The Wrap Up: Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting 2012

On June 3, 2012, the Rhône Rangers welcomed hundreds of Rhône wine enthusiasts to the historic Vibiana for the annual Los Angeles Tasting Event.  The nearly sold-out event featured more than 45 wineries pouring over 200 wines from Santa Barbara County, Paso Robles, Monterey County and Washington State.

The Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting opened to the trade at noon, followed by a VIP lunch with the winemakers and local food truck favorites, Slammin' Sliders, Border Grill and Coolhaus.  At 3:30 p.m., volunteers opened the doors to hundreds of Angelenos for the Consumer Tasting.

With some many wineries present and not enough time to cover half of them, it was wise to set out with a list in hand of wineries to visit and wines to taste.  As of late, I have been enjoying more white Rhône blends and single-varietal wines, so there were ample options at each stop. It's summertime!

Earlier this spring, Alta Colina released new wines that are destined for stardom including the Marsanne-based 2010 "Claudia Cuvee" and 2009 Mourvedre.  Anglim Winery was pouring refreshing wines such as the 2010 Viognier (sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard) and the 2011 Rosé, which was perfect for the warm weather outside.  Speaking of refreshing and succulent, Victor and Jennifer Abascal of Vines on the Marycrest introduced their new white Rhône blend, the 2011 "At Last."  This blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc will quench your summer thirst during a hot afternoon in Paso Robles, with perhaps a serving of shellfish or Asian cuisine.  Better yet, grab a glass and enjoy a view of the vineyard from the deck of the new tasting room as soon as it opens to the public (fingers-crossed that it's soon!).  Ecluse Wines was also pouring quite a few new releases including single-varietal Rhône wines sourced from vineyards in Paso Robles.  The 2009 Petite Sirah was showing well and will continue to benefit from additional bottle aging and decanting.

Refugio Ranch made their debut at the Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting with two stellar wines: the 2010 "Ineseño" (Roussanne/Viognier) and 2009 "Barbareño" (Syrah/Petite Sirah).  Located on 415 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley, the property is perched on slopping hillsides covered by old oak trees and approximately 25 acre plantings of Rhône and Italian varietals.  If you are interested in trying all three estate wines, visit the new tasting room located in Downtown Los Olivos at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Highway 154.

Now, the highlight of this year's tasting was Wrath Wines of Monterey County.  Although I moved on from my love affair with Syrah wines to other varietals, Wrath brought back that loving feeling with their lineup of vineyard-designated, Santa Lucia Highlands-sourced Syrah wines.  In sum, the 2009 Syrah wines are opulent, layered, well-balanced and ready to enjoy now.

Finally, no Rhône Rangers tasting is complete without the antics of winemaker Larry Schaffer (Tercero Wines).  We have lost count as to how many wines Larry now produces, but one thing is certain: he's got a wine for very occasion and every type of cuisine.  Tercero Wines is producing a great GSM blend called "Cuvee Christie," along with single-varietal, vineyard-designated wines from renowned vineyards in Santa Barbara County.  One of my personal favorites is the 2009 Mourvedre (Camp 4 Vineyard).  If you have the patience, decant it over the course of an hour or longer. 

Regretfully, I missed out on Maison Bleue Winery, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Ridge Vineyards, and JK Wine Co.  I hope you got to try these wines and many more at the Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting Event in Downtown Los Angeles.  See you next year or on the road in the Central Coast.  Cheers!

RHÔNE RECOMMENDATIONS

Alta Colina 2010 Claudia Cuvee, Estate, $28
Alta Colina 2009 Mourvedre, Estate, $42

Anglim Winery 2010 Viognier, $26
Anglim Winery 2011 Rosé, Central Coast, $15

Ecluse Wines 2010 Viognier, $28
Ecluse Wines 2009 Petite Sirah, $36

Refugio Ranch 2010 White Blend, "Ineseño," $28
Refugio Ranch 2009 Red Blend, "Barbareño," $42

Tablas Creek 2010 Grenache Blanc, $27
Tablas Creek 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, $40

Tercero Wines 2008 Red Blend, "Cuvee Christie," $30

Vines on the Marycrest 2011 White Blend, "At Last," $24

Wrath 2010 Syrah, "Ex Anima," $25
Wrath 2009 Syrah, Doctor's Vineyard, $39
Wrath 2009 Syrah, Fairview, $39

Victor & Jennifer Abascal, Vines on the Marycrest

Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard

Wrath Wines, Monterey County

Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting Event 2012

Rhône Rangers fans: Your favorite wineries are coming to Downtown Los Angeles to the iconic and historic Vibiana.  On June 3rd, the Rhône Rangers will ride into Los Angeles with over 40 winery members pouring over 200 Rhône varietal wines at this premier location.

This intimate tasting has found a heavenly home in the City of Angels after a couple years in Santa Monica.  Within the Baroque-inspired Italian façade, wineries from California's premier wine growing and producing regions will match the grand setting with some of the most tantalizing wines from mostly small, family-owned producers.

For over 100 years, the Cathedral of St. Vibiana welcomed worshippers through its doors near the historic core of Downtown Los Angeles.  After suffering extensive damage during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and a drawn-out legal battle to preserve the historic site, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles relocated to another site a few blocks away and the structure was preserved and operates today as a premier event venue.

Vibiana is located at the corner of Main Street and 2nd Street surrounded on one side by the Thom Mayne-designed Caltrans building, the new LAPD Headquarters, and the historic Higgins Building, which was built in 1910 and contained the city's first privately-owned power plant.  In the background stands Los Angeles City Hall - the tallest building in Los Angeles until 1964.

Before the wine tasting begins, one hundred "Backstage Pass" holders can enjoy an informal picnic-style lunch from 2-3:30 p.m. with the winemakers outdoors in the courtyard, as well as entry to the consumer walk-around tasting at 3:30 p.m.  The Consumer Tasting will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  And like any large gathering in Los Angeles, the food trucks will be on hand to help you pair tasty treats with those wines.  Check out the video below from the 2010 Los Angeles Tasting for all the highlights of this premier tasting event.

Participating Wineries: Acquiesce Winery, Adelaida Cellars, Anglim Winery, Alta Colina, Andrew Murray Vineyards, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Calcareous Vineyard, Cass Winery, Clavo Cellars, Clayhouse Wines, Cornerstone Cellars, Cosa Obra, Curtis Winery, Denner, Derby Wine Estates, Eberle Winery, Ecluse, Edward Sellers, Epiphany Cellars, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards, Frick Winery, Grey Wolf Cellars, Halter Ranch Vineyard, Hearthstone Vineyard & Winery, Hug Cellars, J. Lohr Vineyards, JK Wine Co., L'Aventure, Maison Bleue, Martian Ranch, Meyer Family Cellars, Michael-David Winery, Miner Family Winery, Qupe, Refugio Ranch Vineyards, Ridge Vineyards, Stolpman Vineyards, Tablas Creek Vineyards, Tercero Wines, Thacher Winery, Treana & Hope Family Wines, Venteux Vineyards, Villicana, Vina Robles, Vines on the Marycrest, Wrath, Zaca Mesa Winery.

Rhône Rangers Los Angeles Tasting Event
Date: Sunday, June 3, 2012
Time: 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Vibiana, 214 South Main Street, Downtown Los Angeles
Cost: Consumer Tasting - $45, Backstage Pass - $85
*USE PROMO CODE SDKLA612 for $5 OFF*

2010 Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tasting in Los Angeles

On April 24th, The Wine House and The Winehound hosted some three hundred wine enthusiasts at the the 2010 Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tasting in Los Angeles.  Over 50 wineries from across Santa Barbara County participated in the tasting at the Olympic Collection Banquet and Conference Center a few blocks from The Wine House.  Last year's event was held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City and showcased some amazing wines. In fact, I was introduced to one notable winemaker at last year's futures tasting, who has become a great friend - Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines

With glass in hand and some small bites, I set out to taste my way through the dozens of '08 and '09 vintages.  A number of my fellow wine enthusiasts/writers/bloggers also attended the futures tasting, some who I met for the first time.  It was also a great opportunity to reconnect with winemakers, such as Larry Schaffer, Dave Potter, Ken Brown, Bob Lindquist, Adam Tolmach, Doug Margerum, Peter Work, Norm Yost, Peter Cargasacchi, and David Yates.

Larry Schaffer, Tercero Wines

Doug Margerum, Margerum Wine Co.

Peter Work, Ampelos Cellars

Ken Brown, Ken Brown Wines

I set out with one goal in mind: try to visit as many wineries as possible, particularly those I consistently buy from, while managing to taste a few new ones.  From my own biased perspective, I thought the selection of wines represented the diverse vineyards and winemaking styles of Santa Barbara County.  More importantly, many wines (some recently bottled or barrel samples) exhibited remarkable structure and complexity.  A few wines were exceedingly tantalizing on the nose and palate.  There is no doubt that these standouts will mature into award winning wines from this acclaimed wine region.  In all honesty, no one wine stood out as a disappointment, but a handful of wines left me asking myself  "where is this going?"  There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your nose or palate, but you can quickly pick up when something is right or wrong about a wine.  Don't infer from that that some wines were "inferior" or "tainted."  Just take it as it is.

I enjoyed 99% of the wines at the futures tasting, but some deserved a little more attention than others.  Also, you will notice that I did not add tasting notes.  I was busy enjoying the wines and chatting up the winemakers.  More importantly, it's about what you discover in these wines if you so choose to taste them or buy them when they are released.  I'm sure you will pick up dark fruit, citrus, smoke, tar, etc.  All I want to do is steer you in the direction of a few standouts and discoveries.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

And the Nominees are...

Tercero Wines - '08 Cuvee Loco, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon) and '08 The Climb, Santa Barbara County

Jaffurs -'08 Syrah, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon)

Au Bon Climat - '08 Estate Chadonnay, Santa Maria Valley

Ken Brown Wines - '08 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

Dragonette Cellars - '09 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley

Honorable Mentions

Blair Fox - '09 Vermentino, Fox Family Vineyard, Santa Barbara County

Shai Cellars - '08 Adome Syrah/Cabernet Blend, Santa Barbara County

Kenneth-Crawford - '09 Pinot Noir, Babcock Vineyard and '09 Rhone Blend, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon)

Rey - '07 Syrah Central Coast

Sanguis - '07 Syrah "Backseat Betty"

Harrison-Clarke - '07 Syrah Estate, Santa Ynez Valley and '07 Cuvee Charlotte Estate, Santa Ynez Valley

And the Oscar Goes to...

Clos Pepe - '09 Pinot Noir Estate, Sta. Rita Hills

Cargasacchi - '08 Pinot Noir, Cargasacchi Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills

Margerum - '08 M5 Reserve, Santa Barbara County