The Santa Barbara appellation remains a work in progress as many wineries are still in a transitionary mode, deciding on which varietals to plant, and continuing to define the best viticultural zones for those varietals. The expansion in plantings each year is impressive. A new AVR (American Viticultural Region) has been created called Santa Rita Hills. It is a promising cool climate region northwest of Los Olivos, bordering the immense Vandenburg Air Force Base. Results from the top winemakers have been impressive, especially where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah have been allowed to ripen fully and yields are kept low. While the focus of this report is primarily Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Santa Barbara is also a promising area for Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and occasionally, Cabernet Frac and Merlot. (See my Rhone Ranger report in issue 139.)

Recent vintages include two cold years (even by the cool climate status of many Santa Barbara terroirs). 1998 was cool, and 1999 even colder. As a result, many wines lack ripeness, possess higher tannin, and clipped, compressed textures because of extremely high acidity. 2000 is a return to the style of 1997 and 1996, with excellent ripeness, normal acid levels and more complete wines with significant character.

NOTE: In issue #139's Rhone Ranger report, I mistakenly listed Arcadian's 1999 Syrah Gary's Vineyard as a wine from Bonaccorsi. The tasting notes and score for that wine were correct, but it is from Arcadian, not Bonaccorsi. Following is a re-print of that review with my apologies for the mistake. I was amazed by the Cote Rotie-like characteristics of the 1999 Syrah Gary's Vineyard. It boasts aromas of smoky bacon fat/lard along with abundant quantities of blackberry and cassis fruit. With great purity, full body, low acidity, and tremendous density as well as richness, it will drink beautifully for 7-8 years. Wow!

These impressive wines are hand-crafted from low yields, bottled gently, and handled with care. The 1999 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard exhibits a light straw/gold color as well as an intriguing bouquet of buttery caramels intermixed with tropical fruits, minerals, and oak. Long and rich, with excellent texture, fine purity, good underlying acidity, and subtle wood notes, it will drink well for 2-3 years. The outrageously complex, rich, tightly-knit 1999 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard emerges from the more northern region of Monterey, but there is no doubting its potential. Buttered popcorn, caramel, spice box, mineral, and tropical fruit aromas gradually emerge from this full-bodied wine's impressive aromatics. Rich and intense, with high acidity and tremendous length, it will benefit from additional cellaring. It should age for 5-7 years, possibly longer. Very impressive!

I tasted four top-flight Pinot Noirs. The 1999 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard displays tremendous aromas of earthy, stemmy, jammy black cherries, spice box, and strawberries. Reminiscent of a Beaune premier cru, it possesses tangy acidity for definitions as well as a medium-bodied finish with good extract and richness. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. The prodigious 1999 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard boasts a dark ruby color, and a gorgeous, complex nose of flowers as well as red and black fruits. It builds incrementally in the mouth to reveal Burgundian-like earthy notes in addition to more softness, expansiveness, and a longer finish than the Bien Nacido. A wine of cunning, intensity, harmony, power, and finesse, it will drink beautifully for 6-7 years. Brilliant! Equally superb and also Burgundian-like, the 1999 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard reveals the most saturated color along with a flowery, black cherry and black raspberry-scented perfume. It is less evolved than its siblings, with more extract and intensity on the back of the palate. Rich and full-bodied, with moderate tannin and a youthful personality, it will benefit from another year of cellaring, and should drink well for a decade. The lightest colored offering is the 1999 Pinot Noir Gary's Vineyard. Evolved and sexy, it offers complex aromas of earth, plums, cherries, and herbs with a touch of meatly animal-like characteristics. Although expansive and rich, it does not reveal the complexity of the Pisoni or Sleepy Hollow cuvees. Enjoy it over the next 5-6 years. To reiterate, these are impressive wines. Tel. (805) 452-7413.

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