2007 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria

2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc Sta. Rita Hills

2011 Villa Creek Pink

2005 Carlisle Two Acres

2007 Westerhold Family Syrah Westerhold Vineyard – $42.00

This is a wine I tried due to Russell Bevan being the winemaker. It absolutely blew me away. I quickly ordered more and put the word out on Twitter. I suggested to Jeb Dunnuck that he should track down a bottle to try, he then gave it 95+ on his The Rhone Report. A wine store owner friend from Napa (yes, you Carrie) bought some for the store based on my recommendation, and had to restock since it became very popular. I’m not sure the status of the winery’s mailing list, but I’d recommend checking to see if it is still open.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color. The intense nose has blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, charcoal, dark bittersweet chocolate, dried herbs, minerals, melted licorice, baking spices, and a nice floral note. This has a fairly full body, solid ripe tannins and very good acidity. This is lush and ripe on the palate but not really pushing the ripeness to the edge. The palate shows nice peppery berries, licorice, and some smoked meat with baking spices and dried herbs in the background. The finish is very long and highlights the fruit initially but as the fruit slowly fades, the savory elements keep going. Still extremely young but already outstanding. (95 pts)

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria – $17.50

I love the Bedrock white wines, like I have mentioned several times in earlier blogs. This is from a vineyard that was planted in 1905. This is a “field blend” comprised of Muscadelle, Chasselas, Zinfandel, Semillon, and even a little bit of Chardonnay. That wasn’t a mistake, some old vine red Zinfandel grapes from the vineyard are in the blend. Everything was picked together and whole-cluster pressed into old French oak and stainless steel barrels. This was fermented with native yeasts and malolactic fermentation was inhibited.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow/straw color. A very intriguing nose with apples, pears, peach, minerals, white pepper, citrus zest, a very nice floral note and just a bit of an herbal note. Medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness. This has luscious, juicy fruit on the palate with citrus, herbal notes and a bit of white pepper in the background. This very unusual blend is very unique and delicious. Another winning white wine from Bedrock. (92 pts)

2006 Alma Rosa Pinot Blanc Sta. Rita Hills – $4.75

The owner at the local wine store saw this on the close out list from the distributor. Supposedly the cases were misplaced in storage and forgotten about for a few years. The distributor brought in a bottle for the store to try and the owner grabbed everything they had. I also figured a 6 year old Pinot Blanc would be tired if not dead, but still grabbed a bottle for the under $5 close out price. I got home and we opened the bottle at room temperature and were blown away. I immediately sent off an e-mail to stash me a half case.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow to straw color. The light and refreshing nose has lemon curd, apples, stony/flinty minerals, orange blossoms, a touch of spice and a bit of pineapple. This has light to medium body, is dry and has crisp, citrusy acidity. This is very bright and lively on the palate with crisp apples, lemon zest, and flinty minerals, on the backend a touch of spice and orange zest add some depth. The finish has nice length with the citrus, apples, and minerals holding on nicely. This was an absolute steal on closeout for under $5. (90 pts)

2011 Villa Creek Pink – $12.80

This wine as well as the one from Bedrock are our go-to Summer rosés. I usually supplement my supply of rosés with other labels from the local wine store, but these two are our most consumed ones. This is a “leftover” from last year and I want to consume these before dipping into my stash of 2012s. This is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan from Paso Robles.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright salmon color with just a touch of a pink tint. The fresh and relaxing nose has strawberries, white peaches, crushed stones, citrus zest, and some cherries. This has light body, crisp acidity, and just a touch of lingering sweetness. The palates features juicy fruit and minerals with lemon zest coming in on the back end. The finish is long and full of sweet fruit and minerals with just enough citrusy acidity to leave your mouth watering for another sip. (90 pts)

2005 Carlisle Two Acres – $32.50

If you are on the Carlisle mailing list, congratulations, you are on one of the best lists out there. If you are not on their mailing list, I highly recommend you upgrade your circle of friends to include someone on the list that shares their good stuff.

This is a blend of 85% Mourvèdre, 7% Petite Sirah, 4% Syrah and 4% Carignane from a two acre (hence the name) vineyard planted in 1910. There is also some alicante bouschet in the vineyard, but for some reason it did not produce any fruit in this vintage.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color. The stunning nose has blackberries, warm baking spices, melted licorice, eucalyptus, graphite, minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, scorched earth, and some underbrush. This has a fairly full body, mostly integrated tannins, and good acidity. This is rich and lush on the palate with layers of fruit, spice, and earthy elements that take turns leading the show. The finish is very long and flavorful. This wine is in a fantastic place and is rich and smooth. No hurry on this one, it should hold for at least a few more years. (93 pts)

* Shameless Self Promotion *

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.