Santa Barbara County, Central Coast
Tensley
Tierra Alta Vineyard Syrah 2010
Beautiful Syrah. Pipe tobacco, blackberry, perfumed coffee. Savory but what a balance between fruit and savory. Need to drink more of my older Tensleys. — 19 days ago
Desparada
Presqu'ile & McGinley Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017
The Feminist Party
Santa Barbara County GSM 2017
Fresh new haircut and tomorrow’s pies done finally getting into this and it is HIGH FIVE it’s so great. A GSM blend and you can taste all the elements of the different grapes working in harmony. One supporting the other. Like we women are gonna do. If our efforts happen to result in fabulous wine? All the better. — 15 days ago
Herman Story
Tomboy White Viognier
Light gold color. Best viognier I’ve ever had. Strong nectarine, honey, and buttered toast on the scent. Taste is tangy melon, followed by floral and earthy mineral notes, with a surprisingly spicy finish. So complicated. — 14 days ago
Artiste Winery
Contemplation Pinot Noir Blend
Artiste Winery Countemplation Non Vintage, Santa Barbara County, California
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. A very pretty color.
Fruity nose with bing cherries, blueberries, plums, wood, vanilla, red candy, spices and black pepper.
Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, currants, barnyard, light vegetables, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates and peppercorn.
Spicy finish with soft tannins and tangy citrus fruit.
This is a very interesting Pinot Noir blend from Santa Barbara County. A nice surprise, a Pinot Noir with a twist. Smells like a Pinot Noir from California, tastes like a fruity Pinot Noir with a touch of Syrah. Spicy, unique and interesting.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. A good wine to sip on with friends and talk about.
Although very enjoyable now, it should get even better in 3 to 5 years. (This Non-Vintage was bottled in 2019).
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Interesting and engaging.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 70% Pinot Noir, 24% Syrah and 6% Chardonnay.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$38. — 4 days ago
Jaffurs Wine Cellars
Thompson Vineyard Petite Sirah 2011
For those looking for a chicken mole pairing. Some tannic grip, luscious fruit, and spice/pepper. — 18 days ago
The Ojai Vineyard
White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014
Hailing from one of my favourite (sandy) sites in Santa Barbara County I was excited to try this wine. Mainly because I really want to find a wine that I hate made by Adam Tolmach. This wasn’t it. The guy is a pro and there’s no doubt that I’m jealous of him. This wine needed time to open in the glass. Caught at a slightly awkward stage I’d like to revisit this wine to witness the evolution with age. Wet dirt and dark berries are the way to my Syrah lovin’ heart. — 17 days ago
"Odedi"
Artiste Winery Malaguena Non Vintage Santa Barbara County, California
A pretty color of dark ruby with a wide reddish rim.
Fruity nose of blueberries, red plums, cherries, oak, earth, light vanilla, vegetables, spices and black pepper.
Full bodied and soft with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, dark chocolates, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.
Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very nice Zinfandel blend from Santa Barbara County. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Nicely balanced and good by itself as a sipping wine. Could use a few more years in the bottle to mature properly.
Needs 30 minutes to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.
Tasty, tangy, soft and interesting.
I paired it with Gorgonzola cheese and crackers.
A blend of 77% Zinfandel and 23% Petit Verdot. Non Vintage, bottled in 2019.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$52. — 19 days ago