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Santa Cruz Mountain wineries fare well in the season's first competition
By Laura Ness
It's already February, which means the first wine competition of the season has wrapped up, and the results are looking good for the local Santa Cruz Mountains wineries. By far the biggest wine competition ever, the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle competition boasted more than 4,200 entries.
Those judges were mighty busy swirling and spitting. The Chron, as we like to call it, segments wines in each varietal category by price point, so you're not tasting a $7 cabernet next to a $38 one. Some people argue that this defeats the purpose of blind tasting, but I don't think any one of us would sign up to do blind buying, now would we?
Imagine walking into the local wine shop and having no prices listed on the shelves. You'd be playing roulette when you got to the register. Some also mock the usefulness of competitions: True, they can be arbitrary, and you are at the mercy of the judges on the panel that got your wine. But in general, really good, well-made wines with no obvious flaws will rise to the top, as well they should.
Despite the increasingly stiff competition from other regions, our local winemakers did better than ever before, which comes as no surprise. Because of more attentive viticultural practices, as well as more careful winemaking, the wines are getting better every year. The benchmarks keep getting set higher and higher, and we all benefit.
Savannah-Channelle: One of the biggest honors a winery can achieve is to have its wine chosen as a sweepstakes winner. This means it not only was best of class, but it bested all the other BOC wines to be the top choice of the entire assemblage of judges. This honor in the red wine category went to Savannah-Chanelle's 2005 Armagh Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. Rack up another one to the unassuming but legendary Tony Craig.
Tony wasn't alone in having a best of class wine. This happened to four other local wineries:
Cinnabar Vineyard: 2004 Cabernet Franc, Lodi, $35.
Notes: This dark and intense wine is beyond Franc. Rich baked raspberry-chocolate bars, with generous dusted cocoa.
Thomas Fogarty Winery: 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, $25.
Notes: Although not yet released, this wine is exceptional in its appealing aromas, depth and poise. It smells and tastes like candied apples and butterscotch, with a rich, soft texture, great acid and a flinty finish.
Martella Wines: 2006 Martella Viognier S.
Notes: A classy, delectable wine with the silky elegance of Catherine Zeta Jones.
Clos la Chance: 2004 Cabernet France, Lodi, $16.
Clos la Chance: 2004 Buff Bellied Zinfandel, $16.
Other medal-winning wines made by local wineries from local fruit:
* Ahlgren Vineyard: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains Bates Ranch, $35--double gold;
* Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard: '05 Pinot Noir SCM Branciforte Vineyard, $32-double gold. Notes: Flashy and flirtatious, this is fruity raspberries and sweet chocolate, with lots of dried cherries;
* Storrs Winery and Vineyards--2006 Chardonnay Christie Vineyard $30--gold;
* Burrell School Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon SCM $40--silver;
* Burrell School Vineyards 2005 Estate Pichon Syrah $30--silver;
* Fernwood Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, $40--silver;
* Roudon-Smith Winery 2006 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, $22.00--silver;
* Storrs Winery and Vineyards 2004 Merlot/Malbec/P Verdot St Clare V-- silver;
* Storrs 2004 Petite Syrah Rusty Ridge SCM--silver;
* Downhill Winery 2006 Syrah/Grenache Santa Cruz Mountains $18--bronze;
* Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery 2005 Merlot Estate Santa Cruz Mountains $20--bronze;
* Fernwood Cellars 2005 Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains Small Vine $30--bronze;
* Loma Prieta Winery 2005 Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains $30--bronze;
* Therese Vineyards 2004 Syrah Therese Vineyards $26.95--bronze;
* Thomas Fogarty Winery 2004 Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains $35--bronze;
* Woodside Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Santa Cruz Mountains $32--bronze.
Winning pinots: In the pinot category alone, this region shone, as well it should: '04 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Bailey Vineyard, gold; '06 Loma Prieta SCM, gold; '05 Muccigrosso SCM, gold; '05 Hallcrest Terra Serena, silver; '06 Hunter Hill Estate, silver; '05 Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard, siver; '05 Storrs SCM, silver; '05 Alfaro Family Vineyards, Lindsay Paige Vineyards, bronze; '05 Byington Estate, bronze; '05 Hallcrest Cellar Select, bronze; '05 Sonnet Cellars Muns Vineyard, bronze; '06 Thomas Fogarty SCM, bronze; '04 Woodside Vineyards Estate, bronze.
