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Ambullneo 2005 Canis Major Pinot Noir (California)
- $95
Ambullneo’s most expensive Pinot has a statewide appellation, but they pride themselves as masters of blending. This wine, from their portions of vineyards in Solomon Hills, Bien Nacido, Hyde and Hudson, is eloquent. It’s big, rich and flamboyant, almost Rhône-like, with cherry and raspberry pie-filling flavors, and the caramelized new oak that so spicily supports…
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Ambullneo 2005 Mastiff Pinot Noir (Carneros)
- $80
This is one of the larger, more imponderable Pinots I’ve tasted this year, meaning that it has the heft of something from the Rhône, perhaps a Grenache, although it never loses Pinot’s silkiness. It’s tremendous and forward in jammy cherries, raspberries and cola, and while it’s dry, it has the sweet finish of an extremely ripe wine. Enormously complicated, it’s an…
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Ambullneo 2004 Howling Syrah (Santa Maria Valley)
- $70
Mostly from Bien Nacido Vineyard, this is solidly in the winery’s style, which is huge, fruit-forward, full-bodied wines of vast concentration and deliciousness. There is nothing at all subtle about this Syrah. It overwhelms with blackberry pie, cassis and chocolate-coated cherry candy flavors, with licorice and white pepper overtones, and is also big in tannins…
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Ambullneo 2005 Fang Blanc Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley)
- $50
Partially barrel-fermented, this Chard is a blend of Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills. It’s a heavyweight, so full-bodied, in fact, that it’s one of the rare California Chardonnays that will benefit from bottle age. It has a candied, English dessert trifle flavor of apricots, peaches, citrons and green apples, baked into a custardy pudding, and the caramelized taste…
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Ambullneo 2005 Bulldog Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley)
- $80
Fans of delicate Pinot Noir need not apply. This is a big, tough, drily tannic wine, with almost the heft of Syrah. That makes it an oddball, but there’s no denying its deliciousness and complexity. You can criticize it for non-varietalness, but the wealth of cherry and blackberry jam, dark chocolate and rum punch flavors is addictive. It’s a blend of some of the…
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Ambullneo 2005 Big Paw Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley)
- $50
This is the winery’s stainless steel-fermented Chardonnay. It’s a big, ripe, full-throttled wine, and without undergoing malolactic fermentation, it’s also a bit raw in acidity. The flavors are enormous, suggesting baked apples, pineapple marmalade, sweet date tapenade, candied ginger and Asian spices. Could be a sleeper. Try aging it for five to ten years.
— S.H.
(5/1/2007)
Showing items 1
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