Central Coast Winefest

WINE TALK
1

One of our larger local retailers is hosting some CA Central Coast wineries and I wanted some feedback on what not to miss. Below are the attendees and wines on tap.

Brewer-Clifton
Greg Brewer & Crystal Clifton, owners/winemakers
Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 07
Chardonnay Mt Carmel 07
Pinot Noir Mt Carmel 07
Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 07

Cimarone
Roger Higgins, owner & Doug Margerum, winemaker
Grand Premio Sangiovese 06
Clos Secret(Bordeaux Blend) 06

Drew Family
Jason Drew, owner/winemaker
Pinot Noir Gatekeeper 07
Pinot Noir Savoy 07
Syrah Broken Leg 06
Syrah Ridgeline 06

Happy Canyon Vineyards
Doug Margerum, winemaker
Piocho (Bordeaux Blend) 05
Brand (Merlot/Cabernet) 05
10 Goal (Cabernet/Merlot) 05

Kenneth Crawford
Joey Kenneth Gummere & Mark Crawford Horvath, owners/winemakers
Grenache Larner 07
Pinot Noir Turner 07
Pinot Noir Babcock 07
Syrah Four Play 05

Loring Wine Company
Brian Loring, owner/winemaker
Pinot Noir Aubaine 07
Pinot Noir Brousseau 07
Pinot Noir Cargasacchi 07
Pinot Noir Clos Pepe 07

Margerum
Doug Margerum, owner/winemaker
Pinot Gris Margerum Ranch 07
Sauvignon Blanc Sybarite 07
M5 (Rhone Blend) 06
Syrah Colson 06
Syrah Uber 05

Melville
Greg Brewer, winemaker
Chardonnay Estate 07
Pinot Noir Estate 07
Syrah Verna’s Vineyard 07

Palmina
Crystal Clifton, owner/winemaker
Tocai Friulano 07
Arneis Honea 07
Alisos (Sangiovese/Merlot) 06
Nebbiolo Sisquoc 04
Dolcetto Santa Barbara 07

Samsara
Chad Melville, owner/winemaker
Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 07
Syrah Alder Springs 06
Syrah Melville 06

Talley
Brian Talley, owner/winemaker
Chardonnay Estate 07
Pinot Noir Estate 06
Pinot Noir Rosemary’s Vineyard 06

2

Brewer Clifton - the great disadvantage, however, is that you need to expect them not to show well at all this early. They go full cluster, and you can tell, for certain. The wines are very green and hard-edged as they are made to age. Greg and Steve typically drink their own wines starting at 4 years from bottling, most quite a bit more.

The quality is tremendous, however, but the prices match. Mount Carmel is my favorite bottling of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and is also the most expensive.

3

Bizarre…I tried to cut and past and it left off half the list…will try again.

4

Do you think he will want to associate with us? (no bromance comments Todd)

5

word. also love Sweeney Canyon which is buttery but loves crustaceans!

6

Good point.

7

I would definitely Check out Loring, Brewer Clifton, Melville and for sure Talley.

Palmina is Steve Clifton of Brewer Clifton’s (or is it Greg Brewer?) all Italian varietal project. Definitely some tasty wines but based upon what you seem to drink probably not up your alley.

Some of the Margerum wines are pretty good but I haven’t had many.

Contrary to Todd’s opinion - I think the Brewer Clifton wines (and Melville) show well young…I am just not sure how they are aging. Their Chards are the sleepers in the lineup IMO…the 02 BC Chards were terrific wines…oh how I wish I had a few additional bottles.

8

Tony, thanks for the 411.

9

You’re in for a treat; don’t miss any of them.

Brewer-Clifton - lots of w/c in their PN
Cimarone - don’t know, but Margerum does excellent work w/Bdx varietals
Drew Family - Jason Drew is a Babcock alumni, who makes some really juicy reds
Happy Canyon Vineyards - again, Doug Margerum does some nice work with Bdx varietals
Kenneth Crawford - former Lafond and Babcock alumni; terrific Grenache and Syrah
Loring Wine Company - great Cabs! No? Okay, PN that gets better each year.
Margerum - don’t miss the the M5
Melville - made their bones on the PN, but check out that Syrah
Palmina - all Italian varieties, nearly all from SYV’s Honea Vnyd
Samsara - often co-ferm Syrahs are fascinating
Talley - elegance in spades

10

Looking forward to it! My schedule is kinda nuts - coming in from Austin that morning and heading out to Houston early the next day. Probably no time for an offline or any other fun activities.

11

Can’t add much to what Tony and Eric have said. I’ve often been surprised by how well Samsara as shown against a lot of the better Pinot labels from California in some of our blind and non blind events.

12

Brian et al,

Question - are all of these wineries handled by the same distributor in TX? Would seem to me that it would be nearly impossible to gather this group together without that being the case . . .

Curious to hear . . .

Cheers!

13

Larry,

Looks like Sigel’s in Dallas only (correct me if I’m wrong people)

http://www.sigels.com/index.php

14

T-Bone, you are correct that Sigel’s is coordinating the event. It is being hosted at a local restaurant…The Mercury Grill.

15

I like these wines a lot. Check out Alondra de los Prados.

Ditto … with regards to the B-C. Can’t speak for Melville. If like WC you should like these young. They are not hard or tannic and when they are this young there is tons of fruit. Time will tell how they will age. I have had some that have gone to middle age well and some where the Alcohol has become too dominating.

Jason

16

You will be blown away by the Melville chardonnay.

17

There truly, honestly is NOT a dog amongst the wineries and wines being poured . . .

I’ve really been impressed with Jason Drew’s wines, and his latest releases from the Anderson Valley area are supposed to be awesome!

Roger Higgins’ Cimmarone line is an under the radar label from the Happy Canyon area - quite nice wines as well!

And PLEASE give Chad Melville a hard time for me - he’s a really great guy making great wines . . . but it’s always fun to give him heck every now and then . . .

Cheers!

18

Thanks for the heads up Bill.

Where and when is this? That might be an excuse to come to Dallas for a weekend.

Brian- What brings you to Houston? Are you doing a tasting here as well?

19

Next Wednesday.

20

I’ll be working with my distributor there. Not sure what they have planned. I may have time for dinner on Friday night… but will probably have to play it by ear.