PN for little $$.
Unable to taste and review:
BRANDER: pouring 3 wines
COLD HAVEN: pouring 2 wines
COSTA DE ORO: pouring 2 wines
ICI/LA-BAS: pouring 2 wines
MAKOR: pouring 2 wines
IL PODERE DELL'OLIVOS: pouring 2 wines
________________
Final comments: as
usual, the wines and the food were great. There is usually a good-sized
crowd at these tastings, which makes negotiating the various pouring
stations within the rooms at the University Club a real challenge. This
year, however, they moved the venue to the Wine Cask, spreading themselves
between the restaurant, the wine bar, and the patio in between. They
also sold tickets in advance, which was a great idea! Any initial worry
I had that the Wine Cask would be too small for the crowd proved not
to be true. Admittedly, it was a crowded at the usual bottlenecks and
popular tables, but the tasters seemed to spread out with time.
Among my stars of this event
were an array of Syrahs from Beckmen, Tensley, Jaffurs,
Garretson, Foxen and Ojai. Other notable Syrahs
came from Andrew Murray and Qupe, plus there was a Grenache
from Beckmen that was beautiful. Most of the Pinots I tasted were very
good-to-excellent. Some of the standouts at the tasting were from Melville,
Sanford, ABC, Foxen and Brewer-Clifton.
Several of the Rhone varietals made at this tasting were made from the
Tablas clone vines, which arguably produced some of the more complex
wines.
(For more on the Tablas clone
(from Tablas Creek Vnyds) , see the writeup on a visit to Tablas Creek.)
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