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Santa Ynez Valley Wines

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Stolpman 2007 La Croce Red (Santa Ynez Valley)

Editors' Choice
Online Exclusive

Price $66

This is the costliest of Stolpman’s new reds and easily the best. It impresses for the depth of flavor and classic, dense structure. A co-fermented blend of Sangiovese and Syrah, it shows imposingly complex layers of dark stone fruits and berries, dark chocolate, bacon, dusty Indian spices and sweet, smoky sandalwood, wrapped into powerfully rich but gently ground… — S.H. (4/1/2010)

Zaca Mesa 2007 Grenache (Santa Ynez Valley)

Editors' Choice
Online Exclusive

Price $32

This spectacular 100% Grenache is a huge success. It’s so delicious, you can hardly stop drinking it. Just oozes in raspberry and red cherry purée and caramelized, smoky oak richness, yet is thoroughly dry. An amazing, unforgettable wine that establishes a new benchmark for California Grenache from this winery that was an early pioneer in Rhône varieties. — S.H. (10/1/2010)

Santa Barbara Winery 2001 Lafond Vineyard Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Ynez Valley)

Editors' Choice

Price $16

Picked at an unbelievable 38 degrees of brix, with residual sugar of 12.5%, this is a very, very sweet wine. It has an unctuous, honeyed texture, but super-high acidity breaks it up. Flavorwise, it’s botrytis-infected apricot-infused crème brûlée. Wow. — S.H. (11/1/2006)

Beckmen 2007 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Block 6 Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley)

Price $55

Extraordinarily rich, a tremendous Syrah from this unique vineyard in the heart of the valley. Black in color and bone dry, it explodes in concentrated blackberry, blueberry, cassis, mocha, pepper and sandalwood flavors, but even more impressive is the tannic structure: so soft, intricate and silky. Wonderful with spicy pork and beef dishes. — S.H. (7/1/2010)

Au Bon Climat 2007 Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Ynez Valley)

Price $30

About as rich and flamboyant as California Chardonnay gets, a wine that blows you away with sheer pyrotechnic wizardry. Massive in grilled pineapples, mangoes, Key lime pie, vanilla honey, crème caramel and dusty spices, accented with perfect acidity. — S.H. (9/1/2010)

Au Bon Climat 2001 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Ynez Valley)

Editors' Choice
Online Exclusive

A bunker buster of a wine. Massive cherry fruit, flavored with cinnamon, rich cola, cocoa and toasty oak. Explodes on the palate. Yet gaining age: softly expressive, gently complex, a wine of opposites. Delicate and authoritative. Sensual. At its peak now and for the next 3 years. — S.H. (6/1/2005)

Beckmen 2001 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Clone #1 Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley)

Editors' Choice

Price $40

The best Syrah of the vintage, a magnificent wine that blows you away through the force of its beauty and sheer voluptuousness. Pours dark and thick, and announces itself with muted but distinguished aromas of cassis, cherry pie, truffle, vanilla and smoke. Only in the mouth can you begin to appreciate the fantastic wealth of flavors. All this richness is reined in… — S.H. (12/1/2003)

Gainey 1996 Limited Selection Merlot (Santa Ynez Valley)

Price $25

Here’s a stunning Merlot, not from the North Coast but a warmish region of Santa Barbara. Shows currant and dark-chocolate aromas with soy, anise and leather. Drinks soft and rich, really high quality, such depth and intensity. A great Merlot, but only 170 cases to go around. — S.H. (9/1/1999)

Most Reviewed Producers [All]

Alchemy Wine Productions Alta Maria Ampelos Andrew Murray Au Bon Climat Babcock Beckmen Bernat Blair Fox Bonaccorsi Brander Bridlewood Brophy Clark Buttonwood Farm Cameron Hughes Carhartt Cellars Carhartt Vineyard Carr Casa Cassara Cimarone Coghlan Cold Heaven Comartin Coquelicot Curran Curtis Daniel Gehrs Demetria Dierberg Double Bond Dr. Klapper Dragonette Drew East Valley Epiphany Fiddlehead Fiddlehead Cellars Field Recordings Firestone Foley & Phillips Fox Creek Foxen Foxen 7200 Gainey Garretson Genuine Risk Grassini Hallauer Happy Canyon Vineyard Harrison Clarke Herman Story Hitching Post Hoyt Family Vineyards J Ludlow Jaffurs Jorian Hill Kaena Kahn Kalyra Kenneth-Crawford Koehler Kunin La Sirena Lafond Lane Tanner Lincourt Longoria Magali McPrice Myers Millesime Novy Ojai Osseus Palmina Phantom Rivers Qupé R2 Reeves Ranch Refugio Ranch Rideau Royal Oaks Rusack Saarloos & Sons Samsara Sanford Sanford & Benedict Santa Barbara Winery Scott Shadow Canyon Sheldon Sobriquet Winery Star Lane Vineyard Stolpman Storm Sunstone Tercero Three Saints Triune Unknown Bottling Vixen Westerly Vineyards Whitehurst Zaca Mesa

2009 Merry Edwards

Merry Edwards doesn’t just slap this regional blend together. This is a…

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