Wine Tasting Notes
William James Cellars.
In 2003 winemaker Jim Porter entered the commercial wine making scene in Santa Barbara County. Jim started making home wine with “with kitchen utensils, strainers and trash cans”. Spurred by his successes in home wine competitions, and aided by his connections with various vineyards made through his agricultural irrigation business over the past eight years, Jim was able to put together a winery operation at Fess Parker’s Wine Center in Santa Maria as an alternating proprietor.
William James Cellars currently offers Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Roussanne, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from all over the Central Coast including: Alta Loma Vineyard in Monterey County, Halter Ranch Vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, Gary Ranch Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Vineyard and Premiere Coastal Vineyard in Santa Barbara County and Camp 4 Vineyard, Hampton Family Vineyard and Westerly Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA.
Jim seeks to make wines that sit comfortably somewhere between being fruit-driven stand-alone wines and food-friendly wines. He does not have a standard cooperage regimen that he applies to his wines. In general, he uses a blend of new and neutral American, French and mixed European barrels depending on what he feels the wine needs. His favorite variety is Syrah. With an annual production approaching 4,000 cases, Jim and his wife, and co-proprietor, Robin have a tasting room located at 113 S. College Avenue in Santa Maria, at the corner of Main St. and College Ave.
The most recent releases tasted include well-rounded, Burgundy-styled Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Santa Barbara county which are made in a traditional, more Burgundian, food-friendly style: composed fruit extraction, tight at first, with tannins for a backbone. These will appeal to "fooddies" and those who eschew "fruit bomb" wines. Jim's Rhône program is built around richly extracted, but composed, firm Syrahs and a fruity Grenache. These will pair well with food but do lean in the direction of the current fruity trend. Jim has made a 2004 and 2005 Roussanne but is deciding if he will continue the line in the future. In addition, there is an expressive and well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Halter Ranch Vineyard in Paso Robles.
2004 William James Cellars Roussanne 88 Points
2004 William James Cellars Syrah, Santa Barbara County 89 Points
2005 William James Cellars Grenache, Central Coast 90 Points
2005 William James Cellars Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County 88 Points
2005 William James Cellars Pinot Noir, Garey Ranch Vineyard 89 Points
2005 William James Cellars Syrah, Hampton Vineyard 93 Points
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