Wine Welfare » Santa Barbara

Three Saints Chardonnay 2005

Wine Welfare — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:06:25 +0000

From the Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, CA comes a delicious cheap Chardonnay with some bossy flavors.

COLOR: Pale and not much to it. Very surprising for the flavors you’re about to read about.

NOSE: Flower, flowers flowers. It’s rare that we find a floral nose here on Wine Welfare, nevermind a cheap wine. Most value wines don’t exude floral scents or flavors. Now, if you want me to dig into the actual type of flower, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

TASTE: Very, very full mouthfeel that coats your tongue like nobody’s business. It’s like wine-Pepto-Bismol. You know how that crap coats your stomach or whatever? That’s what this wine does. The fruit is getting pushed aside by the mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is the ass**** on the subway who just shoves you to the side so he can grab the handle. If the fruit were to fight back, you’d taste some delicious canteloupe, pear, almond cream and (I think) a little nectarine. Acid is there as well, but again, it’s being slapped by the thickness. Not the most balanced Chardonnay I’ve had, but it’s still pretty buttery for this price.

WHERE TO BUY: $9.99 at MadWine.com!

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Wine Review: Zaca Mesa Estate Z Gris 2008

Wine Welfare — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:56 +0000

Great Wine, Though I Wish the Tasting Room Would Burn Down

The Zaca Mesa Z Gris is a Rhone Rosé play, and it is pretty stellar, despite the pretentious popularity of the Zaca Mesa Tasting Room in Santa Barbara Wine Country. I made my inaugural visit a few weeks ago and am now stained for life. Let’s just say that most people were either hitting on one another, buying copious amounts of $10 jarred olives, or simply claiming that the wines “tasted like shit.”

To put it bluntly, it was a Douchebag Pit Stop, no doubt a mistaken rendevous on the way to Douche Mecca: Las Vegas. It almost pains me to tell you how much I enjoyed this wine, because I almost want the tasting room to burn down. Anyway, we’re not here to wax poetical on what’s wrong with the young wine industry today. We’re here to tell you about this delicious rosé.

COLOR: Well, it’s pink. Deal with it, sissy.

NOSE: Unlike any wine I have ever had. Oranges, 50/50 Bars, more oranges, dirt, and finally a sharp shot of strawberry. Someone tell me a white wine that smells like oranges, strawberries and dirt. It can’t be done. This wine defies all logic. AHHHH!

TASTE: Great structure and mix of flavors. Very complex flavors of strawberry, sharp minerality, peaches, a little poop perfume invading the nose as you drink, and finally: ORANGES. The oranges won’t go away. By the way, by “poop perfume” I mean that there is a very Old World, earthy barnyard scent that invades your senses as you drink. The wine is made from Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise and Cinsaut. Caramel finish that is so common among rosés.

WITH FOOD: Great with a firm-fleshed fish or a barbecued chicken. Don’t use BBQ sauce. Instead, season whatever the white meat is with some simple salt and pepper. Try it with a spinach, avocado and strawberry salad tossed with a homemade vinaigrette. Preferably for a hot day.

WHERE TO BUY: $13.69 at CheaperCigars.com!

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Wine Review: Four Vines Naked Chardonnay

Wine Welfare — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:36:27 +0000

Stay Away, Buttery Chardonnay-Lovers

The Four Vines Naked Chardonnay is not put through malolactic fermentation, meaning more acid and crispness is retained. When Charonnay goes through this process, much of the natural acid is diminished, and then when you add in the oak barrel aging, you get butter and vanilla. While some Chardonnays are suited to those flavors, we prefer the less buttery and fat Chardonnays in favor of the biting flavors of the natural fruit.

Color

Stark difference here from many Chardonnays. The color is not so rich. Instead, you have a clearer gold, with tinges of green.

Nose

Sharp, crisp, acidic, tart. Great fruit smells rather than vanilla candle or buttered popcorn. Quenching is the best way to describe it.

Taste

Bright green apple, pear and white flowers. The acidity is not overpowering, but it still hits you right away. The alcohol is even and in the finish leaves you with peaches and a nice shot of orange/lemon. There is a minerality to the wine as well, making it feel light as it goes down.

With Food

Definitely a food wine. Since the acid is there, the Four Vines is adept at cutting through the fatty foods. Shellfish cooked or served with butter, white cream sauces, lemon chicken. Not sure about fruit and cheese, but you could try some sharp cheddar with apples and pears.

$9.99 at ArgonautLiquor.com!

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Wine Review: Bridlewood Syrah

Wine Welfare — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:05 +0000

The Wine That Sounds Very Familiar, Though You’ve Probably Never Had It

The whole purpose of this site is to ignore things like names, labels, even price and to let the wines speak for themselves. That said, the name “Bridlewood” sounds instantly familiar when you hear it. Almost like “Beringer.” You’re certain you’ve had it, but odds are you haven’t. What a shame.

Color

Good dark cherry. Not black and murky like many Syrahs. There is still enough red showing to not call it purple or “inky.”

Nose

The woods. Hey, maybe we were wrong in bashing the name. They got the “wood” part right. This thing smells like deforestation: damp tree stumps and crackling campfires. Hints of pumpkin spice and vanilla come in as well.

Taste

Delicious. This one will be a crowd pleaser, epsecially at this price. The less-sour-but-just-as-sugary fruits make a big appearance here. Figs and prunes are the star of the show, along with vanilla bean and some silky tannins. Not too much acid. The alcohol level is low enough to really push the fruit forward. Delicious.

With Food

BBQ without BBQ sauce. Lamb, steaks in general. This would even work with a light red sauce or pizza.

$9.99 at BoozeBros.com!

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Wine Review: Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast

Wine Welfare — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:00:06 +0000

Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast

A very reliable producer with lucscious fruit from Santa Barbara. This is our first Qupe wine on Wine Welfare, but everything we’ve had from them has been stellar.

Color

Deep inky purple. Not sure if this is filtered or not, but the this is not a very clear red. Looks gorgeous.

Nose

Smoke, deep red cherries, very ripe blackberries, moist earth. Give it a few minutes to open up and you will get some pine and a touch of rhubarb, which seems strange for a Syrah. Usually the tartness is reserved for Pinot.

Taste

Wow. A fruit explosion. The cherries and blackberries really come through and are joined by smoked meat and a healthy dollop of vanilla cream. Not too much oak, and the heat is very well balanced. The wine does not let up all the through to a lengthy finish.

With Food

BBQ steak or ostrich only. Very balanced acidity and fruit that can tear through a good cut of red meat.

Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast – $11.98 at WineLibrary.com!

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Wine Review: Au Bon Climat 2007 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County

Wine Welfare — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:45:29 +0000

A Quality Pinot Noir for Less Than $20. Repeat: A Quality Pinot Noir for Less Than $20

Before we get into this, we feel the need to again point out (besides the title of this review and the header right above this) that this is a Pinot Noir for under $20, made by a world-renowned winery. That should really be enough to go on, but we’ll review it anyway.

Au Bon Climat was started in 1982 by Jim Clendenen (this handsome devil). Over the years, through solid techniques learned in the vineyards of France and throughout California, Jim has carefully reinvested in his winery to become a 30,000-case-per-year business. Good for him.

So, just to reiterate: Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir for under $20.

Color

Red fruit juice and a bit more solid than other pinot noirs. Pinot noirs tend to be slightly clearer rather than inky purple.

Nose

Smells of earth, strawberry, cherry and must. Also, if sour has a smell, this smells sour.

Taste

Do not drink this right after opening. If you can, open it, decant it, and leave it for 30 minutes to an hour. The tartness will really kill you if you don’t. What this means is that the wine is essentially unbalanced and needs air so that the fruit can be pushed to the top a bit. Once it’s ready, there are great strawberries and slightly sour cherries right from the get go. The mid palate isn’t that strong as the acid starts to take over again. The finish is…well, the finish. The wine doesn’t linger, just packs its bags and takes off. Still, for the price and the winery it comes from, a spectacular deal.

With Food

Duck would be ideal because the wine isn’t built to stand up to anything to muscular. Even turkey or chicken would work. We would suggest staying away from steaks, rich red sauces or strong cheeses with this one. Enjoy it with the white meat or by itself.

$17.94 at NapaCabs.com!

Au Bon Climat website

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Wine Review: Fess Parker White Riesling 2008 – Less Than $7

Wine Welfare — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:49:37 +0000

More great deals from the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale! This is the Fess Parker White Riesling, from Santa Barbara County. Fess Parker is renowned, at least in the United States, for created top-notch varietals, both white and red. Would you expect any less than Davy Crockett?

Good News: Focused. This wine does not mess around and puts a laser beam on the classic flavors of the Riesling grape. Apples, steel and floral scents on the nose with a nice minerality (more often found in the great German Rieslings, not so much in California) and great acid. Most American Rieslings provide too much sweetness, particularly in the finish and aftertaste, but the Fess Parker maintains its focus. The finish fades nicely and leaves you with a full, stinky-cheese type of quality on the back of your tongue.

With Food: The Fess Parker White Riesling will go well with any spicy or Asian foods, as well as a wide variety of cheeses and dried fruits. Enjoy at the end of the meal if you are not eating spicy foods but having a dessert. Rieslings are known for being able to stand up to even the spiciest of foods, but a lot of American Rieslings are generally too sweet and lack the acid, making them back down from a spicy curry or Kung Pao Chicken. This is where the Fess Parker differs, as it can handle the toughest. Just think of it as a German Riesling, something like Dr. Loosen Rieslings.

$13.04 for 2 bottles at the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale!

$11.95 at WebWine.com once the sale is over.

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Wine Review: Kalyra 20 Year Old Muscat Tawny Port

Wine Welfare — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:59:56 +0000

Get Drunk Off of One Glass

First, some helpful information concerning port. Port wine was first made in Portugal (duh) and is fortified, thus making it ridiculously rich, sweet and rather high in alcohol. There are generally two types of Port sold: Tawny and Ruby. Tawny Port has a reddish-brown color, generally has a more caramel style flavor profile, and is not over-the-top sweet. Ruby Port, on the other hand, is a dark, rich red and usually packs more sweetness and alcohol. As such, Port should really be enjoyed with something that can combat that type of strength, or else it is better to just enjoy it alone. By “something,” we not only mean strong, rich foods, but we also mean things other than food: as in a delicious, dark cigar. That’s right, folks, even cigars can go with wine. What a wonderful world.

Bad News First: Not much. We at Wine Welfare love both kinds of Port, but when Kalyra says that this is in a “Tawny” style, boy do they mean it. Not for Ruby lovers.

Now The Good: Holy crap. This is something we have never tasted before: Australian-style Port made from a Muscat grape. Kalyra is run by Mike Brown, who chooses to make classic varietals with an Australian touch to them. Basically what that means for us poor, under-$20 slobs is: “Delicious.” This is no Ruby beast, but rather just a rich, smooth, delicious dessert wine with smells of coffee, chocolate and burnt sugar.

With Food: Like we said in the beginning, either alone or with foods that can step up. This means sharp fruits and extremely smelly cheese. We suggest Stilton, which you can find in most stores nowadays, particularly Trader Joe’s.

$16.00 direct from the Kalyra Winery

Visit the Kalyra Winery website

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Wine Review: 2004 Firestone Chardonnay

Wine Welfare — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:31:04 +0000

Bad News First: It’s contradictory to the good comments above, but the butteriness might be off-putting to some. The wine was obviously oaked heavily, but not to death. Still, for those who like a less creamy chardonnay and prefer something more dry on the palate, this is a pass. You can also find chardonnays like the Edna Valley Paragon, which are just as good for less than 18 bones.

Now the Good: For under $20, this was the butteriest Chardonnay I’ve had since my trip to the Edna Valley in 2008. The second it hits the tip of your tongue your entire mouth feels full. I guess that’s what they call a “full mouthfeel” but I just say it’s delicious. Fruit forward but still just alcoholic enough. Peaches baked in butter.

With Food: Great with anything cooked with butter. Shellfish or Alfredo sauces.

$17.99 at BevMo

Firestone Vineyards

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