December 2006 Wine Tasting Notes: "Do y'all have any sweet wine?"
2003 Santa Barbara Winery, Zinfandel Essence Lafond Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
|
|
Inky ruby in color, the wine's movement suggests a viscous character. The nose opens with dense, warm, ripe raspberry and juicy blackberry and boysenberry preserves with smoky prune notes. A jammy blend of raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry spills out broadly on the palate. A note of prune is also present. The juicy raspberry and blackberry/boysenberry flavors persist into the medium finish. The lower alcohol, 35% residual sugar with well proportioned acids make for a well structured core and balanced mouthfeel. With dark, bittersweet chocolate the juicy berry flavors brighten and prune elements diminish. |
|
RWB Score: 89 breakdown 8.6% Alcohol $34.00 Retail (from winery); 313 cases produced (375 mL) |
This juicy late harvest Zinfandel is corpulent on the nose as well as in the mouth - where it responds beautifully to chocolate. A sweet swansong for the now defunct vines. Hard-core wine geeks and collectors might want to stock up on this offering for sentimental and academic reasons. Those not inclined to hoard will enjoy this in large groups or in intimate settings for up to five years. |
| Detail |
More Santa Barbara Winery reviews. More on Sta. Rita Hills |
100% Lafond Vineyard Zinfandel harvested at an amazing 47.0 Brix. Cold fermented in stainless steel to a residual sugar: 35.3%.
Zinfandel is THE grape of California. Initially thought to be of Italian origins, its ancestry has been traced to the Crljenak grape (pronounced: Tsurl-YEN-ack, according to Michael Heim, Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at UCLA) of Croatian origins. Recent DNA analysis demonstrated this and disproved previous beliefs that it originated from the Primitivo grape. Zinfandel and Primitivo are very closely related and efforts are under way to make the two grapes synonymous in the TTB's lexicon of grape varieties. However, the offerings we have tasted of both of these grapes were distinct. Zinfandel shows very fruity, jammy raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry and black cherry - often with a prickly or briary note which was not present in the Primitvo offerings we tasted. Cinnamon and Licorice may also be seen. It has come a long way since its usage as the core of California 'jug wines' and some great varietal Zinfandel wines are now being produced.
It is unfortunate that the seven acres of 34 year old vines that gave this delightful wine have gone gently into the night. According to the winery's notes, the yields from the vines dwindled rapidly over the next two years following the 2003 vintage. The notes seem to attribute this to a mismatch between the variety and the climate of the growing region.
The 2003 year presented challenges to wine growers all over California in the form of recurring unseasonable weather and resulted in a smaller yield. The growing season started with unusually heavy spring rains, temperate weather in the summer and early autumn heat. Excessive heat affected fruit development for some. Summer cool spells also delayed maturation in other regions. Early autumn rains followed by cooler temperatures delayed harvest for some growers. This resulted in a leaner crop and red wine variety yields 10% lower than in 2002 (according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture in its Preliminary Grape Crush Report). Nevertheless, the fruit was reported to be particularly dense in flavor and expectations were high for the vintage.
Founded in 1962 by Pierre Lafond, Santa Barbara Winery is part of local and wine history. Originally, an owner of a wine and cheese shop, Lafond combined his love of wine and entrepreneurial ambitions in founding Santa Barbara Winery in 1962. He purchased 105 acres in the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley - his current estate - and planted it to Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Riesling. The estate is now in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Over time, Pinot Noir ands Syrah were added. After removal (after 2005) of the remaining 7 acres of Zinfandel (planted in 1972), there are just under 96 acres under vine in the Lafond Vineyards: 39 acres of Pinot Noir, 20 acres of Chardonnay, Just under 14 acres of Riesling, just under 13 acres of Syrah, almost 3 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and just over 2 acres of Grenache.
Bruce McGuire has been the winemaker at Santa Barbara Winery since 1981. He came down from Napa attracted by the reputation of Santa Barbara County Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Under his supervision, the vineyard's acreage of Pinot Noir was expanded and winery facilities and equipment were upgraded. Generally, wines from the Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery labels are released with a little more bottle age than most others in the area. The whites tend to be more are more mineral, the Pinots are usually released with more bottle age tend to be a bit more evolved.
|
5 points |
|
|
Nose |
3 points |
|
Palate |
3 points |
|
Finish |
3 points |
|
Tannins |
5 points |
|
Acidity |
5 points |
|
Alcohol |
5 points |
|
Aging potential |
2 points |
|
Overall quality |
8 points |
Search our wine reviews archive by: review date, vintage and winery.
Get the buzz:
-
Wine reviews
-
Great stories
-
Interviews
-
Wine education tools
-
New content every month
It's FREE!
Click here
Home | Contact Us | About Us | Feedback | Search | Tell a friend
Copyright © 2006 redwinebuzz.com All rights reserved.