Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Waltzing Bear Winery is an artisan winery where owner and winemaker Brad Lowman focuses on producing small lots of ultra premium wines.
The Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is made from the first fruit of a new block planted and grown by James Ontiveros in the southern end of Santa Maria Valley, near Bien Nacido Vineyard. Only 74 cases made.

The wine has a dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose showing deep cherry, earth, mushrooms, and oak. The earth/mushroom components being dominant.
On the palate is earthy and rich with dark cherry, dusty raspberry, and red fruit. The wine is nuanced with good acidity, and a long, smooth, finish with soft, lean, tannins.

This is definitely a slightly different, very interesting Pinot Noir. I can't quite put words to it so you just have to experience it yourself. The winery is right now selling it to a reduced price of $33.75. Give it a shot! I do not think you will be disappointed...


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Foxen 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Foxen makes some of our favorite Central Coast Pinot Noirs. We opened a bottle of their 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir a few night ago, and got to enjoy it close to, or at, its peak.

The grapes are 100% destemmed prior to enjoying five days of cold soak. They then go through whole berry fermentation before being aged in 65% new French oak for 16 months. Finally it is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The result is a Pinot with a clear, dark, ruby red/purple color in the glass.
On the nose; dark raspberry, cherry, vanilla, and earthy components.
On the plate the wine shows of raspberry, cherry, and plum with a hint of spice and vanilla. It is a harmonic, balanced, and concentrated, medium to full bodied Pinot, that receives a lift from the fresh acidity and slight edge to the tannins. Drinks beautifully right now. Unfortunately this was the last bottle I pulled out of our stash...

Looks like it is still available at Vinfolio.com for $42. Check it out if you want to have a sip of this star this spring.

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Bonaccorsi 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Not the first time I have had and reviewed a Bonaccorsi Pinot Noir, and although I always think they are stellar, for some reason I am particularly enjoying the 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir tonight.

I decided to try all new recipes for dinner and served it with BBQ red wine flank steak, bulgur/roasted beet/mushroom/red onion pilaf, and a red wine vinegar braised carrot and leek dish. It turned out awesome! (both the food and the pairing)

The 2003 Santa Maria Valley has a dark, dense, slightly cloudy, garnet color in the glass. To me indicating big, lush, savage, fruit. But I should have known better. Bonaccorsi usually leans toward the more elegant side, although the dark fruit is there. It stays true in this case as well.
The nose, sure enough, displays black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla cola, and notes of dried grass. All powerful but with the recognizable finesse.
On the palate dark raspberry, black cherry, a touch of blackberry and subtle spice. The berries are accompanied by good acidity that keeps the wine lively, and well integrated but still noticeable, on the firmer side, tannins.

This wine definitely makes a statement with its dark and powerful, but more on the elegant side fruit, balanced nicely with proportionate acidity and tannins. All laced with oak.

Find it at...(?) I am frankly not quite sure where to find it. No sources online that I usually use seem to offer it. I paid $35 for it about 3 years ago. If you can get your hands on it now, 3 years later, for under $55-60, I would jump on it and give it a try. This Pinot is definitely worth it.


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Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

I picked up a bottle of Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir at El Rancho Market in Solvang when I was in Santa Ynez Valley a couple of weeks ago. I was on the hunt for something new to try and this bottle came highly recommended by the “wine guy” that helped me in the store. El Rancho has as lot of wine from local wineries that can be hard to find in other grocery stores/wine shops. This bottle was no exception. The only other place I could find it online was at WanderingDogWinebar.com, located in Solvang, for $32.

The color in the glass; a dark, dense garnet color.
On the nose smoky oak, dark raspberry, blackberry and vanilla.
The palate showing dark cherry, dark raspberry, blackberry and a hint of pencil lead at the very finish.
This is initially a very mouth full and fruit forward wine on the palate that unfortunately goes a little thin on the mid palate and finish. Moderate acidity and young light tannins. Thin finish or not, we still enjoyed this wine and think it is a great effort from Jonathan and Clarissa Nagy.
John Nagy is the winemaker for Byron Winery and Clarissa Nagy is the wine maker for Bonaccorsi Wine (a favorite of mine). I believe this is the first vintage they have made together under their own label Nagy2, but don't quote me. Only 60 cases produced of this Pinot. Hurry up and get one yourself before they are all gone. I think greatness is to be expected from this winery in the years to come…

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Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

Today I am starting of with a fun little trivia: The name of the winery, Taz, is short for Tasmanian devil, which is winegrower Robert "Taz" Steinhaur's nickname.

The grapes for the Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir comes from Northern Canyon Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, and Fiddlestix Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills. 1/4 of the wine was aged in new oak and the rest in neutral barrels.

This wine shows a clear, bright, ruby red color in the glass.
On the nose red berries, red currant, a hint of blueberries, vanilla and some floral notes come through.
When tasting the wine darker berries emerges with dark cherry, ripe raspberry and spice. The acidity is good and tannins, although slightly light and tart, are also there in sufficient amount.

This wine is relatively light and lacking a little in complexity, but despite that I really enjoyed it. Bright, fruity and with the slight spice it is a great wine considering I only payed $14.99 at Costco. Normally price at $25 at the winery, this was a real find and a great value.

You can also find it at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com from $17.95.


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Rusack 2005 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

We had the Rusack Pinot Noir not to long ago and really enjoyed it , so when I saw the Chardonnay the other day in the store, I just had to grab it to give it a try.

The grapes for the 2005 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay comes from Bien Nacido and Goodchild Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, and Huber Vineyard and Rancho Santa Rosa in Santa Rita Hills. Both are cool climate appellations with maritime influence. It went through partial malolactic fermentation (70%) and was aged 9 months prior to bottling, in 32% new and 68% older French oak.

This wine has a golden straw color in the glass. On the nose ripe apple, citrus and pronounced oak. Tasting it, the apple and citrus steps out again with some light tropical fruit and the buttery creaminess from the malolactic fermentation and oak. It has a round soft mouth feel, and moderate acidity. I wish it had some more to stand up to the buttery creaminess. Our neighbor on the other hand who prefers her Chardonnay in this style thought it was very nice and well balanced. As always, it is all about preference...

Conclusion: Although nice fruit and good acidity I thought it was a little bit to oaky and creamy for my taste, but just slightly. So, if you like the round, buttery, creamy chardonnays (just for your comparison it is not as oaky/creamy as a Rombauer Chardonnay) I think this would be a great wine for you. It has a good price as well, only $18.88 at Wine-Searcher.com. For that price it is certainly a good deal for a good quality Chardonnay.


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Kenneth Volk Vineyards 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

I thought we would try a, to us, new winery tonight. The 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir from Kenneth Volk Vineyards seemed like a good candidate on the shelf in the grocery store.

This wine is a blend from several vineyards from Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. It was aged in 60% new, 20% one year old, and 20% three to four year old French oak using barrels from several different coopers.

A clear dark ruby color with a touch of purple reflects in the glass. On the nose, red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, light strawberry and traces of oak. Moving to the palate blackberry and cherry are the main components, with raspberry and oak in the background. This Pinot has good acidity and firm tannins, that together with the pronounced fruit makes for a great balanced wine with very decent complexity and a medium body.

I got this at my local "natural food" market for $ 23.99 and I think that was a good price for this very nice wine. Finding it online for only $17.99 at Wine-Searcher.com, it is a really good deal.

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Byron Vineyard and Winery 2003 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay

This Chardonnay from Byron was aged 10 months in 25% new and 75%older French oak. 93% of the grapes are from Nielson Vineyard and 7% from Sierra Madre, vines being between 29-39 years old. The growing season here is one of the longest in California.

The color in the glass is a golden, medium yellow, straw. Sticking my nose in the glass citrus, ripe Golden Delicious apple, tropical fruit, and white floral meets me with oak notes. Tasting, it shows a pretty heavy texture with, again, the citrus, tropical fruit, and oak. Medium acidity and medium length finish. This is a slightly more heavy white then I expected and I suspect it might be due to it being past prime.

I have had the Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay from Byron several times in the past of different vintages and it never seemed this heavy to me. It has always been more refreshing with great acidity and more light fruit. I suspect that was what the 2003 had to offer a year or more ago...

I do not recommend buying the 2003 vintage, as it seems to be past prime, but if you find a more recent vintage, grab it. This wine has a reputation of being of high and consistent quality.

Find it a Wine-Searcher.com from $16.99.

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Foxen Vineyard 2004 Julia's Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

I just love Foxen Vineyard from Santa Ynez Valley. They truly make some outstanding wines and tonight I had the 2004 Julia's Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir. I have reviewed the 2003 earlier. Read more about it here.

The 2004 has a bright, medium dark, ruby red color in the glass and shows incredible dark cherries and dark berries on the nose. On the palate, again, that intense dark cherry comes through, with a hint of red licorice, and little else being able to shine trough. Despite of that, it's rich, broad, intense and complex. Medium high acidity and smooth tannins gives this full-bodied wine good balance (tipping toward the ripe cherries). Long fruit driven finish.

Still a tad young though. Lay it down for a couple of years and I think that the ripe fruit will mellow out and give this wine even better balance.

This wine is shipped from the winery to members only. Only 300 cases produced. Looking for it online the only bottle I could find was a magnum (1.5 liters) for $109 at Wine-Searcher.com. If you come across it, grab it!

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The Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel

We just came home from five days in Los Angeles and thought I tell you a little bit about what we ate and drank.
We started our trip with dinner at The Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel. We did not have reservations, that presented no problem, and we got seated right away (7 pm on a Thursday).
Attentive staff to start with, taking our drink order and presenting the menu. After that the service went down hill. Food was timely but our bottle of wine sure took it's time, and we sat with our empty plates for quite a while before anyone noticed. Ordering dessert was quite a shore and we had to ask three times for the dessert menu before it finally arrived. Unacceptable!
Let's move on to the food. I started with the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Spiced California Avocado and Shaved Radish on Micro Greens. All very fresh and good. For main course I had the Wild Sockeye Salmon with Potato Crisps topped with a Creme Fraiche Sauce and Caviar. The salmon was slightly over cooked, but otherwise very good...
Finally our long awaited dessert, a Chocolate Souffle with a side of Vanilla Ice Cream. Perfectly cooked, still moist in the center and a nice intense chocolate flavor. Yummy!
We had a bottle of Belle Glos 2004 Clark and Telephone Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir with dinner. Not my first Pinot Noir from this winery, and it was as great as ever! Dark, not to ripe, fruit and berries with spice, earthiness and sweet, oaky, vanilla. Good amount of acidity and soft tannins on the lingering finish.

The meal over all was very good, but not great. Not necessarily a place I will return to for the food, and definitely not for the service.

There are to many options in a city like L.A. to waste your time on anything but the best...

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Villa Mt. Eden Chardonnay

The other night I opened one of many bottles we got at Christmas this year. I was serving a creamy mushroom and lentil soup for dinner and hoped that the Chardonnay could handle the challenge. The 2005 Villa Mt. Eden Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley has pear and tropical fruit on the nose. The tropical fruit carries through, on the light side, to the palate with a round, creamy finish with slight acidity. Not a 100% off, but next time I think I'll choose a earthy, not to heavy, red. The Chardonnay was a nice wine for $20/bottle. Not a top favorite but I would definitely not hesitate to have it again if offered.

Foxen, Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, 2004

Foxen belongs (according to me) to the top tier of Pinot Noir producers in Santa Ynez Valley. The 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is their least expensive Pinot Noir ($30 at the winery) and the majority of the grapes comes from Foxen's own Block Eight of the Bien Nacido Vineyard. The nose reveals red cherry and berries. The cherry carries through on the palate with slight pepper notes and minerals. It ends in a pleasant finish with sufficient tannins. This is a good wine, while their other Pinots are great wines. I would pay the extra cost for their single vineyard Pinots. Especially the Julia's Vineyard ($46) or even better double my money to get the Sea Smoke Vineyard ($64) which is a true stand out. Probably one of the best central coast Pinots of the 2004 vintage. Well, that is if you can get a hold of it...

www.foxenvineyard.com

Thanksgiving at it's best

Another Thanksgiving has past. Still full when waking up this morning I reflect on the meal and wine served. My mother in law had put together yet another wonderful traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The munchies served during the afternoon while mingling with family and friends, and putting the finishing touches to dinner, was shrimp with a homemade cocktail sauce (the best I've had), deviled eggs with a touch of refreshing, spicy horseradish and a great little green onion-cheese spread with crackers. The men had a couple of beers with this while watching the football, while I just had to taste the wine that was to be served with dinner. The wine in question was Carr Vineyards and Winery 2004 Turner Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Carr has produced wine since 1999 but this is their first vintage from this particular vineyard, only 129 cases produced. It had ripe, red berries on the nose promising a wonderful fruity wine. It pulled through as expected on the palate as a medium bodied, very straight forward fruity Pinot with red fruit and berries, and a good level of tannins providing a medium lenght finish. It did lack a little in complexity with not quite enough spice, but being the first vintage I see great potential in this wine. It was a really great red to pair up with all the different foods on the buffet and everybody seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. For the few around the table that preferred a glass of white with dinner, the 2004 Cambria Estate Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard was served. I did not get a chance to taste this but it got great reviews from the guests having white (and having tasted Cambria wines at several earlier occasion I suspect I would agree with them if having tasted this wine).

Coming back to the food. This year my mother in law had opted for a oven baked turkey (last year we had a deep fried) which turned out succulent and juicy with great flavor. We had all the traditional side dishes, mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, stuffing, gravy made from the drippings, cranberry jam, fruit salad and homemade rolls with honey and butter. For dessert (of course I had to try them all even though I was stuffed...) we had cherry pie, apple pie and my favorite for the evening, a pumpkin, banana mousse pie. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie but I will always have a little slice because it is traditional Thanksgiving food and kind of belongs on the table. This years pie however I could not get enough of. Light and airy with a not to heavy pumpkin taste and banana shining through on the palate this was the perfect ending to the meal. A guest and dear friend of the family brought this treat, and when asked if she would share the recipe, I was told that it is from one of Barefoot Contessa's cook books. So now I know what to go shopping for...
Rolling out of the door later last night, no matter how stuffed we were, we were already looking forward to next years Thanksgiving and another fantastic feast enjoyed with family and friends.

Another Central Coast Pinot Noir

It's only 7 pm and we just finish the bottle of Pinot from Laetitia (see below). We still have room for another glass of wine and decide to pull a less expensive Pinot from the wine fridge. Byron Santa Maria Valley 2004 Pinot Noir ($25 at http://www.byronwines.com/) has a beautiful ruby color with a hint of purple in the glass. This is a more "easy", less earthy, and more straight forward Pinot compared to the Laetitia, with bright fruit on the nose, and the same clean fruit of red plum and cherry on the palate. Nice tannins gives it a good length finish. I really like this one for the price and will make sure to stock up on it.

Very nice...

Qupe 2005 Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyard "Y"-block, Chardonnay is well worth trying. Nicely balanced with pear, tropical fruit and light mineral. Great with or without food. If with food preferably a light chicken or seafood dish. Over all a very good chardonnay for $20. One of my favorites in this price range. Find it at www.qupe.com