PAST VINTAGES
These wines are no longer available from the winery,
although you may still find them in wine stores and restaurants,
or even in your own cellar! The Pinot Noir clonal wines are only available from the winery.
Generally speaking, our wines are ready to drink
upon release, but will also evolve a little in the bottle. If you
are going to store your wine, we recommend a cool, dark place free
from vibration.
Pinot Noir
2006 Pinot Noir - Sta.
Rita Hills
A combination of Pinot clones from our
organically-farmed vineyard, and a variety of new and used
French oak barrels join forces to create our ’06 Sta.
Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Not as high in the treble notes as
our ’ 05, this wine has the bass knob turned up, showcasing
the darker, more covert aspects of Pinot Noir. Rich fruit
flavors and aromas are bolstered by a smoky spiciness that
would pair well with classic grilled preparations, roasts
and stews, even hearty fish dishes (halibut filets done osso-buco-style).
Just say “yes, please…”
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2005 Pinot Noir - Sta.
Rita Hills
Quintessential Pinot Noir characteristics
of cherry-berry fruit, brown spice, a little forest-floor
earthiness and a thought-provoking deep, dark complexity...
still a happy wine but showing a more serious side as well...
Enjoy with grilled quail, ribs, pork tenderloin, classic
Santa Maria-style barbeque, elegant roasts, or anything with
mushrooms.
Wine Enthusiast Editors Choice, 93 points
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2004 Pinot Noir - Sta.
Rita Hills
There are delightful aromas and flavors
of berries, cherries, and plums with intriguing spice and
smoke notes in this still young pinot noir. Lively acidity
speaks to an ageworthiness and compatibility with a wide
variety of foods. Steak-y seafood (salmon, halibut, swordfish)
would share company here, as would soft cheeses, anything
from off the grill, coq au vin, ragout of mushrooms, etc.
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Continuing in the style of prior vintages, our 2007 Pinot Noir “La Encantada Vineyard” again utilizes the two clones
of 667 and Swan as our raw materials. The result is a plush wine that balances brilliant raspberry-like fruit tones with a deeper, darker, cherry-based note. There are floral and spice elements as well, notably violet and clove, as well as a smokiness and vanilla component from aging in French Oak barrels. Very nice now, this wine should only improve across the next three to four years.
Silver Medal Winner, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
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2006 Pinot Noir - La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Clones 667 and Swan are combined in the '06 La Encantada bottling, aged in a combination of both new and used French oak barrels. Luxuriant, dark and supple, packed with vivid ripe berry flavors, a deep smoky plumminess and slick balanced tannins, the wine promises a very rewarding future (although the present is quite nice as well).
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2005 Pinot Noir - La Encantada
Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
The “Encantada” shows quintessential
Pinot Noir characteristics of cherry-berry fruit, brown spice,
a little forest-floor earthiness, and a thought provoking
deep, dark complexity… still a happy wine, but showing
a more serious side as well… Winter-y soups and stews;
hearty braises; anything with black truffles or wild mushrooms;
Sunday-night roasts, etc.
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2004 Pinot Noir - La Encantada
Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Bold, smooth, rich, and spicy, here is
pinot noir for the aficionado: good depth, balanced structure,
richness of flavor and, again, sturdy acidity all contribute
to a great wine for a few years in the cellar (or enjoy tonight!)
Beef, lamb, game, hearty poultry, rich sauces, big cheeses
would all be welcome companions here.
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Sinuous and serpentine, like some ephemeral belly-dancer, appearing and then disappearing through mysterious smoke... We were lucky enough to go to Donovan's recent gig at the Maverick Saloon...The show was absolutely terrific and he was very, very groovy. This wine vokes similar feelings: kind of retro-mantic, sunshine, flower, incense, a hurdy-gurdy Zen poetic Atlantis vibe...would be devastatingly good with wild Scottish salmon (done like that recipe with the leeks and mushrooms, or cedar-planked)...OR, break the gate and do some Cajun-style fried fish wtih a mondo tartar sauce and a pile of grits and greens...dancing, hair flying, arms out-flung, swirling dervishly.
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2007 Pinot Noir - Mt. Eden Clone, El Jabali Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Our Mount Eden cuttings were obtained by Richard Sanford around 1970 from the Santa Cruz Mountain vineyard of the same name. The wine is bright and brilliant, perhaps the prettiest and most feminine of our three single-clone bottlings. Lots of flowery aromas, spicy herbal notes and high-toned cherry, raspberry fruit. Classic with grilled salmon, lighter roasts, French onion soup, etc.
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2008 Pinot Noir - Clone 115, La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
This is our first-ever bottling of Clone 115 on its own. Like a pretty ballerina, the wine seems light on its feet, very balanced and showing lots of finesse. A romantically-styled wine, reminiscent of certain French Burgundies, this will not be mistaken for some of these new-world Syrah-wannabe’s.
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Our second vintage of this single clone, 667 shows more muscle than 115 (even though they share a common “terroir”). Darker, more sultry, somewhat foresty characteristics are revealed within the traditional Pinot Noir flavor-aroma profile.
This could handle fairly hearty fare, chunky soups, slow-simmered stews, a classic coq-au-vin, beef bourguignon, wild mushroom raviolis, etc.
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2007 Pinot Noir - Clone
667, La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
This single-clone, single-vineyard Pinot
Noir is a bold, approaching-chewy wine, somewhat earthy-foresty,
with a hint of mushroom in the nose, and a dark complexity
weaving in purple flowers, purple fruits, violets and berries,
giving way to a dense, nice finish.
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2007 Pinot Noir - Clone
777, La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Clone 777 is probably the “Noir-est” of
our individual Pinot clone bottlings, showing deep, dark,
rich texture and character. Lots of black fruit flavors:
black cherries, black plums, black berries… There is
also a loamy, sweet-earth day-old-rose component pushing
this wine in the direction of pairing with hearty meaty dishes,
game, roasts and grills and deep rich sauces employing mushrooms
and/or truffles.
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Chardonnay
2008 Chardonnay - Santa Barbara County
With French Chablis as its role model, our 2008 Chardonnay continues in our traditional style of crisp clean fresh flavors true to the grape variety. Just a hint of malolactic and just a hint of oak add additional layers and depth. Pineapple and citrus peel are right there in the wine’s aromatics, with lemony pear fruit on the palate, and a brisk cleansing minerality on the finish.
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2007 Chardonnay - Santa
Barbara County
Exhibiting the bright energy of exuberant
youth, this wine is like a swift arrow let loose from the
bow… right on target with the tropical fruit aromatics
characteristic of Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County. Here
we have a citrus-apple acidity and a just-barely noticeable
oak presence. This is the firm, angular and crisp side of
the Chardonnay spectrum, which is especially complementary
with food to balance its mouth-watering freshness.
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2008 Long Beach Grand Cru Gold Medal Winner |
2006 Chardonnay - Santa
Barbara County
A slight change of gears from the ’05
Chardonnay... this time around the wine fermented in partially
new French oak barrels (for approximately three weeks) then
was racked into stainless steel tanks for about four months
aging without malolactic fermentation. Still showing a bright
citrus and tropical fruit character with pleasing minerality,
this wine is a little more plump than our ’05, more
akin to a Montrachet than a Chablis. Try it with pan-seared
fish filets in butter sauce; pasta with prosciutto, fresh
herbs, and green peas; spicy grilled shrimp; or chicken crepes
with bechamel sauce.
Wine Enthusiast Top 100 2008, rated #4,
94 points
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2005 Chardonnay - Santa Barbara County
Here is a new-generation style chardonnay;
not oaky, not buttery...instead, you get a crisp wine with
a racy mineral streak running through tropical fruit flavors
and aromas of pineapple guava and citrus-honey, brushed with
herbs. Try with any grilled seafood, chicken currys, satay,
Chinese, Thai or Indian food.
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2004 Chardonnay - Santa
Barbara County
Brisk and clean, with a racy mineral streak
running through classic apple and pear flavors, and elements
of lemon and honey; this is a chardonnay that is particularly
food friendly. Sea scallops, chicken in creamy sauce(s),
pork with apples & sage, quiches, frittatas.
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Fresh and citrusy in the nose, lemon-lime and wispy
aromatic oak, a somewhat banana-esque character leads to
a clean yet round mouthfeel, a long-lasting finish with a
bit of flintiness... 25-year-old vines, farmed organically;
stainless-steel fermentation, no malolactic and short term
aging in used French oak; it all adds up to a classic
Chardonnay in the Montrachet mold. Serve cool with
powerful cheeses; fried seafood; roasted chicken; pork
roast with apples and cabbage; root vegetable gratins…
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Luminous and lively, here’s a barely-oaked Chardonnay from 25-year-old vines farmed organically in the “front yard” of our ranch at El Jabalí. Cold fermented in steel tanks without malolactic fermentation, this wine shows some of the citrus purity of the fruit, with ripe pear meets apricot flavor/aromas, and a pleasing crisp toastiness shot through by a sleek streak of vanilla.
San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wines 2008
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2005 Chardonnay - El Jabalí Vineyard,
Sta. Rita Hills
Like Helen of Troy in a bottle, launching
a thousand over-the-top descriptors, it is a thing of ravishing
beauty, brilliant, elegant, graceful, smelling of flowers,
pineapple and lime zest. A chardonnay that's not a dairy
product (what an idea!), sleek with crisp acidity. We'd pair
it with chicken in rich, creamy sauces, or with fondue, or
risotto with white truffles, or soufflés and other
egg dishes - maybe even with breakfast on the next day off.
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Pinot Gris
2008 Pinot Gris - Santa Barbara County
Like one of the models in a Modigliani, lean yet full of curves, our 2008 Pinot Gris is a bit softer and more rounded than the prior vintage. It retains the wonderfully brilliant nose of fresh orchard fruits and a pleasant bitter-almond quality, along with apple pie-like flavors and cleansing acidity that lead us to recommend pairing this wine with Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, or inventive Pacific Rim dishes. Let’s do some lightly-fried or grilled fish in garlic-lime butter with a spicy tropical-fruit salsa.
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2007 Pinot Gris - Santa
Barbara County
Soft and a bit more lush than our 2006,
this Pinot Gris nevertheless stays true to the Alsatian flavor
aroma profile established by previous vintages, with its
fresh spring-floral element, rich melon fruitiness and refreshing,
cleansing minerality. Fermented in stainless steel, no malolactic
fermentation, aged 6 months in neutral French Oak. Excellent
with Thai food, other spicy Asian dishes, grilled seafood,
etc.
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2006 Pinot Gris - Santa
Barbara County
Continuing in the crisp, clean style of
Alsatian Pinot Gris, our 2006 Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara County
shows a purity of fruit with exotic floral aspects, summery
stone fruits and a refreshing acid-mineral finish. Happy
with Mediteranean dishes, it would be equally at home with
spicy Pan-Asian concoctions.
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2005 Pinot Gris - Santa
Barbara County
Like a fresh breeze coming off the sea,
carrying scents of apricot and tangerine blossoms, a hint
of pear, a whiff of honeysuckle; delicately beautiful, with
acidity as taut as a bow string... Perfect with a wide variety
of Mediterranean dishes, or spicy Asian cuisine, or just
to enjoy the anticipation of the summer to come...
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2008 Pinot Gris - La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
A bit rounder and more plush than its '07 predecessor, this Pinot Gris still shows the lively acidity and mineral component characteristic of the vineyard where it is grown. Fermented cold in stainless steel tanks and without malolactic fermentation, the wine personifies the grapes; fresh, clean, peachy, melon-y and vibrantly refreshing. Pairs well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, seafood, Pan-Asian cuisine...
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2007 Pinot Gris - La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
The first thing you notice in this wine is a burst of fresh floral aromatics and a full-blown fresh ripe apricot fruitiness. The stone-fruit motif is continued on the palate, along with a bit of tangerine and the clean wet stone mineral effect that is the benchmark of La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Gris. Only a couple hundred cases were produced (from only 1 ½ acres) so this is one to grab before it is all gone.
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2006 Pinot Gris - La Encantada
Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Firm, dry and fresh, this bright Pinot
Gris is produced from less than 2 acres of organically grown
fruit at La Encantada Vineyard in the western part of the
Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area. The wine reveals a clean
apple-lime essence crossed with a bit of honeydew melon and
hints of subtle white peach, all enhanced by an undercurrent
of pleasant minerality.
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2005 Pinot Gris - La Encantada
Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
On Santa Rosa Road, eleven miles west of
Highway 101 is La Encantada Vineyard, the “enchanted” place.
There’s definitive enchantment to this wine, with its
exotic floral attributes (the beauty of orchids) and rich
tropical fruit character layered over a snappy texture. This
is a connoisseur’s Pinot Gris! Alluring food pairings
include spring rolls; roasted fish filets with miso glaze;
sushi; caprese salad.
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Pinot Blanc
2007 Pinot Blanc - Sta. Rita Hills
No malolactic and relatively brief aging in used oak barrels keeps this wine very true to its grapey fruitiness. Fresh white flowers show first in the aroma of the wine, leading to pear and melon with some vanilla-nutmeg spiciness. There’s a lemon crème quality in there with a hint of white pepper, altogether exotic and complex. Citrusy fish preparations would be good with this wine, also some types of soup (clam chowder with a little spice), lighter pastas or roasted chicken.
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Ripe pear and peach meet citrus blossoms in the first impressions of this crisp, clean Pinot Blanc. Cold fermentation in stainless steel with no malolactic leaves the wine with a fresh, lemon-y acidity that cleanses the palate. Short-term aging in neutral barrels keeps any oak presence way in the background. A fine wine for some serious relaxing, it would also be perfect as a complement to a ham dinner with greens and a potato-leek gratin.
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2006 Pinot Blanc - Sta.
Rita Hills
This wine is tank fermented cold, prohibited
from malolactic fermentation, and undergoes brief aging in
neutral French oak barrels. The result is a fresh, vibrant
wine; lean and dry, yet with a balancing rich, creamy aspect
with a lemon-vanilla nuance. It’s best paired with
lighter cuisine, main course salads and simple fish preparations.
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2006 Pinot Blanc - La
Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Less than 2 acres of our organically-farmed
vineyard produce this wine which breathes with the essence
of fresh ocean-air, clean wet stone, a hint of chamomile,
ginger-spiced honey, apples, pears, lemon-thyme, and a toasted
hazelnut quality. Its exhilarating acidity makes it refreshing,
lush and crisp at the same time.
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2005 Pinot Blanc - Sta.
Rita Hills
A firm, almost stony wine offset by a simultaneous
creamy quality; aromas and flavors of exotic melon, citrus,
and Asian pear... Saffron pasta with scallops; chicken saltimbocca;
filet of sole meuniere...
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2005 Pinot Blanc - La Encantada
Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
From the beauty of its firm minerality
to the concentrated textural creaminess, here is more enchantment
from La Encantada Vineyard. Pear, lime, kiwifruit all come
to mind, bolstered by pleasant acidity. Brief aging in new
oak barrels contributes to texture without woody or smoky
flavor. Crab cakes; pot stickers; ceviche; oysters on the
half shell.
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Pinot Noir - Vin Gris
2009 Pinot Noir - Vin Gris - El Jabalí Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Out in the garden among the herbs and flowers in the cool morning of a summer day and thinking, naturally, about food. The smell of basil in the sun, that distinctive pungency you get when you disturb the tomato plants, the subtlety of the purple flowers of oregano. What will I have for lunch? What will I make for dinner? What wine will I have? It’s going to be hot later, so I’m thinking something refreshing, quick and easy to make, no oven-time in the kitchen. Too many options. At least I decide on the wine: chilled Pinot Noir Vin Gris, bone-dry and zesty, full of summer-y strawberry character, a little white pepper-like spice, a flash of something orange-y like Cointreau, a dash of what reminds me of the white chocolate I used to get from Jo’s Candy Cottage when I was a little kid. So now, back to the food:grilled halibut with fresh pesto? Sautéed shrimp with tomatoes and mint? Reserve a table on the porch at Grappolo? Oh well, at least I decided on the wine.
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2008 Pinot Noir - Vin Gris - El Jabalí Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Unmistakably Pinot Noir, our 2008 Vin Gris is brimming with fresh fruit and floral aromatics. Rose petal, cherry and strawberry lead from the nose to palate. Completely dry and crisp, this is 100% Pinot Noir from organically grown grapes. Perfect with a wide spectrum of appetizers and first courses; the ultimate wine for nearly any type of sandwich. We are fond of it as the beverage of choice with Asian or south-of-the-border fare.
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2006 Pinot Noir - Vin Gris -
El Jabalí Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Fruity and brisk with a strawberry-kiwi
freshness and a nice herbal vein, this coral-hued wine is
100% Pinot Noir grown organically at Rancho El Jabalí.
We press the grapes to extract the juice from the skins (like
making white wine), ferment cold in stainless tanks to total
dryness and bottle the wine never having seen oak or malolactic
fermentation. Lovely with a wide variety of appetizers; perfect
with fruit and cheeses; almost any kind of sandwich; light
pastas; or make up a big ol’ batch of cioppino.
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2005 Pinot Noir - Vin Gris -
El Jabalí Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Nothing sweet or frivolous about it, this
is one “serious” rosé...100% pinot noir
fruit from El Jabalí Vineyard on Santa Rosa Road -
Sta. Rita Hills. Fermented off the skins to total dryness
- strawberry, plum and spice notes and a pale copper color
(it’s not pink!). Antipasto; Greek salad; grilled vegetables
with hummus; seared ahi; peppers and sausages; vegetables
fritters with gazpacho.
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