News and notices about the vineyard and winery
Photo of our largest Pinot Noir Block as seen from the Lafond Winery. This block was planted in 1997 and, up to now, has provided the majority of grapes for our vineyard designated wines. The other photo is of a vine whose growth we have been recording since Spring. Both photos were taken July 19, 2008.
Click images to enlarge.
We have a relatively new release here in the tasting room, and it has quickly become one of my favorites. It is the 2006 Lafond Martin Ray Clone Pinot Noir. The highest quality fruit (exclusively Martin Ray Clone Pinot Noir) has been selected to be included in this bottling.
Lafond Vineyard is home to eight Pinot Noir clones, all of which have their own unique character and flavor profile. Bruce McGuire has produced this small batch of Martin Ray clonal designate Pinot Noir from a specific 25-acre block of the vineyard that was planted 24 years ago. The wine was aged in 100% French Burgundy Oak barrels for about 10 months, during which its complexity was enhanced.
The structure and depth of flavor makes this Pinot Noir a nice match with savory foods such as lamb, Copper River salmon, and hearty mushroom dishes. I have had it recently paired with crusty herbed flatbread, baked zucchini flowers (a beautiful summer seasonal vegetable), and tender grilled lamb. Enjoy it now through 2014. Only 174 cases were produced. Price: 48.00/750ml
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
2005 Joughin Vineyard Lagrein
Lagrein is one of the indigenous grapes grown around the town of Bolzano in the Alto Adige; Italy’s northern most wine growing region. Locally known for its big, rich tannins and very dark color, this is a remarkable food wine.
The key is a richness of fruit character, instead of hard tannins that delights and surprises the mouth at the same time. This grape yields the darkest, most saturated wine we haveve experienced, remarked Winemaker Bruce McGuire. Mr. Andrew Joughin, who also happens to be the vineyard manager at our Lafond Vineyard, planted the Joughin Vineyard.
It was his idea to look for unusual grape varieties from around the world that would be suitable for his soils and Los Olivos climate. Of course Winemaker Bruce McGuire was happy to offer some suggestions that would also add to the wide variety of wines he makes for Santa Barbara Winery. The harvest of 2005 gave up yields that made Mr. Joughin smile.
The seven tons from this four acre section gave us a fruit forward, lush wine. Pair with angel hair pasta in a light tomato garlic sauce to much heartier foods. This is also a great wine to taste with cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Fontina, semi-hard Gouda, or your own selection in the fresh goat’s milk catagory. This wine should age nicely through 2010.
Suggested retail: 30.00/750ml
To order:
Bruce and his whole crew are at the Lafond Winery this week. They are readying most of 2007’s red wine for bottling. First they spend several days tasting and evaluating each barrel and each lot. This is the final cut.
Which wines merit to be bottled as single vineyard or single clone wines. 
Over the years we have learnt which parts of the vineyard and which clones produces consistently outstanding wines, but there are surprises. For the past few years we have been experimenting with tying each individual cane to prevent canopy leaves from shading the fruit.
Obviously, a very slow and costly process, but with the results of the 2007 vintage now in, we will be doing a lot more of it in the future. Most, if not all of the vines where this was done, will end up in our special limited bottling. Both Winemaker Bruce McGuire and David Lafond were impressed by the results.
Photos show the crew at work and if not at play, at least at the table.
On Saturday, Elements Restaurant and Catering hosted the Old Spanish Days 3rd Annual Wine Tasting in the Sunken Gardens at the Courthouse. Over 40 local wineries poured over 100 wines under white tents on the grass while live music played. There was a special reserve tasting and cooking demonstration from 2-4 for those who wanted to shell out a little bit more for a ticket. The main tasting followed from 4:00-7:00.
July is a great month to visit the winery. The vines are green, as are the trees and landscaping. The wildflower seeds that we planted in late spring are beginning to blossom. The days are warm and the nights cool, ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
1. The winery as you enter.
2. Overlooking the front lawn and the vineyards beyond.
3. The vegetable and wildflower garden at the entrance.
4. Looking south from our vineyard across the river. The river meanders through the trees and the winery is barely discernible at the bottom of the hills.
I just wanted to remind wine club members about all of the events we have coming up over the next couple of months, there are just a few spots left for each of them! Reservations for events can be made by calling (805)963-3633. I remember looking at this list at the beginning of the summer and thinking they were so far in the future, but now they are right around the corner. With the Fourth of July behind us time is flying by at an astounding speed. I will be talking about Harvest 2008 before we know it.
July 19 our lovely and talented tasting room host and guitar virtuoso, Chris Fossek, will be playing Flamenco Guitar for us in the barrel room. Chris will perform while we sip wine under candle light. Chris played a sold out show for us last summer and frequently plays at the Pierre Lafond Bistro and up at the Lafond vineyard. Appetizers will be served. The cost for this event is 35.00/person. Limit 40 people. 6-8pm.
August 9 is our Annual Wine Club BBQ. The much anticipated BBQ is set again for the second weekend of August. Not only is the food fantastic, but you’ll enjoy Santa Barbara wines, Lafond wines, and barrel samples. This is a great opportunity to get up to the vineyard and enjoy our wines. This event sells out fast! 1-4pm. Only 35.00/person.
August 23 Chef Joel Chapman will be back to guide us through the cuisine of India. Last month, Joel hosted a Greek Cooking Class where we watched him cook and listened to him tell stories about the history of the dishes and the cuisine while enjoying our wines. Oh ya, we got to eat the food too after he prepared it! Chef Joel was introduced to the Indian culture while living in New Zealand where there is a large Indian population 50.00/person. Limit 20 people. 6-8pm.
As a member of the wine club you get the opportunity to participate in all of our winery events. It is truly something you should take advantage of. We love having you here as our guests. Thank you for continuing to enjoy our wine. We will keep making it if you keep drinking it!
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
Recent Comments