I'd been eyeing this winery for quite a while, and have been intimately familiar with both the Santa Barbara/Los Olivos and the Paso wine scenes for many years. Had to get over the mental hurdle of "Oh, they're appointment only. Must be exclusive and possible pretentious".
Some places are simply smaller or not set up for carloads of people all day, and they simply need to have arranged tastings because of lack of staff, no facilities, fill-in-the-blank.
This is one of those places. We arranged our meeting for 1030am this past Saturday.
Quite simply, this was the best tasting I've ever been to and the best possible introduction to the operation, the winemakers and the wine that I've ever experienced. I'll try to keep this brief, since I could go on for pages.
A. If you like to know about the wine directly from the winemakers, while they sample it with you, this place is for you. Both Kris and Bruno were on hand, together with about 6 current club members, and my wife and I.
B. I learned more about wine and soil chemistry in 15 minutes there than I have in years of talking to other winemakers. Not in a dry, uninvolved manner, but in the most avuncular, friendly and almost professorial way possible. Bruno and Kris REALLY know their stuff, and they way they present things, you want to know more than you already do.
C. The wine. Simply the most extraordinary quality throughout their entire collection which, contrary to my first impressions, goes FAR beyond merely Chard and Pinot Noir. Someone else mentioned mouth feel and long finishes. It's one of the reasons we decided to come, but it's simply not possible to describe how each wine lived up to expectations in this regard and then far exceeded them. The Grenache Blanc is simply the best I've ever had, exceeding that of Tablas Creek and Shale Oak in every metric. The Pinots are extraordinary, practically screaming the classic characteristics of the grape, expressing everything wonderful about what that varietal offers and none of the things that so often seem to trip up other producers.
We sample two Chards, a Grenache Blanc, Sangiovese, two Pinots, a Syrah, a dry Gewurz and a few others that escape me just now. Oh, and the Grenache Gris, a rose you simply won't find anywhere else, pretty much in the world.
D. During the entire time we were there, we also learned about the history of the area, the backgrounds of Kris and Bruno, and the other players in their specific area. In short, we got the entire big picture of who they are and where they fit into this AVA, to say nothing of rather hilarious side trips into philosophy and art.
Rather than ramble, suffice it to say that what I thought would be a typical 15-20 minute tasting session ended up closer to three hours, we signed up on the spot and we left with 7 bottles of some of the most magical wine I could hope to have sampled.
Finally, what you will NOT find here:
Pretense. Any pretense at all. No shale walls with shiny granite counter tops, gigantic windows in a surgical tasting room with vaulted ceilings and a view out to infinity.
Snobbery. Zero. None. Nada. This is extraordinary wine, made by amazing people, presented in the most honest and open way possible and served up in basically what is a working agricultural facility.
Those ridiculous limos and/or booze cruise buses filled with 40 already lit people, getting in the way and being loud, and generally slowing things up.
If you love wine, care about wine and want to experience it in the best, most immediate way possible from the people who make it, cancel your other plans and come here first. You will not be disappointed
If you want LOTS of other people, multiple wood fired pizza ovens, 15 pourers on duty wearing aprons with the brand on them, lines to get in, noise and utterly pedestrian wine, just follow the first wine bus you see in the opposite direction and look for the winery with the biggest gift shop! read more