Santa Barbara County can hold its own against the Napa Valley when it comes to cabernet sauvignon.
Say what?
Our growers of this renowned Bordeaux grape have long been proud of its successes, but frankly, it may have taken the rest of the us a while to catch on. When we think cab sauv, we think Napa.
While it’s true that most of northern Santa Barbara County doesn’t get enough heat for cabernet sauvignon to thrive, there are regional pockets that do: Happy Canyon, and the greater eastern Santa Ynez Valley, including Los Olivos and Solvang.
Like other regions recognized for cabernet sauvignon — Napa, Australia, Tuscany, Washington, Bordeaux, Chile and the Santa Cruz Mountains — Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara in particular, and the eastern Santa Ynez Valley in general, have enough heat days for cab sauv to thrive.
In early March, I participated in a blind tasting hosted for the industry by Santa Barbara Vintners, the largest association of wineries in Santa Barbara County. Morgen McLaughlin, executive director, has organized several of these tastings, which each focus on a specific varietal, tasted blind.
This tasting took place at the Happy Canyon estate of Grassini Family Vineyards, home to single varietal cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and several red Bordeaux blends.
In bags were 39 cabernet sauvignon wines grouped by vintage; most were either from 2010, 2011 or 2012. There were three 2013s, and one each of 2004 and 2009. Two 2008s and four 2007s rounded out the lineup.
Fifteen of the 39 wines were from grapes grown inside the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA. All but one of the remaining 24 were from vineyards located in the greater Santa Ynez Valley — the holdout came from a Paso Robles vineyard.
Following the tasting, when we participants identified ourselves, winemaker Fred Brander, who during his three-plus-decade career has focused on award-winning Bordeaux varietals, called Santa Barbara County “a paradise for cabernet sauvignon,” despite what some claim is a too-cool climate for the grape.
The green pepper, herbaceous or vegetal characteristic for which cab sauv is alternately revered and scorned is derived from the grapes’ level of pyrazines — formally known as methoxypyrazine, or 2-methoxy-3-alkylpyrazines.
In cooler climes such as ours, cabernet sauvignon tends to showcase a higher level of herbaceous aroma and taste. But this isn’t necessarily a flaw, Brander noted. “You don’t want to strip cabernet sauvignon of its signature characteristic, or pyrazines,” he said.
And cabernet sauvignon is an easy keeper for viticulturists, he added. Referring to the grape for which Santa Barbara County is best known, Brander called “pinot noir much more picky (to grow) than cabernet sauvignon.”
But back to the wines themselves.
First off: The three 2013s showed lots of potential, but needed more time. For each, I noted: “smoke, chocolate, meat, solid structure, but big/unwieldy.”
The collection of 2012s yielded the hit of the evening, as sufficient barrel time had softened/heightened the tannic structure for which cabernet sauvignon is known. One participating winemaker, Mikael Sigouin of Kaena Wines, described the 2012s as “the sweet spot tonight.”
A handful of favorites, in the order I tasted, with my notes: 2012 Baehner Fournier estate “Solus,” Santa Ynez Valley (“nice tannins; really pretty”); 2012 Babcock Winery & Vineyards, Estelle Vineyard, Block 15, Santa Ynez Valley (“big and smoky, nice cab”); 2012 Equipo Red, Grassini Family Vineyards, Happy Canyon (cab with a “hint” of merlot) (“meaty and a true cab sauv; a sleeper”); 2012 Foxen Winery, Grassini Family Vineyards, Happy Canyon (“very nice, less beefy but lovely”); 2011 Sagebrush Annie’s, Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard (“lovely, flavorful, balanced, cherry and dust”); 2007 Dascomb Cellars estate East Valley Vineyard, Happy Canyon (“aged but very nice”); and the 2007 Core Wines “Super Duper,” Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard (“soft and quiet, would not have guessed its age”).
— Laurie Jervis blogs about wine at www.centralcoastwinepress.com, tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.