The SOMM Journal

June / July 2015

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78 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2015 Edna Valley estate and Santa Barbara–grown fruit to achieve the classically tropical, crisp, minerally style associated with the brand and appellation (today, very much fruit-focused, not nearly as toasty/oaky as it was 15, 20 years ago). This was followed by an "SLO Pinot Noir Focus" tasting, where we endeavored to break down the similarities and differences between four 2012 Edna Valley Pinot Noirs, two 2012 Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noirs, and a 2012 from the unofficial "SLO Coast." Unquestionably, the advent of better clonal material has allowed the Edna Valley AVA to develop more of a regional Pinot Noir style, driven by its cool cli- mate, maritime terroir. It is a style Ibrahim described as "Pinot-sity"— marked by forward, bright raspberry/cherry fruit with an ease in the nose and palate, mobilized by underlying citrus/blood orange-like acidity, plus nuanced notes of baking spice and loamy earthiness. In this tasting, all the Edna Valley Pinot Noirs seemed to expand on this commonality, with their slight differences: the bracingly tart edginess of the Niner 2012 Estate Edna Valley Pinot Noir; an emphasis on loamy earthiness found in the Center of Effort 2012 Edna Valley Estate Pinot Noir; the scrub- bier, wild herb earthiness in the Kynsi 2012 Stone Corral Vineyard Edna Valley Pinot Noir; and the silken, feminine veneer of the Edna Valley Vineyard 2012 Winemaker's Series Edna Valley Pinot Noir. Both the Talley 2012 Rincon Vineyard Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir and the Laetitia 2012 Whole Cluster Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir, on the other hand, seemed to lean more towards darker fruit, more sinewy tex- turing, and that minerally note Brian Talley describes as "iron- like." In further contrast, the Sinor-LaVallee 2012 San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir—made from fruit sourced from two coastal plantings falling outside the AVAs (Spanish Springs Vineyard in Price Canyon, and Squire Canyon Vineyard near Avila Beach)—came across as a sharper, tightly wound manifestation of lean soils and in extremis coastal-edged environment. All in all, as Palm Restaurant Las Vegas sommelier Adrianna Camacho commented, "We could taste the energy in San Luis Obispo wines—the Chardonnays were mind-blowing, the Pinot Noirs intense, but it's also the vintners who make the wines the way they are. You can really feel the dedication, and love of the land, in their wines." Jamie Harding, Wine Director at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, CA, echoed the senti- ments of the sommeliers by saying, "I'm walking away with a better idea of San Luis Obispo than I've ever had before – it was an eye-opening experience." Added Harding, "We talked among ourselves during this trip about how sommeliers are becoming more and more the 'taste makers' who influence what people are drinking, and what they think is good. We're taking that responsibility seri- ously. There's a lot going on in San Luis Obispo—I'm excited about being able to get message out!" Center of Effort (www.centerofeffortwine.com) Edna Valley Vineyard (www.ednavalleyvineyard.com) Kynsi Winery (www.kynsi.com) Niner Wine Estates (www.ninerwine.com) Niven Family Wines (www.nivenfamilywines.com) Sinor-LaVallee (www.sinorlavallee.com) Stephen Ross Wine Cellars (www.stephenrosswine.com) Talley Vineyards (www.talleyvineyards.com) Participating SLO Wineries Heather Muran (Executive Director, SLO Wine Country Association) and Joe Prang (Artisan Wine Depot). PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO Edna Valley Vineyards Chardonnay cuvée components tasting.

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