A Day in Santa Barbara County: Foxen Vineyard

Foxen is as close to hippy as you get in California wine - a shack on the side of the road (they are building a new and fancier tasting room) these guys play unfortunate host to the Happy Hour crowd because of Sideways' success. Nonetheless, they make some pretty interesting wine and I was happy to visit them, especially since it took me a good 30 minutes to drive there from my last winery through some absolutely stunning scenery.

Foxen Canyon Scenery

I got to taste 2 whites and 3 reds during my visit, starting with the 2007 Vogelzang Vineyard Viognier, which had a round and floral nose with notes of caramel and vanilla. The palate was quite powerful for viognier, and a bit alcoholic. I got plenty of orchard fruits, especially peach, and a dry finish. However, I found this too alcoholic (at 14.8% ABV) and fruity for Viognier. Good+ to Very Good. $25.

I was also disappointed by the 2007 Tinaquiac Vineyard Chardonnay, which was dry farmed and aged in 25% new oak. This Chard saw 100% malolactic fermentation and it showed with a nose of roasted hazlenuts and pineapple. The palate was rich and heavy with pineapple and peach. There wasn't enough acidity in this wine, which gave the roundness of the fruit too much forwardness and not enough finesse. Good+ $32.

Luckily the reds provided much better quality and were lots of fun to boot, starting with the 2007 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, which had a nose with tons of earth, spice and strawberry. The nose had lots of cool rock and earth components, but I could still feel the alcohol quite significantly, which detracted from the otherwise pleasant flavour profile. Very Good. $34.

I enjoyed the 2005 Range 30 West Santa Ynez Valley red blend with its 63% merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot. The nose was heavy on the black currant and mint, and the palate was filled with lots of plummy fruit, caramel and blueberry. Very Good. $35.

The best wine of the bunch was the 2006 Williamson-Dore Vineyard Syrah from the Santa Ynez Valley, which seems to be on a roll these days with high quality Rhone varietal wines. The nose here was smoky, minerally and filled with lots of rocks and soil. The palate was sweet up front, but opened nicely with earth on the finish. This is also a lot fruitier than the nose suggests with blackberry jam predominating. I think with a bit of age this will become quite good. Very Good. $44.

The winery

And that was the last winery of my wonderful day in Santa Barbara County before I spent many hours making the drive back to Berkeley. If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend a wine journey to Central California. It's good value, down to earth, and has some stunning scenery.

A Day in Santa Barbara County: Beckmen Vineyards

My third and penultimate stop during my one day jaunt through Sideways country was Beckmen, one of the top Rhone-style wine producers in California. Sadly, this excellent vinter was not pouring at the Rhone Rangers tasting, compounding all the more my desire to visit their winery.

Firstly, I have to comment that I love how the wineries in central California are so much more down to earth and homey than the mega-rooms that make up Napa County. This makes tasting the wine feel more therapeutic and more focused on the simple pleasures of flavour and aroma. I do have to comment, however, that the pours were pretty stingy here, which even though I spit, is damaging to the experience, especially since not enough wine in the glass means not enough wine to produce a proper bouquet. I tasted through both Beckmen's basic bottling series and their high end wines.

The first wine poured was the 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, a clay heavy and grapefruit dominant patio wine on both the nose and palate. Simple and standad, but clean. Very Good. $16.

Delving into yet another attempt at making Marsanne work in California Beckmen produces the 2006 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Marsanne as a blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussane. The nose on this was weak and very subtle. I felt it lacked expression. The palate was pretty flat, but had some orchard fruits like peach and a bit of hazelnut. I also got some burnt rubber. I'm still passing on almost all of these Rhone style whites. Good+ to Very Good. $25.

Ah Rose - it almost inevitably sucks, even though it doesn't have to. The 2008 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rose was very light on the nose with basic red fruits. An off-dry strawberry potion on the palate. Boring. Good+. $18.

Beckmen's Vineyards behind the Tasting Room

The 2007 Cuvee Le Bec was a grenache based red blend that had a dusty and nutty nose. Pepper, simple raspberry, a bit of savory herbs and a touch of hazlenut made the flavours on the palate decent. The overall structure, however, was lacking here. Good+ to Very Good. $20.

Interestingly Beckmen also makes a 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which had a nice baking spice, cassis, black plum and chocolate nose. Decent fruit quality on the palate, but tempered with firm tannin and ripe acidity. I enjoyed this, but the Star Lane cab is superior. Very Good. $30.

Last up was the basic Syrah bottling from Beckmen - and Syrah is what they are known for down here. The 2007 Estate Syrah had a nose of roasted nuts, chocolate sauce, and smelled distinctly like baking a chocolate cake. A very rich palate holds up a seriously tannic structure. With mostly blackberry up front, this wine is still quite linear and needs time to develop. Nicely integrated, lengthy and layered finish. Very Good. $30.

So given those reviews I suppose I have to admit that I was disappointed with Beckmen's basic bottlings. They tended to be a bit one dimensional and didn't take any risks. Moving into the mid-range, however promised a bit more consistent quality, at least in the reds.


Unfortunately the 2007 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Blanc left me feeling hollow. The nose was actually quite expressive with peach and apricot. However, it also had a very bubblegum like aroma that didn't do it for me. The palate was quite sweet, with a nice floral element. Overall, though, this is one dimensional. Good+. $30.

The 2006 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache was very promising, however. A dusty spicy nose with strawberry and chocolate providing depth showed me Grenache character that isn't too common in California. Pepper and spice overlay the flowing red fruits and various berries on the palate. This is more on the ripe side and is very tasty - but in the end it is a bit too fruity a style of Grenache for my personal taste. This is not overripe, though, and many will enjoy. Very Good to Very Good+. $48.

Another solid offering was the 2006 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Syrah with its very spicy chile and chocolate nose. I also got a bit of cassis and plum. The palate continued the cool chile/chocolate elements, and added a nice dusty finish. This is still distinctly fruit forward for a syrah, and is very smooth texturally. Very Good. $48.

The last three wines I tasted showed what Beckmen is all about. They were far and away a cut above every other wine and truly showed the phenomenal character of the Purisima Mountain site that Beckmen so fortunately owns.

The 2007 Syrah Clone #1 was actually produced from cuttings originally imported from Western Australia. The original vines from Australia were planted way back in 1863 and were brought to California by UC Davis in the 1970's. The nose on this beauty was heavy and dense with lots of mocha and toffee. The palate tastes very Australian and distinctly like a Western Australian Shiraz - of a very high quality. The palate is quite dusty and restrained, with black fruits, chocolate, and underlying layers of earth and mineral. This is incredibly layered and elegant and a superb Syrah that shows what California can do. Excellent. $52.

I also tried the 2006 Block 6 Syrah from the Purisima Mountain Vineyards - block 6 being the best block of the vineyard. I got brown sugar and heavy plummyness on the nose. But on the palate this was all pepper and spice underlying a masive tannic beast of a wine. Again, this has beautiful layering that translates from the nose to the finish in a seamless development. I think the mid-palate needs time to mellow a bit as the tannins are quite massive right now. However, in a few years this should be really great. Very Good+ to Excellent. $55.


The wine of the day, however, was Beckmen's flagship 2005 Purisima, which is made only in the best years and is meant to represent the pinnacle of what Beckmen can do with their Purisima Mountain fruit. This is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. The nose is BIG: rich, forward, and absolutely luscious with hoards of dark fruit, fig, plum and black cherries. There is almost a raisinated component to the nose because it is so dense. The palate was also very big with large dark plummy fruits up front, but dusty dark cocao nibs on the finish. What I loved about this wine, though, was that even though it was massive on the nose and up front, the mid-palate brought in considerable earthy undertones and the finish was both tannic and slightly bitter with the chocolate component. This gave the wine great balance and prevented it from becoming one of those syrupy thick syrahs that seem to do so well in the press. This is a very Californian wine, make no mistake, it just brings everything together perfectly. Excellent to Excellent+. $75.

And so did my visit to the illustrious Beckmen conclude. Unfortunately the tasting room staff was pretty amateurish and clumsily tried to sell me a membership at the end of my tasting. None the less, these guys are worth seeking out simply for the wine.

A Day in Santa Barbara County: Dierberg and Star Lane

Dierberg and Star Lane are two labels run by the same people. Both are focused on producing a more restrained style of wine from Santa Barbara County. Dierberg focuses on Burgundy varietals and Star Lane on the Bordeauxs (not all that common in Santa Barbara). I spent an hour or so tasting at their new tasting room just outside of Buelton.



Up first I tried the 2006 Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, which had a nose with a touch of mineral, but big citrusy New Zealand style fruit. The palate was a little poopy and filled with fresh cut citrus and grass. A good sipper. Very Good to Very Good+ $20.

The 2005 Dierberg Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley had a full bodied and enticing nose of mostly roasted hazlenuts. It reminded me somewhat of Ridge's Santa Cruz Mountain Chard. The palate was nutty again, but also added caramel, apple, licorice and a good dose of acid. A very tasty partial malo-lactic chard at a fair price. Very Good+. $32.

Moving into reds, I was quite impressed with the 2006 Dierberg Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, which had a soft red fruits nose and an earthy and peppery palate, with a touch of savory herbs. A nice pinot, but I did prefer those from Alma Rosa. Very Good+. $42.



However, when I turned to the Star Lane offerings I was very surprised to find extremely Bordeaux style reds that still had solid ripeness to them. These are not what anyone would expect from California Bordeaux varietal wines and I think there is tremendous promise here to produce some pretty fantastic bargains so long as big media doesn't come in and jack up the prices. Fortunately, given the minerally and vegetal cut to these wines, that seems unlikely.

The 2006 Star Lane Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley is grown where all the Star Lane wines are: way out in a wamer portion of the easterly Santa Ynez Valley. Because the valley is oriented on a North-South axis, the vines are protected from the sea breazes that make the Santa Maria Valley so cool and ideal for Pinot. The nose had soft red fruits, mint and a distinct meatyness. The palate was big, but rough and only moderately sweet. Lots of red berries and earth. A nice tannic grip leads the mid-palate into a well structured finish. Very Good+. $36.

Less interesting, perhaps because so many around this area are making better examples, was the 2006 Dierberg Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, with its nose of meat, chocolate and stems. The palate is very large and meaty, with black berry and plum skins. This is still green and needs a little age. Very Good. $34.

The final wine - a 2005 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley was the most interesting of the bunch. I got very leafy overtones on the otherwise classic nose of mint, chocolate and cassis. This, however, is very herbal on the palate, with tomato vine, thyme, sage, etc. This is very driven by the earth and herb components rather than the fruit and reminds me very much of Bordeaux. Nonetheless, there is a solid black berry fruit component sliding through the middle of this well structured wine. Very Good+. $50.

Dierberg and Star Lane are producing solid wines across the board, and if you are looking for something with a bit more of a French edge but with a California pedigree, it is worth checking out the Star Lane merlot and Cab Sauv. Additionally, all of these wines are available in BC, albeit for higher prices. Another solid producer from Santa Barbara County.

A Day in Santa Barbara County: Alma Rosa

Paper and exam season is upon me now with the shining light being the completion of my law degree in four weeks time. For now I will have to reminisce on previous good days, my relatively recent trip to Santa Barbara County Wine Country (aka Sideways territory) being one of them.

Without being aware that I was, through coincidence, going to be visiting wineries that appeared in the grumpy man's wine movie I set off for Santa Barbara County for some impromptu drop ins (no appointments necessary unlike Napa). What struck me about wine country in south central california was the lack of development and the extremely pastoral landscape: most wineries are at least a good 10-15 minute drive apart from each other (other than the Los Olivos strip), separated by expanses of lush green rolling hills, vines, and the occasional domesticated beast.

Alma Rosa's Vineyards

I chose to drop by Alma Rosa since I was informed that they were producing some of the most 'Burgundian' pinots in the County. I later found out that this is the Sanford family's actual base of operations, the 'Sanford' winery being completely separately owned and operated. Some sordid tale of intrigue occupies the reason for this, but I did not pursue any further with the kind Wine Room manager. I drove in past a few vineyards and out of the sightline of the main road to come to the tasting room and winery:

I opted for the Pinot Noir flight and set out to delve into six intriguing wines. First up was the 2006 Pinot Noir Vin Gris El Jabalie Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills, a Rose which was fermented in steel tanks and bottled without oak or malo-lactic. The nose was quite nutty and brightly fruity. A very clear palate this is on the drier side, but has a touch of sweetness, which was well integrated. A great summer wine. Very Good+. $20. 231 cases.

The 2007 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir was the first of the two flagship bottlings from Alma Rosa, and where the full pinot love began. Earthy subtle fruit on the nose, I definitely appreciated a Burgundian element underlying the fruit - there was a bit of savory dirtyness to the nose that imparted an almost feral quality to the wine. On the palate this is much earthier than most from this region - and subtle with the fruit layering of strawberry and cherry. Very Good+ to Excellent. $38. 6301 cases.

The 2006 Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills is made in a fuller style compared to the basic santa rita bottling. The nose is richer and more intense, with spices such as cinamon and nutmeg. The palate, however, retains personality with a very savory character up front and a development of herbal elements on top of the just-ripe nose of Rhubarb and raspberry. This is on the heavier side of pinots that I enjoy, but it is securely within the very drinkable domain. Very Good+. $49. 1300 cases.

The last three Pinots I tried were essentially experimental bottlings of the components that go into the two main bottlings from Alma Rosa. It was pretty fascinating to see how each differed dramatically and contributed certain components to the finished products. These were also very drinkable on their own, but I preferred the polish and completeness of palate on the two primary bottlings.




The 2007 Pinot Noir Mt. Eden Clone El Jabali Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills is made from vines derived from Mount Eden cuttings obtained by Richard Sanford in the 1970's. The nose on this was very vegetal with a lot of tomato leaf coming through. The palate was tannic and bright, and short on the back end. Good, but more interesting as a blending component of the Sta. Rita bottling. Very Good. $49. 236 cases.

A sniff of the 2007 Pinot Noir 667 Clone La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills revealed a stark mineral edge, light red berries, and a tinge of dust. The palate was still quite closed, but promised a future replete with spice, earth and dark berry fruit. Sporting a very long finish, I think this has a lot of potential, and shows how certain clones can bring a hell of a lot of structure and backbone to a blended wine. Very Good+ to Excellent. $49. 234 cases.

Last up was the 2007 Pinot Noir 777 Clone La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, which had a punchy nose of baked dark fruits (plums maybe) and some spice. The palate is very fruity and deep, round and full with nice notes of strawberry, cherry and cinamon. This is authentic fruit - like freshly squeezed raspberry and blackberry juice - and certainly not over-extracted or relying on high alcohol for body. Clearly the fruit depth of the main Encantada bottling comes from this clone. Very Good+. $49. 235 cases.

My final take on Alma Rosa, which apparently did appear in Sideways - something I did not realize until after I had left and it dawned on me why they seemed so perturbed when I pulled out my camera - was that this place is trying to do something really great with Pinot in SB county, and is avoiding the overly alcoholic fruit baths that a lot of other places go for in these parts. Clearly they take their blending seriously and like to share that experience with their guests. I highly recommend their wines. And, I think it's probably a good thing that even with the success of the movie I wasn't made aware of its presence for one second while tasting the wines. That in my books takes a bit of integrity.