LOV Letter

More New Wines

The calendar says it is getting toward the end of winter, but in the Santa Ynez Valley, our winter is just starting. Until the middle of February our weather was unseasonably mild and dry. Since then, however, we have had several rainy days and colder temperatures, the way it is supposed to be. Barring especially bad conditions, though, it does not affect what we do in the winery. We have finished our winter bottling, and have some new wines to release over the next thirty days. The first to be released will be the 2001 Old Adobe Pinot Noir, which is similar to the 2000 vintage but with a little less terroir and a little more fruit. The first week in April, just before our big Vintners’ Festival weekend, featuring our Barbecue, we will release the 2004 Careaga Canyon Pinot Noir and the 2004 Blue Oak Vineyard Tempranillo. I have just recently tried the Tempranillo and I think it will sell quickly. We only have 140 or so cases and I do not think it will last very long. We have recently released a new vintage of Cabernet Franc, the first under the Alexander & Wayne label, and as I write this we are about to release a new vintage of Chardonnay. That means that by the first week of April, there will already be five new wines this year. All the more reason to visit us in Los Olivos. We look forward to seeing you soon. Art White

This Month’s Wines

If you like red wine, and especially Bordeaux varieties, this month’s shipment is just what you have been waiting for. The wines are our newly released Cabernet Franc, and the always popular Westerly Vineyard Merlot. For those of you who receive three bottles, it is a real Bordeaux trifecta because the third bottle is our wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon. The Westerly Merlot is always popular and continues to be the main source of our grapes for this variety. I am especially happy with the new Cabernet Franc, and the reaction of those who have tried it is extremely positive. Enjoy!

2002 ~ Valley View Vineyard ~ Santa Ynez Valley ~ Santa Barbara County

CABERNET FRANC

Cabernet Franc is one of the three most prominent French Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the others. Always blended in Bordeaux, it is often bottled as a primary grape in California, especially in Santa Barbara County which produces many fine examples. You are first struck by the beautiful, very dark color of this wine, which would normally be associated with a wine such as zinfandel or syrah. On the palate there is lots of dark fruit with just the right amount of tannins, yet the wine is smooth and soft. It has excellent body with a certain richness, almost sweetness, that can be attributed to the glycerine and alcohol in the wine. This is an interesting wine to warm up in your mouth before swallowing. It will intensify most of the flavors that you might otherwise miss, including the chocolate on the finish. I suggest serving this wine warmer than cellar temperature or you may miss most of the joy. 250 cases made.

2001 ~ Westerly Vineyard ~ Santa Ynez Valley ~ Santa Barbara County

MERLOT

Merlot is one of the great red wine varieties native to the Bordeaux region of France. In its native region it is almost always blended, usually with Cabernet Franc and sometimes with Cabernet Sauvignon or both. In California, it is more common to find wines, such as this one, which are one hundred percent Merlot. It is our style to produce big, full-bodied wines, and the deep ruby color of this Merlot is the first indication that we were successful. The nose shows off some jammy fruit characteristic of fine Merlot and invites you to taste the wine. On the palate, the fruitiness is complimented by nuances of chocolate that add to the wine’s complexity. 335 cases made.