Is Everybody HAPPY?
November 13, 2006
A few weeks ago we attended my nephew's wedding in Los
Olivos (Santa Barbara County). We spent two days traversing
the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards of the cool growing regions of
the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills. Since the movie "Sideways" brought a new awarness to the
region, there has been a tremendous growth in local tourism, and
interest by consumers and collectors in west coast Pinot Noir
has exploded with unbridled enthusiasm. So it may come
as much of a surprise to you, as it did for us, to discover a perfectly
ripened Bordeaux blend from Tom and Laurel Barrack's
Happy Canyon Vineyard situated in the warmer
eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley. As a matter of fact, the
hillside vineyards of Happy Canyon are a fairly new area for grape growing,
but they may be the perfect place to grow the later ripening
Cabernet Sauvignon and relatively earlier ripening Cabernet
Franc. Absent are any of the austere, thin, green tea like
astringency or vegetative qualities that typically plague under ripened or
overcropped Cabernet Franc fruit. The 2004 "PIOCHO", the proprietary
name for our current wine of focus, loosely translates to "where two
rivers meet and go to heaven". PIOCHO is a wine dominated
by 45% Cabernet Franc, with 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and a
scant 14% Merlot comprising the blend. Winemaker Doug
Margerum selects fruit from the only top rows along the rocky ridge where the
vines are cultivated so the grapes achieve optimal ripeness while maximizing
hang-time with selective cluster removal to ensure even
ripening.
You must believe me when I say this wine is probably the
very best value of all the "Cabernets" I have
sampled this year. Vivid layers of blue and black fruits are
tighly wound into a superbly balanced package that says, "I am from a
special place!"....About an hour or two after decanting you find
yourself talking back to this wine as if to assure it you are worthy of
this new friendship ....nuances of tobacco leaf, wood spices are evident,
and a building fruit intensity demands your serious
attention. Nowhere will you find a wine like this for only $29.95 a
bottle. 1072 cases were produced.
And if you still need more encouragement, from Robert
Parker -
"...It boasts superb minerality, terrific acidity, plenty of
tannin, beautiful blueberry, raspberry, and black currant characteristics,
crunchy fruit, great texture as well as intensity, and a magnificent finish.
This seriously endowed, inspirational offering is one of the finest
Bordeaux-styled red that has been produced in the Santa Ynez Valley." -
92 points, Wine Advocate Issue 166 (August 2006).
2004 HAPPY CANYON VINEYARD "PIOCHO" - Santa
Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara
ORDER
NOW by the bottle for $28.95, or six or more bottles for
$26.50.
Travel Tips
-
Olio e Limone Ristorante
- We were staying near Los Olivos, but fond memories of a
dinner here 4 years ago beckoned us to drive another 45 miles each way to have
dinner at this little jewel off State Street. Chef-owner Alberto Morello
and wife Elaine are absolutely dedicated to the finest quality local ingredients
to produce the most authentic (we thought we were back in Campania) Italian
cuisine. Amazing homemade pastas will make you
swoon! Charming service bends over backwards to
please. Award winning wine list, priced fairly, with local and
Italian wines for every taste with many selections by the
glass. Reservations a must. http://www.olioelimone.com
Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn
- Restaurant operation is now run by the Wine Cask. Have breakfast in the
country garden and lunch on the wrap around porch. Great location in Los
Olivos for exploraton or rest and relaxation. Total
package! http://www.fessparker.com/html/wine_country_inn.htm
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE (9463)
View the Archives |
|
