Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Over the past two nights here in peaceful, restful Buellton, just north of Santa Barbara near the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, I went to Brothers Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern and the famed Hitching Post.
At Brothers with a delicious New Zealand Lamb chops dish:
2001 Rozak Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
From grapes west of the 101 near Lompoc comes this deep, tart raspberry flavored red wine. Possessing notes of violets, some wild cherry with nice raspberry color, the wine has a Burgundy like nose and while light on the attack, it does finish with some good palate weight.
2000 Beckman Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
Brimming with a deep purple color, this almost opaque wine has ripe fruit from the wineries own vineyards smack in the middle of the Santa Ynez Valley. A very forward wine that is very ready to drink, the luscious, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry and strawberry flavors make this approachable wine super enjoyable in its youth. Note of licorice, menthol, anise, forest floor pine and coffee also seem to resonate with food.
At The Hitching Post
2001 Hitching Post Chardonnay by Au Bon Climat
Typical Jim Clendenen/Jim Adelman designed wine from grapes near their Santa Maria winery just next to the famed Bien Nacido vineyards. Tart green apples, tropical lemons, the wine is light and vibrant, providing a good match up to the salmon chowder soup.
2000 Hitching Post Clos Pepe Vineyard Chardonnay
Light and very easy to drink, this is a nice, pleasant wine with hints of apricots and butterscotch.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Maria Vineyard Pinot Noir
Another light, easy to drink cherry and raspberry flavored pinot noir, the wine seems while well made to be one dimensional.
2000 Hitching Post Bien Nacido Pinot Noir
Typical Bien Nacido fruit flavors and aroma, the wine tosses off black cherry, raspberry and violets. The wine has a good berry middle and a light, but lingering fresh raspberry finish.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Barbara County Generations Red
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, this wine reminds me more of the kinds of red wines I find in the Cote d'Azur near St. Tropez. It's a wine that is light and fruity, very forward with herbs, Asian spice, cherry, cool mint, chocolate, blueberries and black pepper. Not a wine for the ages, but a good wine to pair with the black pepper and salt crusted New York Strip that is cooked over an open fire pit.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Maria Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah
A very fruit forward, light bodied, easy to drink Syrah, with flavors of brambly blueberry fruit. Solid on the attack, the wine is more than simple, but less than complex.
Cheers,
Andy Abramson
At Brothers with a delicious New Zealand Lamb chops dish:
2001 Rozak Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
From grapes west of the 101 near Lompoc comes this deep, tart raspberry flavored red wine. Possessing notes of violets, some wild cherry with nice raspberry color, the wine has a Burgundy like nose and while light on the attack, it does finish with some good palate weight.
2000 Beckman Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
Brimming with a deep purple color, this almost opaque wine has ripe fruit from the wineries own vineyards smack in the middle of the Santa Ynez Valley. A very forward wine that is very ready to drink, the luscious, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry and strawberry flavors make this approachable wine super enjoyable in its youth. Note of licorice, menthol, anise, forest floor pine and coffee also seem to resonate with food.
At The Hitching Post
2001 Hitching Post Chardonnay by Au Bon Climat
Typical Jim Clendenen/Jim Adelman designed wine from grapes near their Santa Maria winery just next to the famed Bien Nacido vineyards. Tart green apples, tropical lemons, the wine is light and vibrant, providing a good match up to the salmon chowder soup.
2000 Hitching Post Clos Pepe Vineyard Chardonnay
Light and very easy to drink, this is a nice, pleasant wine with hints of apricots and butterscotch.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Maria Vineyard Pinot Noir
Another light, easy to drink cherry and raspberry flavored pinot noir, the wine seems while well made to be one dimensional.
2000 Hitching Post Bien Nacido Pinot Noir
Typical Bien Nacido fruit flavors and aroma, the wine tosses off black cherry, raspberry and violets. The wine has a good berry middle and a light, but lingering fresh raspberry finish.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Barbara County Generations Red
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, this wine reminds me more of the kinds of red wines I find in the Cote d'Azur near St. Tropez. It's a wine that is light and fruity, very forward with herbs, Asian spice, cherry, cool mint, chocolate, blueberries and black pepper. Not a wine for the ages, but a good wine to pair with the black pepper and salt crusted New York Strip that is cooked over an open fire pit.
2000 Hitching Post Santa Maria Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah
A very fruit forward, light bodied, easy to drink Syrah, with flavors of brambly blueberry fruit. Solid on the attack, the wine is more than simple, but less than complex.
Cheers,
Andy Abramson
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