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Schaefer on Wine |
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"Big house" under one roof© by Dennis Schaefer My semi-annual visit to the "big house" that's home to Au Bon Climat, Qupé and their associated labels and winemaking friends once again proved to be instructive. Hard by the famous Bien Nacido Vineyard and just down the road from Cambria Vineyards, the winery resembles an airplane hangar more than a cozy, romantic, set-designer's idea of vintners' paradise. At their most recent open house, I counted more than 50 wines available for tasting, plus I walked away with a T-shirt, showing all the labels and bolding proclaiming "Incestuous products from like minds" ... or was it, "Like products from incestuous minds?" Whatever, in any event, here are my favorites: Verdad: This exciting new project, the brainchild of Louisa and Bob Lindquist (Qupé), is set to explore Spanish varietals in California. The 2001 Albarino is something akin to Viognier, but different. It's incredibly aromatic with orange blossom, honey dew melon, tropical fruit and pear, while crisp and dry on the palate. Flavors include pear, mineral and a bit of toasted almond. The 2001 Rose, made from Grenache and Tempranillo, has that wild strawberries and cream component but also cranberry, vanilla and a little peppery spice. Both wines, with spot-on acidity, cry out for grilled food. Cold Heaven: Morgan Clendenen's 2000 Viognier from Sanford and Benedict Vineyard is well done with telltale peach skin and honeysuckle flavors that are viscous and well rounded in the mouth, with no hard edges. The 2000 Pinot Noir "Le Bon Climat" is the first crop from a newly planted vineyard. Very fruit forward, it knocks you out with ripe, jammy and bright cherry flavors. Integrated seamlessly with one-third new oak, this wine is already showing its sweet spot. Il Podere: From the Italian half of Jim Clendenen's mind, the Il Podere 2000 "Primogenito" (first born), has become my favorite in the lineup. A delicious white wine blend (Tocai Fruilano, Pinot Gris and Pinot Bianco) that becomes more than the sum of its parts. Good fruit and minerality combine with some vanilla and ginger to make this a perfect sipper. The fine acidity cleanses the palate but it makes a soft landing on the finish. Makor: Production winemaker Jim Adelman's niche is Zinfandel. His 2000 version comes from Lodi, arguably the region with the oldest planted Zin vines in the state. The wine is very friendly with bright fruit at first, then segues into something really serious. Raspberry and cranberry flavors with the typical briary/brambly character make this one a go to wine for its spicy, fruit driven qualities. North Coast Zins like this cost twice as much. I recently cracked a bottle of his 1993 Zin and it's delicious and still going strong. Ici La Bas: Another Clendenen project, this label is primarily devoted to Chard and Pinot from outside the local area. The 1999 Chardonnay "Philippine" comes from a vineyard in Anderson Valley, with a cool climate not unlike Santa Barbara. A beautiful nose of ripe, minerally fruit and toasty oak (like roasted nuts) gets your attention. Then the rich and texturally complex flavors are bold but so well rounded and balanced that you take another sip just to see what you missed the first time around. Very Burgundian and a ringer for Montrachet! Costa de Oro: Gary Burk's 2000 Chardonnay "Reserva Dorada" has all the bells and whistles. A fine tropical fruit nose echoes on the palate in the most mouth filling way possible, while the fine cut of acidity prevents the flavors from going over the top. The "regular" 2000 Pinot Noir is anything but. Wild strawberries and cherries, along with candied violets and plums, make this one racy red wine. Moderately bodied and fruit forward, it's good to go right now. Au Bon Climat: My favorite summer sipper from ABC is the 2001 blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Yummy and crisp, it's someone's idea of what a good, well balanced wine for food should taste like, without regard to varietal. On the Chardonnay front, the 2000 Talley "Rincon" has a great deal of butter cream and expressive fruit up front in a full bodied style. Impeccably balanced and well rounded, it's very easy to like. New this year is the 2000 Chard from Santa Rita Hills. Bright fruit is forward but firm with caramelized wood and toasty oak nuances. So balanced but creamy, this must be the Dreamsicle of Chardonnays. Qupé: I write about Bob Lindquist's Bien Nacido "Reserve" Chardonnay every year because it's one I buy. I've found it drinks fabulous when young, but it ages extremely well; I'm drinking my 1997's now. The 2000 bottling is right up there with the best of them. The nose has plenty of minerals with lemon drop candy. In the mouth, it rocks with pineapple and lemon, and then a big flavor spot opens up and it figuratively explodes with richness, finally finishing huge with caramel and toasty oak. (For anyone making travel plans to wine country, the next open house is Oct. 13, 2002, in conjunction with the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association's Festival of Harvest. For Festival info, go to http://www.sbcountywines.com.) Sept. 12, 2002 |
