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Santa Lucia Highlands

Monterey Finds Gold At 2012 S.F. Chronicle Competition

by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on January 24, 2012

Monterey wineries had an impressive showing at the recently completed 2012 SF Chronicle competition, once confirming that this AVA has “Pinot Power” in spades. And let’s not forget all the gorgeous Chardonnay that flows like golden sunshine from the vine-threaded hillsides.

WrathSign It was Double Gold for Wrath for their 2009 “Fermata” chardonnay, $34.99, Double Gold for Paraiso’s 2009 SLH estate pinot, $24.99, Double Gold for Scheid’s 2009 Estate pinot noir ($32), and Double Gold for Hahn SLH Estate 2010 pinot noir ($34.99).

Proving Winemaker Sabrine Rodems has the golden touch when it comes to pinot, Wrath took Gold for both the 2009 Pommard 4/667 and 115/667 pinots, $34.99. sabrine&chrisWrath

CRU scored Gold for their Vineyard Montage pinot, $23. Mendelson Vineyard (Napa) took their 2008 Doctor’s vineyard pinot to Double Gold, and the 2009 version to Gold in the $35 to $40 category.

Bernardus took Silver for their SLH pinot in this category, as did Wrath for their 2009 “Ex Vite” pinot, Monterey appellation. This is a fabulously bright wine, overflowing with strawberry and rhubarb pie, with no wood to get in the way. It was fermented in neutral barrels. Wrath ExVitePinot

Truckee River Wine Company, a humble little spot I’ve enjoyed visiting up by the Truckee airport, turned their 2007 Garys’ Vineyard pinot into Double Gold, and the 2008 into Gold, both in the $40 to $49 category. Vision Cellars pulled off a Gold for their 2008 Rosella’s pinot, and Silvers for both their 2009 Los Alturas and Garys’ pinots ($48). Sonnet Cellars scored a Double Gold for their awesome 2009 Tondre pinot ($34.99).

Hahn SLH Estate scored Gold for their 2010 Santa Lucia Highlands chardonnay, $24.99, and Ventana pulled in a Gold for their sauvignon blanc ($19). Mercy Vineyards scored Silver for their Griva vineyard chardonnay ($30), as did Paraiso for their 2009 Estate chardonnay ($19). Scheid scored a slew of Silvers, including one for their 2008 Reserve Isabella sparkling ($45), their Estate pinot blanc ($24), their Napa Valley petit Verdot reserve ($65), and for their Monterey Reserve Tannat ($35). Well done! All the more reason to visit the new Scheid tasting room in Carmel.

Hahn also scored Gold for that yummy 2010 Central Coast GSM blend, priced at $12, and Gold for their Central Coast Meritage, $18, along with Silver for their Monterey pinot, central coast merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Winemaker Paul Clifton definitely still has that magic touch. paulCHahn

Mark Calendars for River Road Wine Trail Sweethearts Passport Event, Feb 11

It sure is nice to get rain at long last, but I would not mind if lovely weather would reappear for the annual Sweethearts Passport tasting event on River Road, Saturday, February 11. It’s a great time to visit all the sweet tasting rooms along one of America’s most scenic and charming wine trails. Tickets are $20 prior to Feb 1, and $30 thereafter, so you know what to do.

Laura&CHefBRianO Chef Brian Overhauser of Hahn Estates will be serving up some delicious appetizers focused on Pinot Noir, so be sure to make Hahn a stop on your River Road journey. A couple of the dishes he plans to serve are:

Pork Confit sliders and Royal Rose radicchio slaw with 2006 Lucienne Lone Oak Pinot Noir and Wagyu Short Ribs with Andy Boy Cauliflower and Horseradish Chantilly, paired with 2010 Hahn Winery GSM. Yum!! Can’t wait. HahnFood4Passport

Winemaker Dave Coventry of Franscioni and Manzoni wineries, invites you to come taste the difference he’s making at both these wineries. Recent tastings of the newly released 2009 Manzoni Estate Syrah and 2010 Manzoni Estate Pinot Noir confirm this brand is on a new track to greatness. DaveCoventryBarrels

Tagged as: 2008 Scheid pinot noir, Brian Overhauser, Dave Coventry, Franscioni, Garys' Vineyard, Hahn, Manzoni, Sabrine Rodems, Santa Lucia Highlands, Tondre, Truckee River Wine Company, Wrath

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Chardonnay and Apple Pie?

by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on January 15, 2012

In early December, as the sun sank low in the sky, dropping daytime temps quickly from 60 something to barely 50, I took a rather exciting drive through the broccoli fields of Gonzales to the fall-colored hills of the Santa Lucia Highlands, with Mark Pisoni: farmer, father, son, grandson and winegrower. He is first and foremost a farmer, and his love of the land, this fruitful, beautiful land, is evident in everything he says and does. Oh, he does love wine, but one gets the impression that he would choose a jar of his wife’s apple butter over a bottle of chardonnay if that were the last choice to be made.
Mark lives in a beautiful old farmhouse with a root cellar filled with wine – dust-covered, musty-looking old bottles, quietly resting on even more dust-covered shelves, surrounded by empty bottles that read like a who was and really still is who of the great Burgundy houses: Echezaux, Le Tache, Gevery-Chambertin, and modern legends like Kosta-Browne, Roar, Testarossa, Lucia…oh, yeah, and Pisoni.
Cases of liquid gold resting beneath the growing roots of broccoli and lettuce, and the pitter patter of children’s feet as they scamper across the same oak floor that Mark [...]

Tagged as: Franscioni, Lucia, Lucy Rose, Pinot Noir, Pisoni, Roar, Santa Lucia Highlands, Testarossa

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Harvest: Steady as She Goes

by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on October 9, 2011

The threat of rain does interesting things to winemakers and vineyard owners. The lucky ones got fruit just ripe enough before this past week’s rains and were able to make hay as the sun shone. Others rolled the dice, knowing the seeds aren’t crunchy, the skins are still too tough and the flavors are interesting, but not necessarily wine-worthy.Right now, it looks like they bet well, as we’re in for warmth and breezes right through this coming weekend. However, they’ll be spraying for mildew if the chance of rain they’re forecasting for tomorrow, Columbus Day, materializes.
This time of year, if it rains just a wee bit, and then dries out with good breezes and a modicum of warmth, then life will be fine. But if Mother Nature throws a true hissy fit, and dumps a boatload, followed by malingering bouts of wailing and wetness that lasts for a few days, well, then mildew can rear its ugly head and the whole opera takes a decidedly dour turn, with wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. When The Fat Lady sings, it might not be a happy song on her outsized lips. So, we await with earnest hope a fond return [...]

Tagged as: Bradley Brown, Burrell School, Dan Lee, Double L vineyard, La Rochelle, Livermore, Londer, Morgan, Rosella's, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Steven Kent, tomatillos

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Santa Lucia Highlands Has Its Act Together

by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on September 25, 2011

Did you know the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA has some of the largest plantings of pinot in the state of California? And more is going in at a constant pace. It’s heaven for Burgundian varietals.
A whopping 2,800 acres of pinot noir and 2,100 acres of chardonnay are planted here, and right now, they all have something in common: They’re taking forever to ripen. At least we had some serious heat this week, and speaking with growers at the SLH trade tasting in Walnut Creek this past Tuesday, where it was hotter than blazes, it appears some vineyards, such as McIntyre, might actually begin picking next week, as sugars were getting up toward 24.
Two things were evident from this trade tasting, which was well-attended by a throng of drippy-sweaty buyers, who eagerly sampled the delicious, well-chilled (and if they were not, they should have been) offerings of primarily the 2009 vintage, poured by a great lineup of SLH wineries.
1). The 2009 vintage is consistently stellar, across the board, with bright, effusive fruit and good balance.
2). The 2010 examples show even brighter promise.
Oh, and 3.) It was too bloody hot to [...]

Tagged as: chardonnay, Hahn, La Rochelle, Mcintyre, Morgan, Paraiso, Pellerin, Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sarmento, Scheid, Sequana, Talbott, Tondre, wine; Santa Lucia Highlands; Pinot; Calera; Central Coast, Wrath

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Annual Highlands Fling Kicks It Up a Notch

by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on May 24, 2011

This one kicked the kilts high in the air and turned up the ambient temperature of the entire affair, even if the weather had a bit of a scowl lurking behind those fleecy clouds that greeted a sold-out crowd May 14 for the fifth annual Highlands Fling.
The celebration of Santa Lucia Highlands vintages took place at the Boekenoogen tasting room near Soledad, where the Boekenoogen family demonstrated flawless hospitality, throwing a party that was overflowing with excellent food, provided by their crack team and Paradise Catering.
The seamless service, attention to detail and excellent top-of-the-line restroom facilities (always worth the rental), made for a warm welcome in every respect. Wineries participating for the first time had to appreciate the level of organization this event conveys. In the future, it would be great to have an option for guests to purchase wine.
Once again, the overall quality of the wines keeps escalating, and the choice of delightful chardonnays and pinots from punchy to powerful to polished, made for a long list of favorites. Having a vast selection of exceptional edibles, including mini sirloin as well as pork [...]

Tagged as: Boekenoogen, Chateau Margene, Coalinga, Fling, Hope & Grace, McIntyre Vineyards, Mountain Oyster, Paradise Catering, Pelerin, Pisoni, Sabrine Rodems, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sierra Mar, Tondre, Vigna Monte Negro