Wines from Santa Barbara County
Showing 1 thru -9 of 1,250
Fess Parker 2008 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
- Editors' Choice
- $28
What a roll Fess Parker Winery is on with their ’08 Chardonnays. Not only great wine, but priced so well. This wine, sourced from Parker’s U Block in this famous Santa Maria Valley vineyard, is as rich as any Chardonnay of the vintage—just massive in pineapple, pear and buttered toast flavors. Yet it’s crisp and tart, clean and bracing in its minerality. Only 115…
— S.H.
(7/1/2010)
Au Bon Climat 2007 Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
- Editors' Choice
- Online Exclusive
- $25
Massively fruity and oaky, this is an atom bomb of a Chardonnay. You either love this style or you hate it. The pineapple tart, apricot, pear, peach, crème brûlée, buttered toast, vanilla cream and cinnamon spice flavors go on and on. Beyond the utter richness is firm acidity and a bracing minerality. Defines California-style decadence, but drink now, as the wine…
— S.H.
(8/1/2010)
Nicolaysen Family Vineyards 2001 Late Harvest Alisos Vineyard Gewürztraminer (Santa Barbara County)
- Editors' Choice
- $50
At nearly 10 years of age, this beautiful Gewürz shows how well a good California dessert wine can age. It’s still brisk in clean acidity, but is honeyed and sweet, with nearly 19% residual sugar. Shows rich, exotic pineapple, tangerine marmalade, gingerbread, apricot jam, buttered toast, crème brûlée, vanilla cream and spice flavors, leading to a long, deliriously…
— S.H.
(10/1/2011)
Sanguis 2009 Gravity Red (Santa Barbara County)
- Online Exclusive
- $70
Sanguis combines its signature of exceptional power with finesse, producing a wine that is so dramatic as to defy belief. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon provide the blackberry jam and chocolate richness, while Viognier brings a bright floral note, and even Roussanne has something to say by way of orange tartness. New oak is evident, but perfectly in balance with the…
— S.H.
(2/1/2013)
Io 1997 Red (Santa Barbara County)
- Editors' Choice
- $40
A blend of mainly Syrah, with Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier. Opens with brilliant, beautiful aromas of berries and fruit, chocolate, violets, herbs and spices, and smoky oak. In the mouth, there's fabulous complexity and an opulent, velvety smooth texture. Very dry and elegant, and the sweet, spicy finish goes on forever.
— S.H.
(11/15/2000)
Steele 1997 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
- $28
There is wonderful fruit here, ranging from light citrus through mango, with a shaving of pineapple, fading into butterscotch, and layers upon layers of flavor on the finish.
— L.W.
(7/1/1999)
Alma Rosa 2006 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
- Editors' Choice
- $20
Starts with an opulent, inviting aroma of smoky honey, vanilla, tangerines, Meyer lemons, yellow apricots, green apples and minerals. In the mouth, the flavors are very similar—an explosion of fruits, spices and toast. Just a tremendous wine, but for all the volume and complexity, it’s completely balanced.
— S.H.
(9/1/2008)
La Fenêtre 2006 Santa Barbara Highlands South Mesa Élevage Réserve Syrah (Santa Barbara County)
- Online Exclusive
- $45
Appeals now for extraordinarily rich, soft flavors of caramelized vanilla cream infused with blackberry essence, cassis and pepper, with exotic notes of butterscotch, candied violets and Maraschino cherry glaze. One hundred percent new French oak is not too much for this elaborate, hedonistically rich Syrah. Best opened soon.
— S.H.
(8/1/2009)
Showing 1 thru -9 of 1,250
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