Santa Barbara Wine Tasting

California wines won an unprecedented number of slots this year in Wine Spectator’s prestigious list of the top 100 wines from around the world. Twenty-four, very nearly a full one quarter, of the wines chosen were produced in the Golden State. What’s more, the slots they occupy are very much weighted towards the top end of the list. Twenty-three California wines are in the top fifty, fourteen in the top twenty, five in the top ten, and an amazing five in the top six. At the pinnacle of the list, Wine Spectator’s wine of the year, was Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles 2007. Paso Robles, a rising star on California’s Central Coast, is renowned for its high quality Rhone varietals. This Saxum wine is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Speaking of Paso Robles in general and Saxum owner James Smith in particular, Wine Spectator’s James Laube says that:

Today, few may consider Paso Robles among the world’s great winegrowing regions. But that’s starting to change, thanks in large part to Smith and the wines he’s created at Saxum. Smith has been pushing the boundaries of quality and style, creating wines of distinctive character, depth and personality.

The great majority of California wines singled out for praise by Wine Spectator are, as one might expect, from Napa Valley or Sonoma, but Santa Barbara County wines also had a respectable showing with two wines in the top 30: Tensley’s Syrah Santa Barbara County Colson Canyon Vineyard 2008, at no. 17; and Zaca Mesa’s Syrah Santa Ynez Valley 2006, at no. 29. Wine Spectator says of the Tensley Syrah, to which they give a rating of 95, that:

In 1998, Joey Tensley launched his brand with the very specific goal of featuring vineyard-designated Syrahs. He has been on a hot streak ever since. Tensley keeps the vineyard as the focus, adopting a minimalist winemaking style and barely using oak (he refers to new oak as overseasoning) His wines are typically made in small quantities and can be difficult to find, but the Colson Canyon bottling is the backbone of his collection, representing more than half the winery’s annual production.

About the Zaca Mesa, rated at 95 points, they elaborate thus:

The first to plant Syrah in Santa Barbara County in 1978, Zaca Mesa was at the forefront of California Rhone wines in the early days and has regained its footing in recent vintages. Of the estate’s 244 acres of vineyards, 90 are planted to nine different clones of Syrah. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (30 percent new), this Santa Ynez Valley bottling is one of today’s best values in California Syrah. Winemaker Clay Brock was replaced by Eric Mohseni in 2008.

You can see the full top 100 list and videos on the top 10 wines of 2010 by following the link:  The Top 100 Wines of 2010 | Wine Spectator