Showing posts with label Santa Lucia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Lucia. Show all posts

Monday, January 22, 2024

The Dirt Is In The Wine

Zinfandel is considered by some to be the official heritage grape of California, and that is fine with me. There are some Zins I look forward to each vintage, like the ones from Dry Creek Valley. The one that holds the most appeal for me is the one from Ancient Peaks Winery.  

I took a fascinating tour of Ancient Peaks and their estate vineyards near Paso Robles some 15 years ago.  Santa Margarita Ranch is the southernmost wine region in the Paso Robles AVA, sitting beneath the Santa Lucia Mountains just 14 miles from the blue Pacific Ocean.  

The land was once an ancient sea bed, and time has left it high and dry, dotted with old oyster shells which impart their minerality to the grapes grown there.  Science may pooh-pooh that notion, but I cling to the idea that what is in the ground is in the grapes.

They are proud of their dirt at Ancient Peaks. Ancient sea bed, rocky alluvium, shale, volcanic and granite soil types coexist in one of the cooler growing regions Paso has to offer. In their 2021 Zinfandel, alcohol is lofty at 14.8% abv and the retail price is $22. I got mine for far less at my local Whole Foods Market.  

This wine is a medium-dark purple in the glass. Aromas of brambly cherry are adorned with anise, leather, pepper and clove notes. On the palate there is red fruit and oak spice with a savory coffee angle. The tannins are firm and the acidity is fresh. A lengthy finish leaves the savory aspect strongest. Pair with any beef or pork, or even a dish based in tomato sauce. 


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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

MER SOLEIL LATE 2004


LATE

My wife loves her sweets.  Well, yes, that does include me.  She also loves dessert wines, and has a history of selecting them for us with an uncanny knack for choosing some very high-quality sweet wines.

The Mer Soleil LATE came in a shipment of Monterey County dessert wines for review - her eyes lit up when we opened that box - and, like the others in the crate, it did not disappoint.

LATE is a late harvest Viognier from Santa Lucia, kissed by a favorite fungus fans of dessert wine are fond of - Botrytis cinerea.  The Noble Rot, as it is sometimes called, affects grapes on the vine, and those grapes produce wines that are sweet.

The color grabs your attention right away, and I love when a wine does that.  The color is an extremely rich gold, vibrant and beautiful.  Aromas of  honeyed apricots make a lovely nose, which are also in abundance on the palate.  An orange zest profile reveals itself in the flavors, too, but in a secondary role to the apricots and honey.  The wine is sweet, but does not cloy; the sweetness is bold and lively.  The finish lingers as if it's trying to stick around until the next sip is taken.  The alcohol content is only 10.5% abv, but the acidity is almost high enough to be called bracing. 

The Mer Soleil winery also grows Meyer lemon trees on their property, figuring if the grapes get damaged by frost, the lemons would probably be OK and they could at least harvest something.  The lemons are a welcome addition to their income, I'm sure, but it's nice to know they haven't had to resort to a lemon wine.  I'll take the late harvest Viognier any day.