Tag Archive for ‘santa ynez valley’ at

Tag Archive for 'santa ynez valley'

Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published

on February 27, 2008

. 0 Comments

Santa Barbara Winery
Santa Ynez Valley 2007 Riesling 1.7

The nobel grape Riesling is enjoying a well earned resurgence of popularity in America as increasing numbers of writers and chefs become enamored with the wine’s flavors and suitability for pairing with a wide range of foods.

Peer through the fog of history and remember Riesling was really one of the first grapes that showed the promise of the Santa Ynez Valley for fine wine growing back in the middle 1970’s. Pierre Lafond planted the first block of Riesling in our Lafond Vineyard in 1972 and winemaker Bruce McGuire has crafted several styles of this wine since his arrival to finish the 1981 harvest.

Recognizing that residual sugar (r.s.) marks the style of each Riesling we produce, either the word “dry” or a number representing the amount of r.s. in the wine appears on the label under the AVA designation.

The amount of r.s. in each style may vary slightly from year to year as Bruce balances this sweetness with the natural acid level that a particlar vintage achieved. The “1.7″ style happens to be the most versatile style of Riesling we make.

Very good for sipping by itself on a warm day (though we would have a plate of light cheeses and nectarines handy) it is also a great choice for Pacific Rim cusine featuring spicy curry, much of the cuisine from India, and pork sausages, especially when served with a German sensibility.

Because of the firm acidity, our Riesling also rewards ten years of aging to gain that special “aged character” good Riesling attains.

Suggested retail 18.00/750ml

To order:

New Release Lafond Winery 2006 SRH Syrah

Published

Pierre Lafond

on December 9, 2007

in Lafond Winery, New Releases and Syrah

. 0 Comments

Lafond Winery 2006 SRH Syrah

The ‘SRH’ designation on the Lafond label signals Winemaker Bruce McGuire’s intent to blend a selection of vineyards located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). Located in the western end if the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills is a cold climate region where grapes benefit from a very long growing season.

After the bountiful 2005 harvest, the Syrah vines rested a little. Between the smaller harvest and Bruce’s strict selection criteria from within our vineyard and the neighboring Hill Top Ranch Vineyard, the production of the 2006 was down by 550 cases. The wine shows the beginnings of being a big Syrah needing time to integrate in the bottle to show off the concentrated fruit and intense flavors.

Bruce’s selection of seventeen vineyard lots from multiple Syrah clones has really paid off in a powerful expression of fruit from aroma to finish. He then aged the wine in a blend barrels to give the wine layers of complexity and texture. This Syrah shows the “cool-climate” character found in Syrah grown in the Santa Rita Hills. Flavors are marked by forward dark berry, violets, and terrific white pepper spice intensity.

This wine will nicely integrate in the bottle before early 2009 and will continue to be very impressive into 2012. One of our favorite wines for pairing with hearty fare and grilled foods, this wine is also fun to match with cheese such as Taleggio.

To order

Tell a Friend

Off Beat Reds from Santa Barbara Winery

Published

Pierre Lafond

on November 30, 2007

in Grenache, Off Beat Reds, Primativo and Wine News

. 0 Comments

Winemaker Bruce McGuire Tests Terroir

The Santa Ynez Valley’s extended growing season has turned out some fabulous gems, especially from the 2005 vintage which is ready for its close up. Early bud break and a long swing on the vine translated into a rich, supple Pinot Noir and ripe, concentrated Chardonnay — tenets the appellation has long been known for.

What many wine enthusiasts aren’t aware of are the cache of offbeat wines crafted from this appellation. Winemaker Bruce McGuire’s passion for unsung gems is well documented; in any given year he creates 30+ wines from one harvest, ranging from Nebbiolo to Rose of Syrah, Negrette, White Riesling and Grenache.

McGuire’s eye to determining which varietals will thrive in this region has turned out some exquisite wines. Much like chess, it’s an intellectually stimulating exercise to introduce obscure grapes from other parts of the world and adapt them to the Santa Barbara landscape – and American palate. These non-traditional varietals require both talent and tenacity, which McGuire has proven since joining the winery in 1981.

Crated in small lots, two of Santa Barbara Winery’s most unique reds are featured below. For a full list go to Santa Barbara Winery.

2005 Santa Barbara Winery Primitivo ($23)

Twelve miles east of Lafond Vineyards in Los Olivos, Joughin Vineyard proved the perfect spot for this varietal, named after the Primitivo vines grown in the Pulgia region of Italy, and now known to be genetically identical to Zinfandel. This sultry wine represents the region’s warmer climate with a fruit-forward nose, plump brambleberry and spicy black pepper overtones. The 2005 vintage offer high yields and extended barrel time (16 months) in French/American oak added to the wine’s pronounced length and density. A definite date with Mr. Lambshank, this wine also pairs well with Italian foods such as Tuscan beef and linguine marinara and a wide range of cheeses. $23.00/750 ml.

2005 Santa Barbara Winery Grenache ($22).

This Southern Rhone varietal from Lafond Vineyards in the Sta. Hills AVA is ready for its close up. Long known as a blending grape, its low yields of the 2005 vintage (5 tons from 2 acres) produced a plump, meaty wine with bright acidity and smoky bacon and spicy oak overtones. Planted in the warmest swath of Lafond’s cool-climate vineyard, McGuire believes this grape has great potential as a stand-alone vintage best served with pizza, spicy Indian or Thai or a thick rib eye on the barbeque. $22.00/750ml

To order:

Tell a Friend

New Release Lafond Winery 2006 SRH Chardonnay

Published

Pierre Lafond

on November 28, 2007

in Chardonnay, New Releases and Wine News

. 0 Comments

Located in the western Santa Ynez Valley, the Santa Rita Hills AVA is an ideal environment for growing intensely flavored full-bodied Chardonnay.
The AVA is distinguished by the very cool and long growing season created by a convergence of unusual geography in this part of California. Our southerly latitude means that frost danger is usually behind us in February of most years.

This leads to early bud break, which can start the growing season as much as a month earlier than growing regions to our North. During the summer, heat rising from the Mojave Desert 90 miles inland and the eastern boundary of our unique east-west system of mountains and valleys draws in cold air from the Pacific Ocean 15 miles to our West.

This guarantees cool days and chilly nights during the long growing season of the nine-mile length of the Santa Rita Hills AVA.

A blend of four neighboring vineyards, the 2006 Chardonnay SRH is winemaker Bruce McGuire’s selection to showcase the ripe, concentrated Chardonnay for which the Santa Rita Hills is known. Bruce had each vineyard block picked as the fruit ripened about three weeks later than average to the late date of Nov. 5th.

This wine is a good choice to pair with many cows’ milk cheeses such as Brie or Camembert and, as a nice surprise; the fantastic washed-rind triple-creme Cow Girl Creamery Red Hawk. Richer foods such as roast chicken or whole, farm raised striped bass are also ideal pairings.

This bottling will reward aging through 2012 and promises to be quite showy through 2116.

Suggested retail price 22.00

To order: