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Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2006

The label eludes to the scene. You're there, or your mind takes you there if you're not there in body. You look to the west and the colors emerge with a fortunate sunset as sailing vessels are in no hurry to return to their moors. People amble down the boardwalk or the palm lined avenue as a hard working two-man band entertains a crowd at the Tiki bar around the corner. No shirt, no shoes, no problem.

You may have spent a lot to get here, or maybe you don't have a lot to spend and your trip is pure imagination. No matter, because as the saying goes, wherever you go, there you are. This scene is not begging for a high-priced bottle of wine, but one that fits the ritual and mood of a picture perfect day as it prepares to pass into night.

Has Meridian painted a picture you can see yourself in? You can certainly afford to be here. Meridian Vineyards, whose history includes being acquired by Beringer, then becoming a little piece of the beverage behemoth Foster's, is the little engine that can get you here. They could charge more, you could spend more, but why? For $7 you can dive into a bottle of Santa Barbara Chardonnay and experience a tropical sunset wherever you are.

The aromas and flavors are centered around pineapple. It's a summer fling in a glass, you might even call it a fantasy. The flavors come across a tad sweet, but it's just the tropical fruit talking. The wine is actually pretty dry in terms of residual sugar, but oak influence is minimal so the Santa Barbara fruit is intense. There are hints of orange, coconut and lemon-lime, but that welcoming pineapple is what reverberates. The finish is a simple pleasure; one that says, "drink, don't think".

The point is, we don't always need a wine to be monumental. Very good for the price and right for the mood is frequently all we really need. Like this Chardonnay.

Price: $7. (Nashville, Clearwater). Closure: Nomacorc. Alcohol content: 13.4%.

Hook & Ladder Tillerman Russian River White 2005

Some of you will be trying to guess the blend; others will just relish in the discovery of such a great affordable alternative white wine with a delicious personality. It's not sweet at all but neither does it turn your mouth inside out on the way to its refreshing finish.

Cecil DeLoach made 2400 cases of Hook & Ladder Tillerman White 2005, which I'm guessing includes Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. The processing definitely didn't include any oak.

Excellent value ($14). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.8%.

Style: Unoaked, crisp, dry, somewhat tropical and very refreshing.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light golden straw. Aromas: Apricot, peach, grass and hints of pineapple. On the tongue, the feeling is tart, dry and light-to-medium bodied. The fruit forward palate carries through the aromas with nice acidity leading to a refreshing finish.

Comment: A great wine for a wine aficionado and his mother on vacation at her house in Holden Beach, North Carolina (view pictured above). I can say it was great with some very fresh grouper and field fresh vegetables.

Winewaves reviewed Hook & Ladder Gewurztraminer in April, 2007.

Cambiata Laumann Estate Monterey Albarino 2005

There are trendsetters and then there are people who are so far out ahead of the wave that they may be looked upon as downright offbeat. Eric Laumann is adept at making more expected wines while crushing and blending for Monterey Wine Company. But his personal family project, the Cambiata label, involves growing and making Albarino and Tannat. Albariño is THE white wine of Galicia in Spain and Tannat is a unique and heady red wine that makes for an great bit of wine trivia. You will typically only find it being grown and made into wine in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, in the southwest corner of France.

I have no doubt that Albariño has lots of upside potential because it occupies the right sensory position and we're all looking for something different from Chardonnay in a white wine. And then there's the wanderlust factor. Many of us would love to take a tour of northwest Spain but opt instead for the bottle of wine. But very few have considered growing and making Albariño in California. Why not? More power to Eric Laumann and Cambiata.

You may be interested to know that Laumann once worked for another "offbeat" character in the California wine world, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, who also grows a bit of Albariño and blends it.

Very nice Value ($22). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.8%. Cases produced: 400+.

Style: Exotic, juicy round, intensely fruity and refreshingly dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Intense peach plus tangerine, lemon and hints of cold blossoms. On the tongue the mouth feel is medium-bodied, approaching fat yet with excellent acidity. The rich tree fruit and lemony citrus flavors finish lush yet dry.

Comment: You might spend less for an Albariño from Spain or Portugal, but surely curiosity alone will make you want to try this one.

Winewaves reviewed Laumann's Poppy Pinot Noir 2005, a wine he makes for Monterey Wine Company. The bottle of Cambiata Albariño 2005 tasted for this review was provided by the winery.

Summerland Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2005

Summerland's under-$15 Santa Barbara Chardonnay is a smart fusion of bright varietal flavors and light handed spice, perfect for the season.

Summerland proprietor Bilo Zarif and winemaker Etienne Terlinden have been creating expressive Central Coast Chardonnay for several years, first at Zarif's Barnwood Vineyards and Laetitia Winery, and now at Summerland.

Excellent value ($14). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.2%.

Style: Bright, somewhat complex, light spice, crisp/dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light lemon straw. Aromas: Pear, spiced apple and hints of cold blossoms and banana. Tart, juicy and a bit rounded off, the spiced apple, orange and ginger flavors are lively and refreshing in the clean dry finish.

Comment: A trendsetter in a sea of California Chardonnay.

Alma Rosa Santa Barbara Pinot Gris 2004

Are you likely to pay a bit more for a wine if it's biodynamic, organic or a product of sustainable farming practices? What if you get a superior wine of great aroma/flavor intensity and length?

Thekla and Richard Sanford left their namesake winery behind in 2005 to found Alma Rosa and they bring new energy and positive focus to the venture. They farm their Santa Rita Hills vineyards with respect and kindness in order to keep the land and their wines unspoiled and beautiful.

Burgundy native Christian Roguenant is the head Winemaker, a frequent wine judge and also a photographer. 2004 is the first vintage for Alma Rosa Santa Barbara Pinot Gris, and the 2005 was recently released.

Excellent value ($18). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Intense fruit, pretty, light, crisp.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Bright lemon gold. Aromas: Perfumed apricot, white peach, cold blossoms and spring rain. A voluptuous body with nice curves combines with a lively tart feeling on the tongue as the pretty apricot and lemon flavors are sustained in the crisp finish.

Comment: "Tell me what wine you drink, and I will tell you what you are."

Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Viognier 2005

Zaca Mesa is thirty-something now and has developed into a very well managed and focused wine estate that practices "sustainable winegrowing". Through a winnowing process they found Rhône varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, and Roussanne) grow best on their sprawling property north of Solvang. Although they also produce Chardonnay from vines planted in the 1970's.

Clay Brock follows a string of highly successful Winemakers. He reports Viognier 2005 was fermented in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels, aged 3 months on the lees but not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. Filtering was "gentle".

Excellent value ($15). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Aromatic fruit, lightly floral, round body, crisp finish.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light golden straw. Aromas: Peach, mandarin orange and cold blossoms. The mouthfeel is nicely round and juicy tart. Layers of citrus fruit, peaches and cream reverberate in the crisp dry finish.

Comment: Chill gently; this natural beauty will easily form "wine diamonds", or tartaric acid crystals. This is considered by many a good sign for a white wine. If you're bothered by them, you can filter them out.

Michael-David Incognito Lodi Viognier 2005

A tip off from a friend is a great way to discover a new wine. Already familiar with the big earth shattering reds from Michael-David Vineyards, I had not yet picked up a bottle of Incognito Viognier until musician Tony Vincent tipped me off. "Quite a lovely Viognier" he said and I must agree.

Incognito Viognier was once believed to be Roussanne, until DNA testing proved it is Viognier. Never mind that, it is a big robust white wine made from a "fat" and happy grape, and the result is a blockbuster.

Excellent value ($15). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 15%.

Style: Fruit forward, round, weighty, juicy, potent, dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light straw, with a greenish tint. Aromas: Peach, cold blossoms, and noble apricot. The mouth feel is creamy, smooth, weighty, medium-bodied and tart, and the mouth filling peaches and cream flavors are joined by a big warm kick in the glass.

Comment: Drink it like a martini, shaken not stirred. Thanks for the tip, Tony!

Hook & Ladder Russian River Gewurztraminer 2006

Somehow I'm not surprised that a former San Francisco fireman grows and makes this wine in the Russian River Valley. There's the name Hook & Ladder, and the wine itself which exudes a big intense personality that fills a room the minute it's opened.

Cecil DeLoach is the personality, the Winemaker, grower and co-proprietor (along with wife Christine) who now farms 375 acres along Olivet Road in Sonoma County near Santa Rosa. Cecil and Christine sold the label they grew for 30 years, DeLoach, in 2005 and founded the smaller family vineyard and winery Hook & Ladder, paying homage to Cecil's previous career. Their son Michael presided over DeLoach before its sale, and now heads up marketing for Hook & Ladder, and works with his niece Sarah who is Director of Marketing for the winery.

Hook & Ladder 2006 Gewurztraminer is estate grown, all stainless steel vinified, and about 1% residual sugar remains.

Excellent value ($14). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Aromatic, exotic, spicy, unoaked, slightly off-dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Bright pale straw with a slight greenish tint. Aromas: Grapefruit, lychee, peach, flint and a hint of ginger/spice. Tart and light to medium bodied, the intense grapefruit and exotic fruit flavors and spice notes are juicy, just off-dry and cool enough to put out a fire.

Comment: This eye opening taste of Russian River is a great match for pan-seared scallops and apple beurre blanc.

R. H. Phillips Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Here's a wine paradox. It's easier to find a great deal on a Chardonnay than a Sauvignon Blanc, even though the latter is much less likely to see any costly oak. Vincor's R. H. Phillips Winery does an admirable job with their Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Dunnigan Hills, delivering a 1.5 Liter bottle at about the 750 ml. price.

Dunnigan Hills is over the Coast Range from Calistoga, some 30 miles East. The climate is warmer during the day so harvest takes place at night.

Excellent value: $13/1.5 Liter. Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Vibrant, citrusy, crisp and light.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale golden straw. Aromas: Quince, lime, cold blossoms, sage/grass. Light-bodied and nicely tart, the citrusy herbal flavors are refreshing in the clean dry finish which also shows a slight glint of flint.

Comment: Two for the price of one plus a dollar.

Barefoot Cellars Non-Vintage California Chardonnay

Click for an enlarged picture

At home in a plastic cup or a Riedel glass, at $1 a glass the price is right on this Chardonnay when an "estate pour" isn't called for or when there's no one around you feel the need to impress. Hey look, there isn't even a vintage, but the juice isn't bad, definitely on par with the better boxes priced the same per liter.

Gallo bought the Barefoot brand in early 2005 and continues growing it at an impressive rate. Millennials, a.k.a. "Generation Y" are said to be the target. A lot of Barefoot buyers may just be "Millennial at heart" or on a tight budget. Why not sneak a drink of the "class of 2000"? It's sort of a reversal; you drinking theirs rather than the other way around.

Jennifer Wall is Winemaker for the Barefoot line, and she calls the style "vibrant and fun, fantastic and affordably priced". That sounds a bit like a "one night stand", but at least it doesn't overpromise, which is refreshing.

Excellent value ($9/1.5 Liter). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Juicy round tropical and refreshing but uncomplicated.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light straw, with a greenish tint. Aromas: Tropical fruit: peach, pineapple, lemon and hints of banana. Juicy round and soft with enough acidity to balance the sweet fruit, the tropical punch and green apple crispness leads to a simply refreshing finish.

Pictured below, Barefoot showed up to have some fun at the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Festival Tasting in January.

Click for the Winewaves ZAP - Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - January 2007 San Francisco Tasting Photo Album