Tasting Report: More Central Coast Wines

I finally finished some leftover samples of wines from California’s Central Coast and below are the notes. It’s a mix of producers and appellations.

Tasting wines from the Sunshine State’s Central Coast has been one of my revelations in the last year. I often find California wines too jammy and alcoholic – especially reds from Napa Valley. But the Central Coast seems to produce many more balanced and fresh wines with flavor profiles that remind me more of European wines but with a bright and clean New World style.

It seems to me the best region in California for making Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay on a whole – although I also like Sonoma Coast (notes from a Pinot Noir tasting from Sonoma should be out in a week or so). And you can find exceptional wines everywhere in California when producers are less interventionists and less focused on making particular styles, such as extremely fruit forward and thick wines.

I find it hard to generalize about specific regions. Some say that Paso Robles is the best region in the Central Coast to make Syrah and Rhone blends. Others say Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Ynez Valley are the havens for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

I think it gets down to the wine producer. It’s pretty simple. The best wines come from the best wine producers. He or she picks the best grapes and makes the best wines, regardless if it’s the amazing Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non or Greg Brewer of Brewer Clifton.

I asked my tasting coordinator to pull together all the Central Coast wine scores that I have posted in the last year and put them in two useful PDF files – one listed alphabetically and another by score.

Be sure watch all my videos on the Central Coast as well.

Also tasted, but not receiving marks of 90 points or more:

2007 Grassini Family Cabernet Sauvignon Happy Canyon Reserve 2009 La Fenetre Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Le Bon Climat Vineyard 2009 Melville Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County Estate Verna's 2009 Rusack Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard 2007 Sanguis Syrah Santa Ynez Valley The Oracle of Delphi 2007 Barrel 27 Syrah Central Coast Right Hand Man 2009 Byron Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Nielson Vineyard 2009 Cimarone Happy Canyon 3CV Bank Three Creek Vineyard 2008 Cimarone Sangiovese Happy Canyon Gran Premio Three Creek Vineyard 2007 Dierberg Syrah Santa Ynez Valley  2009 Foxen Syrah Santa Maria Valley Tinaquaic Vineyard 2008 Kenneth Volk Pinot Noir Lime Kiln Enz Vineyard 2009 La Fenetre Pinot Noir Central Coast A Cote 2008 Liberty School Central Coast Cuvee 2008 Lions Peak Central Coast Lionnesse 2007 Margerum Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Alondra de los Prados Vineyard 2008 Pali Wine Co. San Luis Obispo County Tower 15 2008 Phantom Rivers Pinot Noir Edna Valley Wolff Vineyard 2009 Presqu'ile Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley  2008 Stolpman Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Hilltops 2009 Twomey Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2007 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Ynez Valley Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection Sanford & Benedict Vineyard 2008 Beckmen Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Purisma Mountain Vineyard Block Six 2008 Bridlewood Pinot Noir Monterey County  2009 Carr Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Turner Vineyard 2009 Clayhouse Central Coast Adobe Red 2008 Coquelicot Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Black Oak Vineyard 2006 Coquelicot Santa Ynez Valley Mon Amour 2009 Daniel Gehrs Merlot Central Coast  2009 Daniel Gehrs Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast  2007 Dierberg Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley  2009 Foxen Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Williamson-Dore Vineyard 2009 Foxen Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Julia's Vineyard 2009 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2009 Happy Canyon Vineyards Happy Canyon Chukker 2008 Hug Cellars Central Coast El Pape 2008 Hug Cellars Central Coast El Conquistador 2008 Kaena Grenache Santa Ynez Valley Larner Vineyard 2009 La Fenetre Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley  2009 Longoria Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2008 Oreana Syrah Central Coast Bacon Reserve 2008 Piocho  Happy Canyon Reserve 2009 Stolpman Santa Ynez Valley Angeli 2009 William James Cellars Cabernet Franc Paso Robles  2007 Zaca Mesa Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Mesa Reserve 2009 Barrack Happy Canyon Piocho 2009 Cimarone Happy Canyon Cilla's Blend 2009 Cimarone Syrah Happy Canyon 3CV Three Creek Vineyard 2007 Coquelicot Santa Ynez Valley Mon Amour 2008 Oreana Pinot Noir Central Coast  2006 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Ynez Valley  2009 Stolpman Sangiovese Santa Ynez Valley La Coppa 2007 Calcareous Cabernet Sauvignon York Mountain  2008 Cimarone Syrah Happy Canyon Reserve Three Creek Vineyard 2008 Hug Cellars Central Coast El Jefe 2008 Kenneth Volk Zinfandel Lime Kiln Enz Vineyard 2006 Barrack Santa Ynez Valley Brand Happy Canyon Vineyards N.V. Candor Merlot Central Coast Lot 2 2007 Grassini Family Cabernet Sauvignon Happy Canyon  2008 Presqu'ile Syrah Santa Maria Valley  2008 Sanctuary Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2009 Scott Cellars Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley First Mesa Sierra Madre Vineyard 2009 Testarossa Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2007 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Z Cuvee 2007 Zaca Mesa Roussanne Santa Ynez Valley  2006 Barrack Santa Ynez Valley Ten Goal Happy Canyon Vineyards 2009 La Fenetre Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido 'Old Vines' 2008 Longoria Tempranillo Santa Ynez Valley Clover Creek Vineyard 2008 Martian Syrah Santa Ynez Valley  2008 Kenneth Volk Aglianico Paso Robles Pomar Junction Vineyard 2007 Cambria Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Bench Break Vineyard