New California Wine (TM) query

M

MLipton

Mark Lipton
So it's now been 10 years, more or less, since Jon Bonné published his book on New California Wine. My question to y'all is which of those wineries started in this millennium that pursue lower alcohol, more food-friendly wines do you now buy, and why? I am specifically excluding from this query those "old guard" wineries (e.g., ESJ, Tablas Creek, Stony Hill, Kalin, Scherrer, Dashe) that never succumbed to the siren song of [CENSORED]ization.

Mark Lipton
 
A group of us were on an excursion to Sonoma County to visit various wineries. We didn't visit Cobb; however, a restaurant we went to for lunch offered a Cobb Pinot Noir. I was immediately enamored with it and felt it was arguably the best Pinot I tasted on the trip.

Since then I have managed to get some of the older Cobb Pinots along with a few of the more current ones. The nose and flavors tend to have a complex flavor profile without being over-bearing (read: nice balance). And Ross Cobb comes across as a nice guy who I'm happy to patronize, albeit in a necessarily limited way.

I'm not a big fan in general of Calif Pinots and tend to favor Oregon selections. Cobb Wines Pinots are an exception.

Not sure what else to say. I just tend to sometimes grab one when I'm undecided about what to serve with dinner...and never regret it.

. . . . Pete
 
Bedrock: I tend to focus on the old vine field blends. The wines are very well considered. I don't drink much Zin. When I do, it's usually one of these.

Birichino: A couple guys who used to work at Bonny Doon. The Bechthold Cinsault is a standout, but all the wines are worth trying. Very well priced too.

Black Sheep Finds/Holus Bolus: From Santa Barbara. Husband and wife team, she's an MW. I especially like the Bien Nacido Roussanne, which is relatively lean, but with real depth. Also like the Santa Rita Hills Syrahs. Again, pretty well priced.

Ceritas: For my palate, probably the best Sonoma winery focused on Pinot and Chard. The Pinots have a lot of stem inclusion and need time. The Chards are initially lean and also benefit substantially from cellar time. A little spendy, but worth it to me as an indulgence.

Claire Hill: Worked with Eric Texier for a bit. Just starting out, but promising.

Domaine de la Cote: Generally meets the hype. Expensive though.

Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah: A new project from Hardy Wallace and his wife. Very creative, unconventional blends.

I Brand & Family: Doing very exciting things in Monterey County. Wide variety, all worth trying. Generally well priced.

Phelan Farm: New central coast project from Raj Parr, very close to the Pacific in Cambria. Varieties not seen in California (Savagnin, Mencia, Poulsard). Limited experience, but convincing and interesting. Expensive.

Piedrasassi: Really excellent central coast Syrah. Balanced, but Californian. Fairly priced.

Sabelli-Frisch: Initally focused on Mission, which was cool. Has expanded to other interesting, often old vine plantings. Good pricing.

Sandar & Hem: Well rounded, restrained Santa Cruz Mountains producer.

Sandlands: Generally older vines. Restrained. Very well priced.

Scar of the Sea: Probably my favorite recent discovery. Lovely wines. Interesting variety. Start with the Syrahs.

Tyler: Focuses exclusively on the Santa Rita Hills. Really impressive. But spendy. The appellation wines are great values though.
 
Jim,
Could you tell me more about Scar of the Sea?
The only one I haven’t heard of.

BTW, Ross Cobb is, indeed, a great guy but his Pinots that I’ve had (not many) have been a little high in VA.
 
I'm not Jim, (non-FL category) but Scar of the Sea is from Mikey and Gina Guigni (she also makes Lady of Sunshine) and they're here in San Luis Obispo, working from vineyards that are biodynamically farmed (maybe some are only organic) in the area. Low intervention, highly aromatic, just really solid winemaking (Mikey also makes the wine for La Lomita Ranch, a vineyard at the base of Islay Peak that has no relations to anything made from Islay Peat). I like the wines a lot.

Along those same lines are Dunites, another mashup couple of winemaker and vineyard manager resulting in low intervention wines that rely on acidity and structure than voluptuous oak. They have a tasting room right in downtown SLO.

Finally, there's Outward, another young couple based around here working with local organic/bio fruit and making really nice wines. They're rock climbers (Ryan Pace and Natalie Siddique not the wine) and are in the process of opening a tasting room in Grover Beach, a place that's just up the road from Oceano, which is where the Dunites lived back in the early part of the last century. They were refugees from society, living in the sand dunes to avoid having to deal with the ills of society. As it turned out, people like Ansel Adams, John Cage, and John Steinbeck would hang out there to commune with the members of the commune. The last of the Dunites died in the 1970s and now the place is overrun with dune buggies driven by beery-eyed refugees from Hanford and Bakersfield. So much for the intellectual Utopia the Dunites created. There's some historical markers down by the Amtrak station and the Dunites winery was named in honor of the dune denizens but that's about it. Kind of an Ozymandias story...

-Eden (Mr. Hanlon's recommendations are spot on! I'm particularly fond of The Joy Fantastic wines, made by the Holus Bolus folks -- Amy is a MW, Peter just makes killer wine, and Ceritas is probably the best Chardonnay made in CA these days. I'm on the Sandlands list, and don't forget Ultramarine, and there's a new sparkling wine producer called Haliotide that's light years ahead of everyone other than Ultramarine....it's all about the winemaker's vision when it comes to bubbles, no?)
 
Les Lunes : Exceptionnal cabernet-sauvignon. Old school Napa/Sonoma terroir expression.
Inconnu : An other source of cabernet sauvignon as astonishing as the previous.
Lo-Fi : for the cabernet-franc and the mondeuse. Super drinkability without the feeling of under-ripeness
Broc Cellars : sometimes I wish some Sud Ardeche kids had interned with Chris...
 
originally posted by Brézème:
Les Lunes : Exceptionnal cabernet-sauvignon. Old school Napa/Sonoma terroir expression.
Inconnu : An other source of cabernet sauvignon as astonishing as the previous.
Lo-Fi : for the cabernet-franc and the mondeuse. Super drinkability without the feeling of under-ripeness
Broc Cellars : sometimes I wish some Sud Ardeche kids had interned with Chris...
Click to expand...

As you'd expect, Eric has more good recommendations. I haven't had Cab from Les Lunes, but they've made an interesting Chardonnay from Manton Valley, up near Mount Lassen, that I've really liked. Definitely worth checking out.

I should have mentioned Broc. Chris has really built an admirable winery. His wines are at so many Bay Area restaurants with smart selections. He makes real wines at prices that are accessible. Perhaps as much as anybody in the Bay Area, he's really helping to democratize the kinds of wines that Disorderlies appreciate for folks who, up til now, might not have cared or thought that much about wine.

Related to Broc, Martha Stoumen is doing cool things too. Not really wines to age, but clean and delicious wines for now.

It's funny -- thinking back 12 or 13 years, you'd see all these folks at Terroir in SF. Chris Brockway. Hardy Wallace. Laura from Inconnu. Their projects were just getting started, or hadn't begun yet. I remember thinking that they were brave, and it might not work out. I'm so glad it did. Those were special years, and Terroir was a special place. Nothing better than sitting at the bar there on a late Friday afternoon and having Joe Dougherty unexpectedly walk in, just off the plane. He'd say he could only stay for a bit, and then leave four or five hours later.
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
(Mr. Hanlon's recommendations are spot on! I'm particularly fond of The Joy Fantastic wines, made by the Holus Bolus folks -- Amy is a MW, Peter just makes killer wine, and Ceritas is probably the best Chardonnay made in CA these days. I'm on the Sandlands list, and don't forget Ultramarine, and there's a new sparkling wine producer called Haliotide that's light years ahead of everyone other than Ultramarine....it's all about the winemaker's vision when it comes to bubbles, no?)
Click to expand...

Eden, I had no idea you're down in SLO. We were supposed to be in Pismo for our kids' spring break next week, but cancelled because it doesn't seem like beach weather. We love the Central Coast.

You're right about Ultramarine. I'm not on the list and have very limited experience. Funny thing is that I used to go to a tasting group in SF back 12+ years ago with Michael Cruse. He worked in the lab at Merryvale at the time. By the time Ultramarine was released, I didn't get over there hardly ever (kids, life), and just never bought his wine when I could have. My bad.

Thanks for the tips on the others. All new to me. It's an exciting time for wine in California.

Needless to say, if you're ever up in the Bay Area, would be glad to share a few bottles.
 
I helped bottle a few Sandar & Hem wines yesterday. Mountain Winery, Bald Mountain, and Le Boeuf Chardonnays. Mindego Ridge and Deerheart Pinot Noirs, all 2021s. 2022 Bates Ranch Grenache Rosé. He also makes Bates Ranch Cab Sauv. Mountain Winery is on the Mount Eden side of the hill so it's a bit fleshier than his usual offerings on the ocean side of the Santa Cruz AVA.
 
I have now had 10 or so of the Phelan Farm wines and I have to say I am extremely impressed. I did not think it would be possible to plant so many grapes that are not normally grown in California and have it work out so well, so quickly.
 
Although not new on the scene, Idlewild (all Italian varieties). RYME Cellars, and Leo Steen (beautiful Chenins) are worthy of mention.
 
If older wineries are in consideration, Jeff Emery's Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard (founded by Ken Burnap long ago) wines are highly acclaimed, including by me. It seems like SCMV tends to stay under the radar. Jeff's Pinot Noirs especially rule.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

I have now had 10 or so of the Phelan Farm wines and I have to say I am extremely impressed. I did not think it would be possible to plant so many grapes that are not normally grown in California and have it work out so well, so quickly.
Click to expand...

I've only had the Trousseau but it was really good.
 
Regular buy stuff
Hobo Wine Company & Folk Machine & Ghostwriter - Kenny is my homie
Broc - I don't buy these as much anymore but drink them whenever I get a chance, still love the Vine Starr Zinfandel
Ceritas - I prefer the Chardonnay, especially Heintz, but the Cabernet is insanely good
Bedrock Wine Co. - the Pagani is epic for me
Birichino - exactly what others have said
Beta - provisionally down with these, but have only tried two
Arnot-Roberts - very good across the board
Maître de Chai - love the Zinfandel

New(ish) to me
Fine Disregard Wine Co - they made a Sceales Grenache and I really like their Semillon, don't buy regularly
Claire Hill - have been meaning to try Claire's wines, finally grabbed some
Sandar & Hem - love Bates Ranch Cabernet so needed to try this
Reichwage Winery - they are the owners of Mancini Ranch, site of some great old bottles of Swan from my past have no idea if they're good
Jaimee Motley Wines - another PMR Cabernet

Do these count?
Once & Future Wine - these are like time traveling for me
Forman
Mayacamas Vineyards
Edmunds St. John
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
I helped bottle a few Sandar & Hem wines yesterday. Mountain Winery, Bald Mountain, and Le Boeuf Chardonnays. Mindego Ridge and Deerheart Pinot Noirs, all 2021s. 2022 Bates Ranch Grenache Rosé. He also makes Bates Ranch Cab Sauv. Mountain Winery is on the Mount Eden side of the hill so it's a bit fleshier than his usual offerings on the ocean side of the Santa Cruz AVA.
Click to expand...

I bought the Bates Cabernet on the strength of your rec.
 
originally posted by VLM:
Regular buy stuff
Hobo Wine Company & Folk Machine & Ghostwriter - Kenny is my homie
Broc - I don't buy these as much anymore but drink them whenever I get a chance, still love the Vine Starr Zinfandel
Ceritas - I prefer the Chardonnay, especially Heintz, but the Cabernet is insanely good
Bedrock Wine Co. - the Pagani is epic for me
Birichino - exactly what others have said
Beta - provisionally down with these, but have only tried two
Arnot-Roberts - very good across the board
Maître de Chai - love the Zinfandel

New(ish) to me
Fine Disregard Wine Co - they made a Sceales Grenache and I really like their Semillon, don't buy regularly
Claire Hill - have been meaning to try Claire's wines, finally grabbed some
Sandar & Hem - love Bates Ranch Cabernet so needed to try this
Reichwage Winery - they are the owners of Mancini Ranch, site of some great old bottles of Swan from my past have no idea if they're good
Jaimee Motley Wines - another PMR Cabernet

Do these count?
Once & Future Wine - these are like time traveling for me
Forman
Mayacamas Vineyards
Edmunds St. John
Click to expand...
Yes, but who's counting?
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
originally posted by VLM:
Regular buy stuff
Hobo Wine Company & Folk Machine & Ghostwriter - Kenny is my homie
Broc - I don't buy these as much anymore but drink them whenever I get a chance, still love the Vine Starr Zinfandel
Ceritas - I prefer the Chardonnay, especially Heintz, but the Cabernet is insanely good
Bedrock Wine Co. - the Pagani is epic for me
Birichino - exactly what others have said
Beta - provisionally down with these, but have only tried two
Arnot-Roberts - very good across the board
Maître de Chai - love the Zinfandel

New(ish) to me
Fine Disregard Wine Co - they made a Sceales Grenache and I really like their Semillon, don't buy regularly
Claire Hill - have been meaning to try Claire's wines, finally grabbed some
Sandar & Hem - love Bates Ranch Cabernet so needed to try this
Reichwage Winery - they are the owners of Mancini Ranch, site of some great old bottles of Swan from my past have no idea if they're good
Jaimee Motley Wines - another PMR Cabernet

Do these count?
Once & Future Wine - these are like time traveling for me
Forman
Mayacamas Vineyards
Edmunds St. John
Click to expand...
Yes, but who's counting?
Click to expand...

Ha! Everything old is new again. The first CA Syrah I ever bought was ESJ.

My cocktail lately has been the Old Fashioned.
 
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