January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Epiphany Grenache Rosé, Santa Barbara County.
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This rosé is ruby-pink in the glass with sparkling clarity. The nose offers medium dusty berry aromas of black currant, strawberry backed by light leather and a petrol note. The palate continues the medium strawberry and currant flavors. Bright acids and reserved alcohol levels make for a smooth, lightly fleshy mouthfeel. A modest finish of light strawberry ends with zesty citrus. |
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RWB Score: 87 breakdown 14.5% Alcohol $14.00 Retail (from winery); 616 cases produced |
Fleshy and fruity while remaining light and refreshing this rosé boasts a rustic personality, while maintaining fidelity to varietal character. Whether alone or as a companion to appetizers, poultry, Asian dishes or picnic sandwiches enjoy through 2009. |
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More reviews of Epiphany Cellars Wines More on the Santa Barbara County AVA More on the Santa Ynez Valley AVA |
91% Camp 4 Vineyard Santa Ynez and 9% Rodney’s Vineyard from Fess Parker Estates in Santa Ynez Valley, 1/3 New French Oak for 5 months
Saignée is the French winemaking term for the process of draining off a portion of red wine after a brief period of contact with the grape skin with the intent of increasing the concentration of color, flavor and tannins. This is done to improve the quality of the wine which remains in the fermentation vat. The drained juice is pink and may be used to make rosé wine. In this process, however, the focus is on the wine which remains in the vat and not the bled-off juice - which is just a by-product and can also be bottled and sold as a separate wine. In the case of a "purpose-built rosé", Saigneé is still the method for making this wine, but the focus is on the juice being bled off and on the quality of the resulting wine.
Grenache is a perfect candidate for rosé because of its berry flavors. Although it is generally thought of as a Rhône variety, Grenache (Grenache Noir and its relatives Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris) originates from Spain where it is called “Garnacha”. There, it is twice planted to twice the acreage as in France. In fact, it is currently the most widely planted red wine variety in the world and goes by many names, depending where it is grown. It has some history in California as it has been used in the jug wines of the Central Valley for decades, third only to Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. It is only now coming into its own as a varietal and in Rhône blends, in no small part due to the successes of the Rhône Rangers. Traditionally, it has been used as a component of red blends (typically in the Northern Rhône), usually as the grape for Rhône rosés and as the main component component in most Southern Rhône red blends. In Spain, it is the main component of red blends from the Rioja and Catalonia. It is a sturdy, prolific variety (hence its utility in the Central Valley jug wines) and tolerates dry and hot climates. Grenache makes for softer, less intensely colored, fruity varietal wines often described as ‘fleshy’, ‘fruity’ and ‘heady’. Hence its versatility in blending: it can soften tannic Syrahs and fill out thinner wines. Its distinct sweet, ‘dusty’ and ’fleshy’ mouthfeel is typically supported by flavors of black currants, cherry, licorice and strawberry. Barrel aging can impart vanilla notes. With a heavier oak regiment it can become smoky. Bottle aging will see this variety fading relatively quickly and displaying dried fruit flavors. Despite the tannin and acids, Grenache is not known for its longevity.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
Camp 4 Vineyard is part of the Fess Parker estate in the Santa Ynez Valley, purchased in 1999. Initially planted to 250 acres of Rhône varietals: Grenache (25 acres), Mourvedre (10 acres), Roussanne (15 acres), Syrah (130 acres) and Viognier (25 acres), the first crop was harvested in 2003. Situated Southwest from the Fess Parker winery, the Camp 4 Vineyard is characterized by warmer climates and loamy soils.
The Rodney Shull Vineyard was the first of the Parker surrounds the winery on Foxen Canyon Road. Its 118 acres, split between the valley floor and mesa behind the winery, are planted to Chardonnay (16 acres), Grenache (10 acres), Petite Syrah (8 acres), Syrah (38 acres) and Viognier (27 acres). The the vineyard experiences morning fog, warm daytime temperatures and cool marine breezes in the afternoons. The vineyard is named after Fess' late son in-law.
In 1999, Eli Parker started his own Label, Epiphany Cellars, with the aim of producing small lots of quality wines from Rhône varieties. His efforts over the years have earned him the honor of being named Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year in the 2006 San Francisco International Wine Competition.
Eli first started in the vineyard of the Parker property on Foxen Canyon Road, shortly after its purchase by the family in 1987. He demonstrated his diligence and dedication to the endeavor by taking U.C. Davis extension classes and working in the Byron cellar during the 1987 harvest. After studying under renowned winemaker Jed Steele for three years, Eli came to lead wine making operations at Fess parker Winery in 1996 and has overseen development and expansion of vineyard and winery operations since.
Epiphany Cellars wines are sourced from Fess Parker estate vineyards. Eli's wines are true to varietal character, well extracted with good structure and firm backbone.
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5 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
2 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
1 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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