SteveTimko
Steve Timko
Some of you know Scott Manlin from eBob. He's gone in as partners with Morgan Clendenen on the red wine part of Cold Heaven. He had a tasting last week and the wines were good.
2009 Cold Heaven Viognier - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (10/28/2010)
This was bottled only a few months prior to tasting, but it's showing really well. I liked it enough to buy a bottle. Really nice acidity but balanced. Some flowers and citrus on the nose, and citrus and white fruit on the palate. Good balance and good finish. For a wine they put under screw cap because they don't think it's as serious as some of their other viognier it was showing very well. Quite food friendly, too.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Vogelzang Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (10/27/2010)
In contrast to the 2009 Santa Ynez, this seemed to be the wine that was bottle shocked. Unyielding on the nose. Nothing that smelled like viognier. Fairly generic on the palate. Some zinginess but not a lot beyond the citrus acidity. I don't know if it's closed down or if it just needed more air. Probably my least favorite wine of the tasting.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (10/28/2010)
A nice wine but it had a little heat showing. This seemed more apples and white fruit on the nose than citrus. Okay finish.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Le Bon Climat Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
This was the driest Viognier in the line up. Not quite austere but lots of zip to let you know it's a dry wine. Pretty much requires food. More citrus on the nose and palate. I liked it, but not as much as the other wines.
2007 Domaine des 2 Mondes Viognier Saints and Sinners Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (10/28/2010)
Great stuff. One of the better California viogniers I've tasted. The saying is all viognier is either Julia Roberts or Dolly Parton and this is definitely at the Dolly Parton end of the spectrum. Nice fullness and richness. But it's not flabby. Good acidity as well. An unusual amount of depth. It seems you usually have to blend viognier with rousanne or marsanne to get much complexity. Flowers and a streak of honey on the nose. Not much citrus on the nose but that shows u in the palate. Also, white fruits on the palate. Very well balanced. Excellent finish. I get the sense this will improve for at least three or four more years. I bought some of this.
2007 Cold Heaven Viognier Le Bon Climat Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
Yum. Good stuff. More Dolly Partionish than Julia Roberts, but lots of nice acidity to it. Citrus and peaches on the nose. A good viognier nose. More citrus on the palate. Good finish. I liked this quite a bit.
2005 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
This is showing great, especially with some air. I didn't even know Cold Heaven made red wines and this was a fantastic introduction. 13.6 percent alcohol but nice, pure flavors. Hardly thin and insipid. Darker fruits on the nose and palate and also some floral notes. Maybe a touch of black pepper and other spice. This had an elegance I think a lot of Santa Babara area pinot makers would envy. Everything is om balance and it flows nicely from the attack through the mid palate and into the finish. This is still young and can go another five years easily. I'm guessing it's still improving.
2003 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
Nice enough, but really paled in comparison to the 2005, which is stellar. Darker fruits but it seems fairly simple. It's also too soft and doesn't seem like it will be a long-term ager. No significant flaws and it tends to be more elegant than other California syrahs. I liked it but it didn't knock my socks off.
2009 Cold Heaven Viognier - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (10/28/2010)
This was bottled only a few months prior to tasting, but it's showing really well. I liked it enough to buy a bottle. Really nice acidity but balanced. Some flowers and citrus on the nose, and citrus and white fruit on the palate. Good balance and good finish. For a wine they put under screw cap because they don't think it's as serious as some of their other viognier it was showing very well. Quite food friendly, too.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Vogelzang Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (10/27/2010)
In contrast to the 2009 Santa Ynez, this seemed to be the wine that was bottle shocked. Unyielding on the nose. Nothing that smelled like viognier. Fairly generic on the palate. Some zinginess but not a lot beyond the citrus acidity. I don't know if it's closed down or if it just needed more air. Probably my least favorite wine of the tasting.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (10/28/2010)
A nice wine but it had a little heat showing. This seemed more apples and white fruit on the nose than citrus. Okay finish.
2008 Cold Heaven Viognier Le Bon Climat Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
This was the driest Viognier in the line up. Not quite austere but lots of zip to let you know it's a dry wine. Pretty much requires food. More citrus on the nose and palate. I liked it, but not as much as the other wines.
2007 Domaine des 2 Mondes Viognier Saints and Sinners Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (10/28/2010)
Great stuff. One of the better California viogniers I've tasted. The saying is all viognier is either Julia Roberts or Dolly Parton and this is definitely at the Dolly Parton end of the spectrum. Nice fullness and richness. But it's not flabby. Good acidity as well. An unusual amount of depth. It seems you usually have to blend viognier with rousanne or marsanne to get much complexity. Flowers and a streak of honey on the nose. Not much citrus on the nose but that shows u in the palate. Also, white fruits on the palate. Very well balanced. Excellent finish. I get the sense this will improve for at least three or four more years. I bought some of this.
2007 Cold Heaven Viognier Le Bon Climat Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
Yum. Good stuff. More Dolly Partionish than Julia Roberts, but lots of nice acidity to it. Citrus and peaches on the nose. A good viognier nose. More citrus on the palate. Good finish. I liked this quite a bit.
2005 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
This is showing great, especially with some air. I didn't even know Cold Heaven made red wines and this was a fantastic introduction. 13.6 percent alcohol but nice, pure flavors. Hardly thin and insipid. Darker fruits on the nose and palate and also some floral notes. Maybe a touch of black pepper and other spice. This had an elegance I think a lot of Santa Babara area pinot makers would envy. Everything is om balance and it flows nicely from the attack through the mid palate and into the finish. This is still young and can go another five years easily. I'm guessing it's still improving.
2003 Cold Heaven Syrah Second Sin Santa Barbara County - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (10/28/2010)
Nice enough, but really paled in comparison to the 2005, which is stellar. Darker fruits but it seems fairly simple. It's also too soft and doesn't seem like it will be a long-term ager. No significant flaws and it tends to be more elegant than other California syrahs. I liked it but it didn't knock my socks off.