Santa Barbara County

In 1962 Canadian-born architect Pierre Lafond founded the first post-prohibition commercial winery in Santa Barbara County. Two years later, he located a winery facility on Anacapa Street, just two blocks from the Pacific Ocean. The 70 acres of estate vineyards are planted along the banks of the lower Santa Ynez River, a cool microclimate near the Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara Winery has become an extremely visible and successful wine concern, winning many medals for an array of wines.

Chardonnay 2009 Santa Barbara County Over half of this wine comes from the Santa Rita Hills AVA, a cool climate region where Chardonnay is getting wide acclaim for fruit intensity and structure. The balance of the fruit is chosen from vineyards approved by Bruce for their viticultural practices. Supple flavours, mouth pleasing weight, and good fruit intensity enhanced by 58% barrel fermentation make this wine a good all around choice to satisfy a wide variety of foods. With enough structure to age for five to seven years, we think this wine is very enjoyable two years after the vintage year. This nicely balanced wine is a great choice for service with roast chicken, sea bass, and pasta. Try with a mixed fruit and nut platter featuring a selection of light to mild semi hard cheeses. Gold Medal - 2011 Orange County Wine Competition "A soft and creamy chardonnay with gentle flavours of wheat and honey that last. This finishes clean and balanced. For any roast fish." 88 points and "Best Buy", Wine & Spirits, Oct 2011

Santa Barbara Syrah 2009 Santa Ynez Valley Winemaker Bruce McGuire is an early pioneer in blending Syrah grown throughout the east-west traverse of the Santa Ynez Valley. Because Syrah is proving to be the rare example of a varietal that can be grown in all the temperature zones found in this valley, blending vineyard sites has become an intriguing endeavor. This bottling of Syrah highlights both the cool climate forward flavours of white pepper and lavender, and the jammier full fruit character experienced in the back of the mouth courtesy of the warmer eastern Santa Ynez Valley. In 2009, Bruce blended fruit from the warmer climate Stolpman Vineyard in Ballard Canyon and Joughin Vineyard with the cooler climate Lafond Vineyard and Hill Top Ranch Vineyard. Both warm and cool climate sites in Santa Barbara County can retain the complex flavours and fine-boned pepper spice accents that make Central Coast Syrah so compelling. Most of the wine was aged in small 60 gallon French and Hungarian barrels as Syrah benefits from ample barrel time. Pair with rustic fare, slightly charred grilled meats, spring lamb, seared Ahi, and washed rind cheeses.

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All wines are available by the unmixed case to Licensees and Private Consumers, subject to availability.

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