Gainey Syrah 2007 "Santa Rita Hills"

Gainey continues to make me happy. This is a lovely wine that went wonderfully with the ribeye steak I had ordered. Here we have a blend of Syrah grapes from both warm climate and cool climate areas and they come together quite well. The nose is loaded, giving us blue berries, red currants, raspberries, hints of violets and vanilla (16 months aging in oak, 40% new French). Medium/(+) bodied, the wine delivers good acidity, solid but not grippy tannins, and dark fruits for a fine medium length finish that has just a touch of minerality at the end. This wine is peaking now so if you find it, drink it.

Number of wines reviewed in 2011: 25

Gainey Sauvignon Blanc 2007 "Limited Selection"

Yes, another Gainey. Why not? Gainey puts out quality stuff and with my current tasting of Bordeaux varietals I should open with a good one moving to the whites. The Limited Selection is not a pure varietal but like its Bordeaux cousin it is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with just a touch of Semillon to add a little roundness. This wine is very pretty, clean, light yellow with just a touch of green in it. On the nose I got some good notes of green apple, lemon, lime, melon and a tiny whiff of grassiness. The palate was a nice reflection of the nose, a dry, medium/medium (+) acidity with nice citrus flavors, a touch of melon and some minerality on the pretty long finish. This is a fun, refreshing, drink it now and maybe over the next year wine.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 85

Gainey Merlot 2007 "Limited Selection, Santa Ynez Valley"

When I first sampled Gainey wines several years ago I wasn't a big fan. At that initial tasting almost a decade ago I thought they over-oaked their wines. They weren't bad, just took oaky on the nose and palate. Well, in recent years that view has changed and I am a fan so when it came to finish my Merlot varietal tasting I pulled a bottle of their 2007 Merlot Limited Selection". Now this isn't a pure Merlot, closer to a right-bank Bordeaux (as if that is a bad thing) but what I like is that it is a Merlot that doesn't try to be a Cabernet Sauvignon as so many do. I loved the look of this Merlot, clear, medium intensity ruby with a tiny touch of youthful purple and uniform color bleed out to the rim. The nose was also clean with nice black cherry, plum and hints of blackberry and spicy sweet oak. The taste is quite lovely, medium bodied, medium/medium (+) acidity, smooth tannins and the promised flavors of black cherry, plum, sweet oakiness and some chocolate at the open that gave this taster a lovely, long, mouthwatering finish. I would say this wine is hitting its stride and will continue to build over the next year or two.

Number of wines reviewed in 201: 84

Return To Santa Ynez Wine Country - Part Two

The afternoon of the first day took us to the winery that my beau had longed to return to... Beckman. He didn't want to return just for the wine (Beckman is often noted as a winery to watch). No, he wanted to come back because of the Aussie that caught his eye when we were last there. Alas, "Patrick" had moved on to another winery, so we had to settle for the lovely wines. Here the tasting was of seven wines:

2007 Purisima Mountain Sauvignon Blanc: lots of tropical fruits and apricot on the nose, but I think the nose overpromised the palate. I found the finish to be a bit on the short side, the experience being a flash of potential but failing to follow through.

2006 Purisima Marsanne: Relecting a Northern Rhone approach this white contains 20% Roussanne in the final blend creating a creamy, clean wine of peachy notes and a nice minerality. Didn't knock my socks off but a good wine nonetheless.

2006 Estate Grenache. I enjoyed this Grenache more than I did at Bridlewood. Strawberry jam and hints of oak with a touch of pepper. A very versatile wine, very nicely made.

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Aged for about 19 months in a combination of new and neutral barrels, this wine brought aromas of dried cranberries and flavors of chocolate and spicy cloves. My one complaint was that the finish seemed way too short for a wine with this much promise. Good, but coming up a little "short" to this taster.

2007 Estate Syrah: I agreed with Cory when he said "pot roast" (a hint of gaminess I think). Black fruit, smoke, black pepper and solid tannins all combine to make a big wine that definitely benefits from decanting and shows good cellaring aspects.

2006 Purisima Mountain Syrah: Here we get Beckman at their best. Spicy chocolate strawberries, gives the impression of being "hot" until you take that sip and get wonderful rich mouthfeel and soft texture to aid the fruit and acid tapering out to a long, delicious finish.

2005 Purisima: A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah the notes said "This wine captures the soul of Purisima Mountain". If that is true what a wonderful soul it has. Chocolate covered raspberries, blackberries and cherries with a hint of smoke and spice that literally evolves in the mouth from very good to excellent and a lingering finish that is hard to interrupt for the next taste (but go ahead, you know you want to).

With my disappointed beau in tow we went to our final winery for the day, Gainey. Gainey makes solid, reliable wines and they did not disappoint. The only kink was two of the pourers called out sick so one person was doing the pouring for the rather large group, so "Tio Ely" and I batted our eyes at our significant others and off they went to stand in line for us to get each subsequent pour. While there we tasted:

2007 Limited Selection Riesling: A touch of residual sugar shaped up nicely with the good acid of this wine. The nose is greated with floral fragrances (mainly Honeysuckle) and apricot. The palate tasted peach, pears, spice and a touch of minerality on the finish. A nice, well-made Riesling.

2006 Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc: 50% barrel fermentation with 8 months barrel fermentation makes this Sauvignon Blanc a little different than those we had tasted. Hints of melon and pineapple are present, a slighly creamier texture than the typical Sauvignon Blanc. The palate picks up a little citrus towards the mineraly finish.

2006 Limited Selection Chardonnay: 100% barrel fermented, 11 months barrel aged in 45% new oak. This is a California Chardonnay (but not in a bad way). Intense, complex aromas and flavors that keep popping up as this taster continued through the pour. Light toasty oak, almost creme brulee or butterscotch. Fruits appeared... mostly peach and mango with a touch of apple and I recall a little peach. Good acidity with a lingering minerality on the finish makes this a wonderful wine.

2005 Limited Selection Merlot: Gainey does a nice Merlot. Spending 21 months in oak makes for a nice complex wine. Chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, black cherries all together made for a wonderful mouthful of well-made Merlot wine.

2006 Limited Selection Pinot Noir: Again, hints of the oak come through but not in a bad way. Raspberry, cherries, maybe a hint of tea and spice on the nose combine to make the mouth want a sip. That sip brings excellent acidity with the above mentioned fruits and soft tannins for an enjoyable experience.

Unfortunately I don't have my notes so I don't remember the rest of what we tried. If you have had Gainey or if you like most of your wines to have a kiss of oak then you will enjoy what they produce.

After Gainey it was time to check in to the motel (my tradition, The Windmill Inn as featured in Sideways) for a clean up and a short walk to dinner at the delicious Hitching Post 2!

Next up... day two!

Gainey 2006 Limited Selection Chardonnay

Last night in trying to figure out what to serve with my soup to the dinner crowd I selected Gainey 2006 Limited Selection Chardonnay. It was a hit with this non-white-wine-inclined group. This is not some wimpy little wine. In their 2006 Limited Selection Chardonnay Gainey pilled out the stops. This wine is bold, wearing its oak barrel fermentation proudly. In aroma and taste we got creamy goodness, somewhat like apple pie with ice cream and a touch of butterscotch. Big, round, smooth, comforting are the words that come to mind. I didn't get quite as much acid as I would have liked but all-in-all a very fine wine for seafood (nice complement for a creamy bisque or chowder) or poultry.

Gainey In The Movies

My beau took me to the movies to see Ghost Town. During a dinner scene I noticed the bottle of wine had a label I recognized but couldn't quite make out. When they put it down, label towards the camera, I was so happy to see it was Gainey!. Nice to see that Hollywood is learning there are wines outside of Napa and Sonoma.

Gainey 2006 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills

Late Sunday summer afternoon. After a long, fun day with my beau I'm retiring to the balcony to watch the ocean and reflect on the week-long training I had up in the San Francisco Bay area. As my beau does not live with me at this time my companion is a glass of Gainey Winery 2006 Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills and while not as lovely enveloping as my beau it is a fine companion. Made from 100% Chardonnay and allowed to rest for about 10 months in oak this is not a typical California "oak bomb". When I was at Gainey a few weeks back I was told that 2006 was a cool vintage and it is reflected in the wine. The wine is a clear beautiful straw and nice legs. While I do get a little butter (malolactic fermentation was used during part of the fermentation process), the nose delivers refreshing hints of citrus blossom and minerality. In the mouth the wine delivers a good balance of acidity, fruit, and alcohol with refreshing melons and a touch of, well, to me of lemon meringue pie. As the sun slowly sinks in the sky headed towards the horizon I welcome its company.