Going Sideways

 A good friend and I sought to venture out to Santa Barbara county wine country. It'd been some years since we had been so were looking forward to some great Chards, Pinots and Rhones. 

To breakup the drive, I arranged a lunch stop for tasting in Paso Robles because after all, I was accompanied by the self proclaimed "Zinbitch". Since Cypher was out of that particular bottling, we skipped and did a lovely lunch at Calcareous. It's a gorgeous property, though was around 100 degrees, so we opted for the indoors. They offer a range of nice wines to explore. 

From here, we went to Linne Calodo based on numerous recommendations. I am very glad we did. This house does exceptional work with Rhone varieties. They are a more premium-priced wine from the area, but well worth it. My top that day were the white blend "Contrarian" and the elegant, finessed Pinot-esque "Sticks and Stones" GSM blend. Absolutely gorgeous!

Then just around the corner, the must in Paso, Turley. I could have easily spent my entire trip's wine budget here, as they offer such a broad range of great current and library vintages of their multitude of Zins and blends. Some of the current releases drink with such great balance and purity, it belies the abv of the warmer regions. We always have a nice experience here and I'd always recommend it without hesitation.

Our first full day began in Los Olivos, at Brewer Clifton. I became acquainted with these while working for Jackson Family when we got a couple of Greg's wines at The Spire Collection toward the end of my  time there. He now does a range of Chards and Pinots under the label at varying price points. Diatom is always a solid, reasonable and delicious Chard and the "starter" wines always deliver for the price. We were excited to taste the new Perilune wines, which are elegant and wonderfully structured. They are top end, so for the serious collector, but will reward cellaring. 

 

Next, was Dragonette. Another great host in a comfortable space. Here, I was pleasantly surprised by a Sauvignon Blanc. I tend to not love NorCal expressions being so pithy and acidic. I thoroughly enjoyed the Grimm's Bluff Vineyard, with more musque clone-like qualities of softer edges (from some judicious oak) and lovely tropical flavors. Their Sta Rita Hills Pinot was also delicious and came home with me. 

Nearby, Holus Bolus was also enthusiastically referred to us. Crafted by a MW, these are fun, low intervention yet not quite "crunchy" wines. They have some fun here, you can tell. All were high quality and very tasty. The Joy Fantastic Syrah was a must for me. Outstanding stuff, so you MUST go here when in Los Olivos. 

We had some spare time, so also popped into Liquid Farm. I'd had the wines once or twice, as they're on many lists and shelves here in Napa. I figured a Somm darling like this was worth a visit. More great, casual hospitality and great wines. For my palate, the Golden Slope Chardonnay was the winner and I had to have a bottle of their Blanc de Blancs Champagne which was simply stunning. The guys who poured for us here also have their own label, Baltazar. We enjoyed a lovely Riesling which I recommend you seek out. 

 

From here, it was off to lunch in Santa Maria. Presqu'ile was a long known brand to me, so I was excited to finally go. It's a stunning property with great architecture, beautiful landscaping and a range of nice wines. I enthusiastically recommend the mezze spread for lunch. It was a great portion if not a bit much for the two of us and their culinary team is excellent. The wines are solid and I took a Rancho Ontiveros Pinot with a personal history with that vy, it as a must. Their Syrah wines are also quite nice. 

From meeting Kevin at World of Pinot Noir, we had to return to Cotiere while in SM. Still a small production winery in an industrial park, they make exemplary wines, some from well known spots like Sanford & Benedict, Rinconada, etc. He even crafts some Bordelais varieties from Napa, so it was fun to end a day with wines from my 'hood. These are really tremendous wines, so look up Cotiere and give them a try. The assistant, William, hosted us and he also has his own small project on the side. Another really delicious dry Riesling from the Kick On Vineyard, called Willing and Able. Outstanding juice!

The next day took us to Santa Barbara, as I made a stop at Au Bon Climat a requirement. The drive from Santa Ynez is lovely, taking us by Cachuma Lake which offers some gorgeous views.

Little needs to be said with the history and pedigree ABC offers. Standouts for me were the 2021 "Isabelle" Pinot cuvee, Mondeuse and I quite enjoyed the Pinot Gris/Blanc. It was difficult to parse the Pinot wines as all were delicious, so it was splitting hairs to choose my favorite. 

From here, another great lunch experience at Margerum. I'd become acquainted with Doug's winemaking years back when I represented Cimarone. His larger production wines are often on store shelves and restaurant lists, like M5 and The Sybarite. Standouts of this flight for me, were the estate Grenache and the Barden Syrah. Oh, and if it's available, get the duck toast! 

We tried for Sanguis as whatever I looked at on the web seemed to indicate they were open to the public. We arrived to find they are appt-only and had no availability (it was Monday). Pity, as I'd liked to have explored their wines more. 

Melville was our afternoon spot and I had confidence as again, had seen their wines on many lists though never had them myself. We began with a juice rosé of Grenache. I quite liked the Rancho Nuevo Pinot and took home a Donna's Block Syrah 2021. Seeing it got 98 from Jeb Dunnuck made me think it was going to be a bombastic wine, but it's finely tuned and very, very tasty.

If in SB for dinner, may I suggest, Barbareno. It's Michelin-recommended and deservedly so. We opted for a range of smaller plates to get to try more. Great spot, great service and inventive and bold dishes. 

Our final day was shorter, as it was on the way back up north toward Napa. We began at Dierberg. Another sprawling property with great spaces for tasting and friendly service. Standouts for me were the Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc from Happy Canyon , 2021 Chardonnay from the Drum Canyon vy and the 2020 Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills. 

Our last appointment was at Sandhi in the Lompoc wine ghetto. Here we were spoiled with a ride up to the vineyard where we saw Bloom's Field which they do not pour or sell, but which I'd had locally. Even a sneak peek at Dave Phinney's new project on the top of that same hill. We then enjoyed a great tasting of a range of Sandhi and DDLC wines including Romance and even a couple of Piedrasassi Syrahs. If you want some top of the line, serious Chards and Pinots, you have to arrange a reservation here! The Domaine de la Cote wines are less "purchaseable" but you will find something to take home, no doubt. 

Two cases of wine later, I dropped the "Zinbitch" off for a slight in San Jose and met friends in the area for dinner. It's so easy to get in trouble with so many great options around. Realizing just how many options are indeed right in Los Olivos, I could see doing a quick weekend just right in that one little town... with one breakfast pastry stop in Solvang of course.