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Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2008-06-01 22:10:00
The Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir just got rave reviews from Wine Enthusiast, 96 point, and seeing it in my local wine store for "only" $35.99 I had to bring it with me home. Said and done, excited about this "gem" we tasted it that very evening.It has a dark, clear, intense, garnet color in the glass.On the nose it shows black cherry, dark raspberry, currant, sweet floral, and earth. It is luring with both darker and more floral/red fruit elements. Curious at this point how it will play out on the palate.In the mouth is expresses dark fruit, red cherry, wild berries, and oak. Again both red and dark fruit intermingling with oak and also earthy components. The acidity is vivid, and the tannins young and firm. Overall it is supple in nuanced fruit and has good complexity with some elegant elements reminding slightly of a Burgundy with a more silky and lean texture once you get past the young tannins.Find this wine at the winery's website for $4...

Rusack 2005 Santa Barbara County Syrah
2008-05-14 20:16:00
The Rusack Winery 2003 Santa Barbara County Syrah is made with grapes from the estate vineyard and two neighboring vineyards in Ballard Canyon. The grapes were cold soaked and then fermented in small open-top bins, with punch downs, by hand, twice a day. Aged in 47% new French oak for 16 months. At blending 7% Petite Sirah and 5% Grenache was added for complexity. Bottled unfiltered.In the glass the wine has a dark, dense, ruby color with hints of purple.The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry, ripe black currant, and sweet oak with vanilla.The palate is equally lush with big fruit, red cherry, blackberry, spice, earth, and a note of pencil lead at the medium length finish. It also has elements of a slightly more elegant style with the red cherry, slight dusty quality, sleek acidity, and moderate tannins.This wine is big and fruit-forward upfront, but as you dig into it and discover the elegant sides to it, it leaves an impression of a balanced and enjoyable wine. Don't get me wro...
More About: Santa Barbara County

Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
2008-05-13 04:40:00
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...Vote for my blog here a...

Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay
2008-05-10 22:28:00
Melville Vineyards and Winery puts out a good quality Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir year after year. The Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is no exception. It has a light golden straw color with a hint of green in the glass.The nose displays light citrus, pear, and tropical fruit. The aromas are elegant and subtle in character. (I suspect my wine is a smidge to cold as well...)The palate is round and soft with creamy citrus, light green apple, tropical fruit, and a light note of caramel at the mid palate. Slightly round mouth feel from 10% malolactic fermentation, but remains soft, crisp and fresh. The acidity is sufficient, but I would have wished for just a tad more to accentuate the crisp and fresh side of the wine.Despite a relatively high alcohol level of 15.3% there is no trace of heat on the palate, which definitely is a big plus.Over all a nicely balanced, very good quality wine that is sure to please many palates. Especially if you like me prefer the not o...
More About: Santa Rita Hills

Ramey Wine Cellars wine tasting
2008-05-04 06:16:00
Saturday we went to our local wine store, Capitol Cellars in Roseville, for a Ramey Wine Cellars tasting. Five wines were poured, and to my excitement they tasted one of my favorite Napa Valley wines, the Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard. But let's stat at the beginning...First to be poured was the 2006 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($39). A round chardonnay with tropical fruit, creamy lemon, cooked apple and oak notes, with good acidity. A good start indeed with nice acidity backing up the fruit and oak.Next was the 2006 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($39). This wine had some more complexity to it and was fitting my palate better with tropical fruit, citrus, white floral, and again the slightly buttery oak. Good acidity balance the fruit and makes it complex, and refreshing/crisp, at the same time.The third wine was one of their vineyard designated Chardonnays, the 2006 Hyde Vineyard ($61). This chardonnay was the most multifaceted of the three. It shows tropical fruit, white floral, pin...

The Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2008-05-04 05:04:00
Visiting Selland's Market earlier this week, to bring home some of their fabulous carnitas for dinner, I could not resist taking a look at their wines and of course "accidentally" one of them ended up coming home with me...Tonight it was time to try the "errant bottle", a Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir . Made by Hirsch Vineyards from 97% estate fruit for the cost of $29.99 (at Selland's), compared to the Hirsch Vineyards 2006 Sonoma Coast for $55 (made from the same fruit), I hoped for it to be a high quality wine for a bargain price.It has a clear ruby red color in the glass.The nose displays cherry, raspberry, red currant, tobacco leaves, tea, and vanilla notes.The palate showcasing light plum, cherry, sweet tobacco, and heat from the alcohol (14.6%), backed up by good acidity and sturdy tannins. The heat being a little unflattering, but as you sip the wine and get to know it, it becomes less noticeable.Overall I definitely enjoyed this wine. As I said...

Foxen 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
2008-04-25 19:39:00
Foxen makes some of our favorite Central Coast Pinot Noir s. 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 i...
More About: Santa Maria Valley

Bonaccorsi 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
2008-04-24 04:31:00
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 accom...

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir
2008-04-17 17:35:00
Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir has a dark dense garnet color in the glass.The nose shows vibrant dark raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.The first thing that hits you on the palate is ripe, deep, blackberry, supported by cherry, spice, and a nice vanilla/oak component. The acidity is still going strong and the tannins are smooth and well integrated. The balanced medium to long finish has beautiful, elegant, dark fruit and berries, with a trace of pencil lead at the very end.I bought this wine in a local wine store, Capitol Cellars, about 3 years ago for $60. After some research at the Internet I come to the conclusion that this wine is hard to get a hold of. I could not find a single store/website that carries it.It really drinks beautifully at this point and if you can get your hands on a bottle do not hesitate to get it.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!
More About: Paul

Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine
2008-04-16 05:04:00
I have seen this pink little can in the store for a long time and it was finally time to put it in my basket. At $3.99 the Sofia Blanc de Blanc definitely won't empty your wallet.This sparkling wine is made from Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat. The producer is Francis Ford Coppola (the famous movie director with a winery in Napa Valley) and it is named after his almost equally famous daughter, Sofia Coppola.It was a little but weird, but on the other hand fun, to pour this bubbly from a can into a crystal champagne glass.It has a pale straw color in the glass and has a lively stream of bubbles shooting towards the surface.On the nose it displays sweet pear and gooseberry.The palate shows pear, sweet white floral, and citrus. It is crisp and fresh.The first thing that came to my mind both smelling and tasting this wine is Italian Prosecco. It is sweet and vivid in flavor, missing the yeasty and earthy components of a champagne. This sparkling wine is a fun, refreshing, fest...
More About: Wine , Sparkling Wine

Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir by Talley Vineyards
2008-04-10 00:43:00
Strolling through Winecask Wine Store in Santa Barbara we saw a bottle of the Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir produced by Talley Vineyards . We have enjoyed several vintages of their Rincon Vineyard and Rosemary Vineyard Pinot Noir, and having heard about the newer Stone Corral Vineyard, but never tasted it, we just had to give it a try. At $55 a bottle we saved it for enjoyment with a Saturday night dinner.This wine has a clear, dark garnet color in the glass.The nose shows floral notes, raspberry, and subtle round oak.The palate displaying raspberry, restrained cherry, spice and notes of green tea. The fruit persistant and showing throughout the whole palate. Relatively high acidity and tight tannins with a ?green? finish.We really liked this complex, still refined pinot with plentiful fruit that made a statement without being to large or lush. Although very enjoyable right now I would definitely put this away for a year or two as for the tannins to loose the gree...

Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
2008-04-07 04:02:00
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 ...
More About: Santa Maria Valley

Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2008-03-21 17:30:00
Last night we opened and old favorite of a new vintage, the Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir . The apperance in the glass; a light, clear, garnet red color.The nose showing raspberry, red cherry, slight hint of strawberry, herbal tea, and touch of basil at the end.The palate tasting of fresh raspberry, cherry, earth, and pencil shavings at the very finish. This pinot has great acidity and young but relatively soft tannins.A beautiful elegant style Pinot Noir with bright red fruit and good structure. We really enjoyed it , as we have earlier vintages of this wine, and at $ 33.99 I dare to say that it is good value for the buck at this level of quality.Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $33.99.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!

1994 Cristal, 1995 Chateau Gazin and 2001 Pahlmeyer
2008-03-19 18:25:00
We spent last weekend at Lake Tahoe with good friends who brought a magnum of the 1995 Chateau Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux Blend (among others). It was opened a couple of hours prior to dinner and at first we thought the wine was a little bit off and did not particularly enjoy it. We wondered if it could have gone past it's peak. However after enjoying some champagne, 1994 Cristal Champagne, Louis Roederer, (that unfortunately according to my palate was past it's peak) we revisited and discovered a major improvement.But first, let's back up to the 1994 Cristal Louis Roederer. It had a relatively dark straw color with a beautiful stream of small bubbles rushing up the glass. The nose showed dominent aromas of green apple, with citrus and slight caramel notes, accompanied by the traditional yeast and earth components. Our friends insisted on chocolate/mocha notes but I could not pick it up. I wish we would have opened this bottle a couple of years ago at what point I think it would ha...
More About: France

Recchiuti Confections
2008-03-12 20:48:00
I spent they day in San Francisco yesterday, and having lunch in the Ferry Building, I walked through the Market Place and salivated, as usual, upon the sight of fresh bread, cheeses, oils, caviar, wine bar, chocolates, cultivated mushrooms, and all the other incredible food, beverages, and merchandise that is offered there.We had an incredible lunch at Boulettes Larder, where I also picked up honey and vanilla sea salt (amazing sprinkled on a chocolate souffle or on vanilla ice cream). After that I stopped by Recchiuti Confections to pick up a few truffles. I have tried Michael Recchiuti's chocolates before and today I thought I would write a short review on it. I was a good girl (it took all of my will power) and did not touch them until later when I got home and had finished my dinner.I started of with the Fleur de Sel, a pleasantly chewy burnt caramel with fleur de sel (French sea salt) coated with dark chocolate. This is a combination I always enjoy immensely and can never res...
More About: Chocolate

Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir
2008-03-05 04:24:00
Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100% Melville fruit from their Los Alamos Estate. Aged in 20% new French oak.The wine has a ruby red color in the glass with slight cloudiness.The nose shows ripe lush raspberry, strawberry, sweet red cherry, sweet floral, and a hint of baked rhubarb.The palate displays raspberry, cherry, and red fruit with spice. Soft and round on the palate with young tannins matching the fruit, good acidity and a long savory finish.The wine is medium bodied, fruity, and was really nice with salmon, or great just to sip on it's own.Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.99, a great price for this very enjoyable wine.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!
More About: Santa Barbara County , Santa Rita Hills

Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir
2008-03-04 04:55:00
Lorca Wines is located in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and produces Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc with grapes from Monterey County , Pinot Noir form French-clone vines of Gary Pisoni and Gary Francione of Santa Lucia Highlands, and an old vine Petite Syrah from Napa Valley.The Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir has a dark ruby red color in the glass with a hint of purple. The nose is pretty intense and complex with dark cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, earth with a hint of smoke, vanilla, and a trace of liquorice.The palate is less intense with more dusty earth accenting the black cherry and dark raspberry, all with a touch of spice. The tannins are somewhat smooth but still has a "wood" quality to them. We are not talking splinters in the mouth but still a notable amount. Moderate acidity.I found this wine at my local Total Wine & More for $23.99 and it is sold for a surprisingly higher price online. They best deal I could find was at WineZap.com from $45.99.This was...

Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel, Santa Barbara
2008-02-22 02:59:00
This review is way overdue but here it finally is. Two weeks ago when I visited Santa Barbara during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, my cousin, Anki, and I went to a newly opened restaurant, Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel . Formerly Andalucia Hotel, the property was purchased last year by the owner of Shutter Hotel On The Beach in Santa Monica, where they also have a Coast.I have stayed several times in the past at the Andalucia hotel, and we've always enjoyed our stay, although the restaurant was never a hit. Now being the Canary Hotel the whole property including the restaurant has been remodeled and redecorated. Peeking in through the windows during the renovation I certainly liked what I saw for the restaurant.As we entered the restaurant a great ambiance greeted us (along with the pleasant hostess) with dimmed lights, leather and wood furniture, rich fabrics, wood shutters, and a spacious bar in wood and leather, crowded with people visiting the fil...

Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2008-02-16 03:40:00
The Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has been a favorite of mine for years, and for Valentine's dinner it was time to try the Larkmead Vineyard.The Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Verdot, and 1% Malbec.It has a beautiful dark red/purple garnet color in the glass.The nose shows dark fruit and berries, spice, oak, and toasted brioche.On the palate cherry, plum, black currant, and oak, with earthy mushrooms and elegant fruit on the finish. The tannins are well integrated, but still has that tart edge that you would expect for its youth.We really enjoyed this fruity, earthy cab with good spice and oak, showing of its elegant side on the finish. Jericho Canyon Vineyard is still a noch up for me but this one was truly great as well. For a few less dollars I would say they both match their quality with price point. I paired this wine with a Stilton topped filet mignon, served with a red wine r...
More About: Valley , Napa , Napa Valley

Seagrass Restaurant, Santa Barbara
2008-02-05 06:45:00
Saturday night me and my cousin went to dinner at Seagrass Restaurant , a newly opened restaurant located in the old spot for Sage and Onion (that I miss so much!). Seagrass' chef and owner team is the same as that of Bouchon, a highly regarded restaurant in Santa Barbara . As the name suggest this newest venture has extensive seafood options on the menu, but also beef, chicken, etc.A small remodeling has been done to the space, with new colors, wall coverings, light fixtures and removal of the bar. It certianly got a face lift even if I did not quite agree with everything in the decor.We had reservations and were promptly seated upon arrival. Fresh warm bread was served shortly after menus were presented, as I decided on a bottle of Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir with dinner. I have had this pinot before and is was as lush in red fruit and berries with, raspberry, cherry, and earthy notes, as I remembered it to be. Great supporting acidity and tannins, and developed a gr...
More About: Santa Barbara

Crushcake Cupcakery, Santa Barbara
2008-02-03 20:50:00
Finally Santa Barbara has it's own cupcakery like so many other cities. One can wonder what took Santa Barbara so long...I had the privilege to step into Crushcake Cupcakery yesterday afternoon, their very first day open. As to not overeat I had already dediced that I could only get two cupcakes for myself, so imagine my thrill when discovering that they offer mini cupcakes. That meant that I could get four of them instead, perfect for trying multiple flavors. I headed home with bag in hand and decided that I had to try all four of them so I could blog them right away. Needless to say I could not limit myself to one bite out of each and after a few minutes there was only a few crumbs left where a moment earlier four pretty cupcakes had been.These are the four flavors I tried.First one to disappear from the plate was the Chococlate Chocolate. A moist dark chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting with a note of coffee. Very nice indeed.Second up was the Chocolate Bliss, the same...
More About: Restaurant

Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards wine tasting
2008-02-02 22:36:00
Spending the weekend in Santa Barbara I decided to go to the Alma Rosa wine tasting at East Beach Wine Company last night. Stepping into the shop the place was packed and it took a minute before we reached the counter and could pay for two tastings and get our glasses. To our delight the owners, Thekla and Richard Sanford was there themselves, with their daughter Blakeney, to pour and talk to the customers. Nothing beats the opportunity to talk to either the owners or wine maker as you taste a winery's wine. Both Thekla and Richard where very nice and pleasant, and spent quite a bit of time with us. It was a true pleasure to talk to them, and you could tell how passionate and excited they are about their wines.A short bio: Richard Sanford was the first to plant Pinot Noir in Santa Rita Hills in 1970. 1981 him and Thekla started Sanford Winery, and after parting with it in 2005, they founded Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards at the location of their old winery. All grapes are grown org...
More About: Chardonnay , Santa Barbara County

Young sommeliers setting the trends
2008-02-01 03:21:00
I just read an article in Sacramento Bee today regarding the annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, the largest conference of the year for the U.S. wine industry.It talks about the explosion in the last couple of years of young sommeliers in restuarants, and how they are influencing the future trends of what we drink. Sommeliers are responsible for only a fraction of wine purchased for consumption, but has a considerable influnce over the wine trends that are set. So what rocks these young sommeliers? The answers seems to be rare, obscure, "boutique", regional, rich-in-history wines. Any of these ingredients rise the flag of interest for this younger generation of wine professionals.It also discusses the steadily increasing retail wine sales where imported wine market share is on the rise. Not surisingly the imported wine has a higher market share in restaurants, where 43% of the wine puchased is imported and 57% is domestic, then in retail, where 31% is imported and...
More About: Trends , Young

Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
2008-01-31 01:54:00
We went to check out the newly opened Total Wine and More (an all beverage super maket) in Roseville last Sunday, and after spending more than 40 minutes walking through the seemingly endless ailes of wine and other alcoholic beverages, we left with three bottles of wine.We opened the first one, the Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard , Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir , a couple of nights ago for a glass of wine before dinner. It showed a dark garnet color in the glass. The nose had red ripe berries and fruit with massive cherry, red currant, light strawberry, and dried herbs/grass. On the palate the cherry dominated, with blueberry and ripe currant backing it up with some smokey and grassy notes. This wine has a round mouthfeel with a spicy, hot quality to the finish. Good acidity and slightly edgy tannins.At the amazing value of $11.99 at Total Wine and More I can't deem this anything but a good-great value. Normally retails for around $ 26-32 according to winery and other web...

Pahlmeyer and Vineyard 29
2008-01-30 04:07:00
Sunday night we had dinner with good friends and had two bottles of really good wine.We started of with a bottle of Pahlmeyer 2003 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine. Winemaker Erin Green made this from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot, and 0.5% Malbec.This wine shows a dark garnet color in the glass.On the nose, dark fruit and berries with oak and a smokey note.The palate exudes dark plum, black cherry, black currant, and again notes of smoke. The wine is surprisingly smooth for being relatively young. Rich in fruit and full bodied, with good acidity, and velvety well integrated tannins. All this and a long beautiful finish make this a great bottle of wine.Next up was Vineyard 29 2005 Cru Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were sourced from six vineyards across Napa Valley, hand sorted and gently processed in the full gravity flow winery. Aged 18 months in French Oak, 60% new. This wine has a dark, ruby red/purple color in the glass. Th...
More About: Blend

Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
2008-01-24 05:27:00
Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah shows a vibrant dark garnet color in the glass with a purple hue. The nose is dominated by blackberry with vivid dark fruit and notes of floral and violet.The palate is again all blackberry upfront with dusty earth, coffee, and black cherry at the finish.This rather complex, medium to full bodied Syrah has great acidity and tannins that create a perfect backbone for the lush, creamy, fruit and berries.I found this wine exciting and, although young, still very approachable. I would however like to revisit this wine in a couple of years and hopefully find it even more in harmony and balance, without having lost that "big and lush" quality.Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com from $39.99.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!
More About: Roar

Epiphany Restaurant and Bar in Santa Barbara
2008-01-19 21:55:00
My brother is visiting from Sweden and last night we had reservations for dinner at Epiphany Restaurant and Bar while in Santa Barbara over the weekend. We have been there a couple of times in the past for a drink in the bar, but never for dinner. The restaurant is located at 21 W. Victoria St, and the building in which the restaurant is located, was built in the 1800's. The decor is warm and modern with rustic architectural feature like the brick archways in between the small intimate dining rooms.After arriving, being seated, and presented the menu, we were served an Amuse Bouche, White Asparagus Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette on Endive. Very light with subtle flavors. The salad also contained Granny Smith apples which added a juicy, sweet/tart crunch to the dish. Warm, rosemary foccacia was placed at the table with olive oil and balsamic vinegar prior to our starters arriving.For starter I had the California Halibut Ceviche ($12) which was served in butter lettuce cup. The halib...
More About: Pinot Noir , Santa Rita Hills

Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
2008-01-17 19:53:00
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, t...
More About: Santa Barbara County

Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir
2008-01-14 01:00:00
Only 312 cases was made of the Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir .Lollapalooza is an old English word for "the best of its kind".A clear, dark, ruby color, with a touch of purple, meets you in the glass.The nose shows dark cherry, raspberry, spice, and from 15 months in French oak, vanilla and oak.The palate has similar character with dark cherry, ripe red currant, raspberry, nice, light spice, and brandied cherries at the very finish. Great acidity and well integrated, silky tannins, with a firm touch at the finish makes this wine a winner.We had this wine about a year ago in a restaurant and picked up a bottle to enjoy it again at home at a later time. It is as good as I remembered it to be and wish I had picked up some more... Great balance between the fruit, acidity and tannins. The fruit is supple, beautiful, and not overwhelming. This is a great wine to enjoy with a meal, or by its own as we did.Hard to find online but available through...
More About: Santa Rita Hills

Amador Foothill Winery 2005 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc
2008-01-10 05:15:00
Another half bottle from my local grocery store that I had to try... The 375 ml bottles are convenient and perfect when you just want a glass of wine and don't want to pop open a whole, 750 ml, bottle.The Amador Foothill Winery 2005 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc is made from 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon.It has a golden, light, straw color in the glass, and the nose shows prominently apple, but also citrus and green pear.The wine has a round mouth feel with apple, citrus, slight spice, and touch of minerals. The finish is long and carries good acidity.The very round mouth feel made this wine feel slightly to rich for my preference, considering it is a Sauvignon Blanc. I prefer a more lighter and crisper style. However if this is not the case for you I would deem this to be a good wine at a great value, available at Wine-Searcher.com from $9.60.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!