2009 McPrice Myers Altas Vinas, USA, California, Santa Barbara - Wine Review

Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, red raspberries, anise and black pepper. Nice. On the palate, black and red raspberries with some black licorice. It has some complexity and depth although it could use a bit more. Nice finish. It is drinking well now though it might not be at peak. Not sure if it will get any better though. It really is good even if I hoped for more.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Central Coast California

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Green Wineries: Three Eclectic Examples

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From Start to Finish: A Conversation with Thérèse Martin of Martin Ranch Winery

The winding, tree cocooned Redwood Retreat Road in Gilroy, California, snakes its way alongside Little Arthur Creek and steadily climbs up 600 ft. toward Mount Madonna. Once home to the widow of famed writer Robert Louis Stevenson, this southern neck of the Santa Cruz Mountains continues to lure day trippers, adventurers and cyclists. For two weekends each month, wine enthusiasts heed the call to likewise abandon their GPS and take this less travelled path to experience the award-winning wines of Martin Ranch Winery .

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Q&A with Bernard Portet, Winemaker at Heritance

Mentored by his father, a technical director at Château Lafite, Bernard Portet grew up tasting each wine vintage. Born in Cognac, his family has owned vineyard property in France since the late 1600s. A firm believer that making wine is all about a specific place, Portet’s journey led him to the United States, Australia, Morocco, South Africa and South America. Due to the similarities of several of his favorite wine regions in France, it was California’s Napa Valley that inspired him. With a clear vision of the potential of the Napa Valley, in 1971 he co-founded Clos du Val. He pioneered several Napa Valley regions and developed a keen focus upon the Stags Leap region. Portet remained at Clos du Val for more than 35 years. His latest wine label, Heritance launched in 2011.

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2009 McPrice Myers Altas Vinas, USA, California, Santa Barbara - Wine Review

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