Special Wine Tasting: Welcoming Nat Gunter
This Week’s Tasting
National Sales Representative for Sandhi Wines,
Domaine de la Cote, and Evening Land
Sandhi Wines
“Sandhi is a small production California winery focusing on select vineyards from the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County and was founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr, the wine director for Michael Mina Restaurants, Charles Banks, the former owner of Jonata and Screaming Eagle, and esteemed winemaker, Sashi Moorman.
Sandhi represents a union essential to the production of wine: the collaboration between man, earth, and vine. The willing participation of all three elements is necessary to make great wine, and the winegrower must make this collaboration rich and nourishing for all involved. An understanding of these joint efforts informs Sandhi’s exploration of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines throughout the Santa Barbara County terroir.
The individual vineyards from which these grapes originate–some legendary, some new–have been exhaustively vetted for character, personality, and balance. Employing the wisdom and talents of people who know the vineyards, Sandhi is dedicated to making wines of finesse, minerality, acidity, structure and balance. Wine achieves power and beauty through the seamless integration of these qualities, and this is the inspiration for Sandhi. Wines exhibiting extreme ripeness, alcohol, oak, and other discordant exaggerations cannot truly express a specific vineyards terroir.”
Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2013
Santa Barbara County, California
“The fruit for this bottling comes from our sites in the Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez appellations. The average age of most of the vines is over 30 years old from specific parcels of Wente selection that we are lucky to access. We are pleased with this entry-level offering because it is a great introduction to the style of our wines. It will always have pretty aromas of citrus flowers and fruit notes of limes and lemons along with toasty notes from oak. On the palate it will have good structure and plenty of restraint and balance making it a very food-friendly and approachable wine.”
Regular $36.99; Tasting $32.99
Sandhi Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2012
Santa Rita Hills, California
“This is our entry level Pinot Noir and is a blend of our vineyard holdings in the Sta. Rita Hills. Over half the fruit is from 40 year-old vines at Sanford & Benedict vineyard with the rest coming from our sections and younger vines at Rita’s Crown and Bent Rock. This wine showcases the exuberance of Sta. Rita Hills with bright, shiny red crunchy raspberry fruit that is layered with cola spices and tobacco. The wines are delicious now and will age gracefully for another 5-7 years. The appellation Pinot Noir also offers a great introduction to the style of our wines and will assuredly over-deliver for its price.”
Regular $40.99; Tasting $35.99
Domaine de la Cote
“Domaine de la Côte is a collection of 6 vineyards planted over 40 acres on the furthest western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation: Memorious (3.5 acres), Bloom’s Field (7.5 acres), Siren’s Call (3 acres), Clos Juliet (1 acre), La Côte (9.5 acres), and 15.5 acres of appellation Sta. Rita Hills. Dramatically rising to an elevation of 700 feet above the Santa Ynez River, the Domaine lies on an ancient 25 million year old siliceous (silex) and diatomaceous seabed 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Originally part of the Evening Land Vineyards program, the Domaine was purchased by Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman, along with their partner, at the beginning of 2013. Sashi Moorman discovered the site and developed the vineyards with Chris King in 2007. Under his direction, the vineyards were planted entirely to California heritage selections at extremely high vine densities between 4,000 and 7,000 vines per acre, unprecedented at the time for the appellation. Although the Domaine spans a mere 40 acres, the diversity of its climats is staggering: each vineyard has a unique geology, aspect, elevation and microclimate. Such distinct expression of site, or terroir, in such close proximity, is unparalleled in California.
The Domaine organically farms its vineyards and makes its wines with the philosophy of “add nothing; take nothing away.” All the wines are produced and bottled at the winery in the town of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, three miles from the domaine.”
Lompoc Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2012
Santa Rita Hills, California
“The 2012 Lompoc Wine Company Pinot Noir is the first vintage from Sommelier Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman. Their goal was to produce “authentic and accessible wine” from the Santa Rita Hills, and they certainly succeeded. This Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit from the Sanford & Benedict, Rita’s Crown and Bentrock vineyards. It offers bright aromas raspberries, ripe cherries, pepper, dark fruits and hints of floral, which leap from the glass. Today, the wine is very appealing with lots of ripe fruits, silky tannins and bright acidity on the finish. Drink this now or over the next 5-7 years.”
Regular $35.99; Tasting $30.99
Domaine de la Cote Pinot Noir Estate Santa Rita Hills 2012
Santa Rita Hills, California
“The 2012 appellation Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir comes predominately from 15 acres of vineyards planted at 200 feet above sea level in silty-clay loam; 25% of the vines are own-rooted at a vine density of over 4,000 vine/acre. Similar to last year’s wine, the 2012 is 50% whole bunches with 0% new oak used in the élevage. This wine has a brilliant red color and is perfumed, balanced and elegant. Currants, pomegranate and elderflowers fill the nose and hints of wild mushrooms and fresh garden herbs appear on the palate. The mouthfeel is round, but focused and finishes with savory tannins. We believe the wines will have a long life in the bottle if properly cellared and should develop aromas and flavors of great complexity over the next 5+ years. 2100 cases bottled. 50% stem inclusion. 12.5% alcohol. Neutral barrels.”
Regular $49.99; Tasting $44.99
Evening Land Vineyards
“Evening Land Vineyards was born in 2005 with the purchase of Occidental Vineyard on California’s Sonoma Coast. We later traveled north to acquire Seven Springs Vineyard in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills. Finally, we crossed an ocean to begin producing wine in Burgundy. Evening Land is now an estate producer completely focused on Seven Springs Vineyard and the Eola-Amity Hills, led by winemakers Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman.”
“Co-winemaker, along with Sashi Moorman, Rajat Parr is a two-time James Beard Award winner and internationally regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on wine.
A trained chef, Rajat Parr grew up in Calcutta, India, before journeying to the United States where he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. It was during training at the CIA where his interest in wine took hold. After graduation, Parr chose to pursue the cellar instead of the kitchen, venturing to San Francisco to join the staff of Rubicon, the renowned wine-focused restaurant of Master Sommelier Larry Stone. Parr quickly rose in the ranks, becoming a protégé of Stone. Here he honed his wine knowledge and tasting skills, while beginning a career that would see him become one the world’s most celebrated sommeliers.”
Seven Springs Vineyard
“Situated in the southeastern Eola-Amity Hills, our Seven Springs Vineyard is dry-farmed using biodynamic practices. The Pacific Ocean breeze, volcanic soil, eastern exposure, and high elevation contribute to the natural preservation of the grapes’ acidity and enrich the wines with elegant flavors and minerality.
Sixty-five acres were initially planted in the early 1980’s. Today, Seven Springs Vineyard is an 80 acre vineyard. The vineyard’s soil consists of iron-rich, volcanic rock with a thin layer of top soil – less than 36 inches right along the volcanic flow line.”
Evening Land Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 2013
Eola, Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
“We produce our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with grapes from just two AVA’s in the valley: Yamhill-Carlton and the Eola-Amity Hills. Specifically, certified organic fruit from the Lemelson Vineyard just outside of Carlton and from three sites in the beautiful Eola-Amity Hills AVA: the old vines of Eola Springs Vineyard, Rocky Hill Vineyard and young vines from our Seven Springs Vineyard. We carefully selected the vineyards for their stewardship of the land and sound farming practices, as well as their red volcanic soils that the Willamette Valley is so famous for. The grapes were hand sorted and de-stemmed and then fermented spontaneously after a 4-5 day cold soak in open top oak and concrete fermenters. Gentle punch downs twice per day throughout the fermentation helped the soft extraction of the tannins. Aging occurred in once-filled and neutral French oak barrels to preserve the elegance of the wine. Our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was estate bottled in August 2014. Vibrant in color with a purple hue. Aromatics indicate a classic warm Oregon vintage. Aromatic and textural. A wine that shows purity with cranberry and sour cherry notes that dominate the profile.”
Regular $44.99; Tasting $39.99 (Pre-Sale, 12 bottle price $29.99 including case discount)
Pre-Sale Wines from Evening Land Vineyards
Evening Land Chardonnay Seven Springs Vineyard ‘La Source’ 2013 6-pack
Regular $77.99; Pre-Sale $68.99
94 Wine Spectator
“La Source Chardonnay comes from our old Dijon clone plantings, planted in 1984 in iron-rich volcanic soil. The minerality of this wine is testament to the beautiful soils, while its fresh acidity serves as a backbone to its opulent, gorgeous fruit. We were relieved in 2013 to pick all the Chardonnay grapes before the rains in the middle of harvest. The Seven Springs Chardonnays are made in the traditional Burgundian style, with long, gentle pressing of whole clusters and a light settling of the golden juice just before transfer to barrel for spontaneous indigenous fermentation. For La Source, we gave some gentle stirring to the lees during the barrel aging in French oak. Aged in barrels for 11 months with 25% new oak, then further aged in tank for another five months, on lees, before bottling.”
“The wines of 2013 at Seven Springs exhibit a classical, elegant restraint that we love. Vibrant acidity and some richness provide a counterpoint to the purity of fruit. The Chardonnays are equally impressive with their aromas of hay, freshly cut summer orchard fruits and vibrant, laser focused citrusy acidity in the mouth. Alcohol 13.3% Production 781 6-packs”
Evening Land Chardonnay Seven Springs Vineyard ‘Summum’ 2013 6-pack
Regular $92.99; Pre-Sale $84.99
95 Wine Spectator
“Summum Chardonnay, like La Source, comes from the old Chardonnay Dijon 76 vines planted in 1984 in the middle of the vineyard. This special two acre cuvee lies slightly higher on the hill than the vines for La Source Chardonnay, the Summum vines are planted in the rockiest and shallowest site on the estate. We were relieved in 2013 to pick all the Chardonnay grapes before the rains in the middle of harvest. The Seven Springs Chardonnays are made in the traditional Burgundian style, with long, gentle pressing of whole clusters and a light settling of the golden juice just before transfer to barrel for spontaneous indigenous fermentation. For Summum (as for La Source), we gave some gentle stirring to the lees during the barrel aging in French oak. Aged in barrels for 11 months with 25% new oak, then further aged in tank for another five months, on lees, before bottling.”
“The wines of 2013 at Seven Springs exhibit a classical, elegant restraint that we love. Vibrant acidity and some richness provide a counterpoint to the purity of fruit. The minerality is immediately apparent, as is a beautiful tension that provides a stunning elegance. The most complex of our Chardonnays, Summum is one for the cellar. Alcohol 13.4% Production 576 6-packs”
Evening Land Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard 2013 6-pack
Regular $58.99; Pre-Sale $52.99
92 Wine Spectator
“Our 2013 Seven Springs Pinot Noir is a representation of Seven Springs Vineyard in its entirety; grapes are sourced from every diverse corner of this magical site, including our old vine, own-rooted Pommard block. The biodynamic farming of the vineyard showed its worth when the rains of 2013 threatened the vintage, as this method gave the pinot noir a thick exterior and made it resilient to the harmful weather. The grapes were hand-picked, hand-sorted, and destemmed; they began to ferment naturally after a 4-5 day cold soak in our open-top oak and concrete fermenters. Twice daily, gentle punch-downs throughout the fermentation helped the soft extraction of the tannins. Aging occurred in 30% new French oak barrels for 16 months to preserve the elegance of the wine.”
“In this vintage, we made what we consider to be classic Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noirs – bright, crisp red-fruited wines with medium grained tannins and gently perfumed aromas of grilled matsutake, pine forest and burning incense. A pale cherry-red in color, this wine exhibits a nose dominated by fresh raspberry, cola, cinnamon, and a hint of rose petal. The palate is soft, showing velvety tannins and notes of freshly made grenadine. The wine expresses beautiful minerality, a lingering acidity, and perseverant fruit—distinctive and classic hallmarks of the Seven Springs Estate. Alcohol 13.0% Production 3054 9L cases.”
Evening Land Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard ‘La Source’ 2013 6-pack
Regular $78.99; Pre-Sale $71.99
93 Wine Spectator
“2013 La Source Pinot Noir comes from the old vines planted at the highest part of the hill, where the vines have the most exposure to the wind and where the soils are their shallowest. The Seven Springs Vineyard, farmed biodynamically and organically since 2007, is planted on iron-rich, volcanic soil, with basalt mother rocks. The biodynamic farming of the vineyard showed its worth when the rains of 2013 threatened the vintage, as this method gave the pinot noir a thick exterior and made it resilient to the harmful weather. Our pinot noirs are hand-picked, hand-sorted, and destemmed, then treated to a 4-5 day cold soak in open-top oak and concrete fermenters before fermentation begins naturally from indigenous yeasts. Twice daily, gentle punchdowns throughout fermentation encourage soft extraction of tannins. Aging of this wine occurred in 30% new French oak barrels for 16 months, which preserves the elegance of the wine.”
“The wines of 2013 at Seven Springs exhibit a classical, elegant restraint that we love. La Source Pinot Noir is wonderfully complex. Detailed with fine tannins and a great vibrancy of fruit are apparent; the concentration of flavor is held in harmonious balance by the wine’s great tension. Alcohol 12.6% Production 1700 6-packs”