Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
Andrew Murray Appellation: Central Coast Winemaker Ben Mayo of Eberle Winery. Eberle Winery Appellation: Paso Robles Modeled after the classic white Rhône blends, the Eberle 2009 Côtes-du-Robles Blanc ($24) is composed of 65% Grenache Blanc and 35% Viognier. With perfumey floral aromas, bright flavors of white peach, melon, fresh citrus, savory spices and lively crisp finish, it's a playful white wine that's aimed to please. Zaca Mesa Appellation: Santa Ynez Valley Zaca Mesa Winery is one of the pioneer producers of Rhône- style wines in Santa Barbara County. The first Syrah grapes in the county where planted in the Black Bear Block on the win- ery's estate property in 1978. Through the years, the winery has expanded its Rhône repertoire to include newer One of the hot topics at the HdR 2012 was the roaring success of Grenache around the globe. On the Central Coast, one of the devoted fans of the expressive grape variety is winemaker Andrew Murray. After a few "slutty" years of playing with fruit from different vineyards on the Central Coast, Murray established what he refers to as a "monogamous" relationship with some special blocks of the Alban clone of Grenache planted at the Terra Bella Vineyard, a unique site located near Tablas Creek, Halter Ranch and Adelaida wineries in the rugged hills west of Paso Robles. In addition to bottling the limited release of the Terra Bella Grenache, the remaining fruit is used as the core of the winery's Espérance Red Blend. To accent the dazzling fruit-forward character of the Grenache grapes, Murray blends in the more quirky black pepper and black olive flavors Talented winemaker Andrew Murray, who works with fruit from Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County. he gets from the Mourvèdre and Syrah grapes grown in the warm and cool-climate regions in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County. "We're styling this wine like we would an empty canvas," says Murray. "The foundation of the flavor profile is Grenache, but we pick the other two varieties to funk it up a little bit." Brook Williams, President and CEO of Zaca Mesa Winery. plantings of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. The Zaca Mesa 2008 Mesa Reserve Syrah ($44) is made with five clones of Syrah (174, 383, 470, 877 and Estrella) planted in 2004 at the high-density "Mesa B" block on the property. This complex, full-bodied wine features smoky aromas and deep flavors of ripe berries, roasted espresso beans, wild sage, vanilla and nice chewy tannins. Winery President and CEO Brook Williams says the 2008 vintage is the best one yet from the young vineyard: "Power and grace, all in one bottle!" 100 / the tasting panel / june 2012 Made with 60% Grenache and smaller portions of Syrah and Grenache, the Andrew Murray 2009 Espérance Red Blend ($25) is brimming with fra- grant aromas of ripe red fruit, lavender, cinnamon, saddle leather and pipe tobacco. On the palate, the flavors are lush with notes of wild strawberry, cherry, blueberry, licorice, black pepper, vanilla and a long, rewarding finish. Margerum Wine Company Appellation: Santa Barbara County Although he's known for making awe- inspiring Syrahs, the flagship wine made by Doug Margerum of Margerum Wine Company is the M5, an elegant blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Cinsault. The fruit is sourced from prestigious cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, including Colson Canyon, Purisima Mountain, Alamo Creek and Camp Four. At harvest, the grapes are co-fermentated, then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels and never racked. There were 2,400 cases produced of the 2009 vintage. "I call it my little puppy wine, because if you don't like M5, then you don't like puppies," says Margerum. "It's cruel almost, but it's a delicious wine that has had a broad appeal and I like making it!" (NOTE: Writer Chris Sawyer likes puppies, and the M5 wine, too. —Ed.) Big, bright and spicy, the Margerum 2009 M5 ($25) is packed with generous flavors of ripe plum, wild berries, pepper, allspice, anise and smoked meats, a blast of vibrant acidity, and a long, tangy finish. Skylark Wines Appellation: Sonoma Coast John Lancaster and Robert Perkins, Wine Directors at San Francisco's Boulevard Restaurant, are also proprietors of Skylark Wines. "Because of our relationship with respected grape growers, we have been able to produce wines of character from Northern California," says Lancaster. The pair was introduced to Rodgers Creek Vineyard, just outside the Petaluma Gap on the Sonoma Coast, back in '04 and fell in love with the profile of the Syrah grown there. "There's nothing quite like it, and this single-vineyard Syrah is inspired by wines from the Côte-Rôtie." The Skylark 2008 Rodgers Creek Syrah ($35) offers up aromas of gamey meat and violets: a concen- trated coffee bean and graphite-skewed tannins. John Lancaster of Skylark Wine.