Jim & Judy Schultze farm 14 acres in Corralitos, at the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains. They also manage a vineyard in Aptos owned by the Klein Family. Four acres are currently producing fruit, with an additional half acre being prepared for grafting. Fruit from this vineyard all goes into the "Diane's Block" Pinot Noir. While it's perhaps the most fruit forward of the Windy Oaks wines, it is still fairly tight and doesn't show all its fruit right away. It's best decanted for at least an hour or so before serving.

The nose showed lots of spicy oak and rose petals. With time a caramel note emerged. It had flavours of tart cranberry and strawberry, with cherry and tea in the background. When first opened the finish showed a woody bitterness, but that soon dissipated. As the wine opened up, the rich, lush fruit became more apparent. My initial reaction was that it was a 90 point wine, but by the end of the bottle I'd revised the score up to 92. $45, 341 cases Recommended

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In 1893 the Garrod family purchased several acres of apricot and prune orchards on Mount Eden, close to Saratoga. George Cooper married into the family in 1941. A fighter pilot during WWII, he later became chief research test pilot for NASA.

In 1972 some of the orchards were replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Following his retirement George tended the vines and made his own wine. In 1994 commercial sales began. George and his son Bill Cooper are the winemakers; George's nephew Jan Garrod is the vineyard manager. The 120 acre ranch currently has around 28 acres planted. All the wines are estate grown; some of the fruit is also sold to other local wineries.

The winery and stables are located off Mount Eden Road, not far from the Mountain Winery and Mount Eden Vineyards. The tasting room is open daily and is in an old wooden building. There are two flights of 3 wines available; the first is complimentary, the second costs $5, refundable with purchase.

2006 Chardonnay, Gravel Ridge Vineyard
Good nose of lime, stone fruit and hint of tequila. Rich and creamy with good acidity, flavours of lemon and lime, and a crisp, dry finish. Often available at retail, particularly at Whole Foods, for $17 or less. Value 89 $22

2005 Cabernet Franc, Francville Vineyard
Bright redcurrant nose, slightly Jammy. Good structure with redcurrant fruit and a dry, tannic, earthy finish 88 $25

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lone Oak Vineyard
Nose shows currents, oak and earth. Rich, balanced and smooth with blackberry and tart cherry flavours. 88 $28

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, George's Vineyard
The original vineyard, planted around 1972; though some replanting has taken place, most of the vines are still original.
Smoky nose with blackcurrant and a hint of mint. Rich and full bodied with good structure; black fruits and loam, and a medium length finish. Good food-friendly wine that's ready to drink or will hold. Recommended 92 $35

2003 RV's Claret
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot
A strongly musty nose belies good fruit; brambles and currants, and loam. Quick, tart finish 87 $32

2005 Captain's Cuvee
50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Syrah
An unusual, possibly unique blend; I've certainly never heard of it before. Very bright fruity nose; cherry pie and cranberry sauce. Fresh fruity flavours with some spice. Good structure, but I doubt cellaring would improve it, it's fine the way it is. Recommended 91 $32

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Located off Watsonville Road, Clos LaChance is one of the area's larger wineries. In addition to the 150 acres of estate vineyards the winery installs and manages a number of small Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains through their CK Vines subsidiary, and purchases fruit from Monterey county.

The wines fall into three ranges; the "Hummingbird" series are good value everyday wines, the "Estate" series are more structured and will typically reward cellaring and the "Special Selection" series are small, usually vineyard designated lots. Although the winery is located at the heart of the Santa Clara Valley AVA the wines carry the wider Central Coast appellation.

The winery tasting room is open daily from 11-4:30. There is a $5 tasting fee (not refunded with purchase) which includes at least 5 wines; possibly more depending what happens to be open.

2008 Estate Viognier
Very fragrant; floral with, peaches, apricots, sherbet and wet stone. Crisp yet fruity with peach, mandarin orange and orange pith, and a long, mineral finish. Recommended 91 $22

2007 "Glittering-Throated Emerald" Chardonnay
An unoaked Chardonnay from Scheid Vineyard in Monterey County
Fresh nose of green apple and lemon. On the palate it's crisp and drywith notes of lemon and lime, and some limestone. Dry finish. A little expensive at the $15 RRP, but it was on offer at 30% off in the winery and can often be found at retail under $7. Based on that it's a Value 88 $15

2006 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Attractive nose of vanilla, lemon curd and toast. Made in the buttery style, it's creamy with vanilla and lemon, and a nice mineral finish. Value 90 $20

2007 Charsonnay, Biagini Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
Lighter on the oak than the 2006 SCM, the nose has lemon, apple and peach. Rich and full bodied with complex, creamy lemon, fig and mineral notes and a long toasty, smoky finish. A knockout. Recommended 93 $35

2007 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
2007 seems to be a very good year for Pinot everywhere. This example has a beautiful, fruity nose - cherry, raspberry, clove and nutmeg. Full bodied, with nice cherry and raspberry fruit, a little earthiness and a dry finish. Well balanced. Recommended 91 $30

2005 Estate Cabernet Franc
This will be the last vintage for this wine; in future the small amount of Cabernet Franc grown here will be used for blending.
A perfumed nose, hinting at dark fruits, tobacco, mushrooms and sandalwood. Perhaps a faint touch of volatile acidity. Good structure; flavours of brambles and tobacco, with an earthy finish. 90 $30

2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Tart nose of blackcurrant and fresh baked cookies, with a hint of smoke. Quite tannic with good acidity, blackberry and blackcurrant, and a medium length, earthy finish. 90 now with plenty of potential to improve over the next 3-5 years. $40

2006 Estate Grenache
Nose shows redcurrant and vanilla, with a hint of oxidation (poured from a half-empty bottle, presumably opened the day before). Smooth, with bright acidity, simple currant flavours and a quick finish. 83 $30

2006 Lila's Cuvee
An estate Rhone blend. Shows dark, jammy fruits and some oak on the nose. Rich and peppery, with spicy plum and blackberry flavours; well structured, with a good, long finish. 91 with potential. $40

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Woodside Vineyards doesn't open for tasting very often; one of the few events is over Memorial Day weekend. I went up on Monday to check out the current releases.

The 2006 Kings Mountain wasn't being poured; only 250 cases were produced and as a result it's only being sold to restaurants and wine club members. I managed to persuade them to let me buy a bottle, so that will get reviewed in the near future.

2003 Estate Brut Sparkling Wine
Woodside markets two sparkling wines; their non vintage "California Champagne" is manufactured for them by Weibel, but the vintage Sparkling Wine is made here from roughly 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. It has a toasty, yeasty, mineral nose. On the palate it's creamy with lemon and apple flavours, mineral notes and a crisp, nutty finish.

2007 Woodside Chardonnay
Rich, full nose of vanilla, lemon and caramel. It's rather oaky with some lemon and tropical fruit, and a quite bitter, tannic finish. Just released; needs time to settle down.

2005 Pinot Noir
The fact that the major wine critics don't pay much attention to the Santa Cruz Mountains is the only reason this wine is still available to buy. Great nose of earth and underbrush, with cherry and strawberry underneath. On the palate it's balanced, rich and spicy; layered flavours of black cherry, Asian spice and earth, and a long finish. Very good, and highly Recommended.

2006 Zinfandel
Initially earthy, with raspberry and toast notes. Has good, pure raspberry fruit, though there's some unresolved oaky bitterness on the medium length finish. As with the 2005 I tried recently, I think a bit of cellar time is in order, but it certainly has potential.

2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Musty at first, but that soon blew off to reveal nice blackcurrant fruit with hints of toast and earth. On the palate there's good blackcurrant fruit; more so than the 2002 I opened on Saturday and the tannins are less evident. However the acidity still shows rather prominently despite having a higher pH than the Zinfandel tasted just before. Definitely needs time.

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The disparity between life in Silicon Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains never ceases to amaze me. As a high-tech flatlander I find it difficult to imagine life without broadband internet, cellphone service and TiVo. Simple things like electricity and fresh running water are just taken as read.

But up in the mountains things are different. Take Dexter and Val Ahlgren for example. They built their wooden cabin on a secluded hillside on Highway 9, outside Boulder Creek. There is no water supply, not even a well; instead they catch rainwater in huge tanks and occasionally have it brought in by tanker. So it's somewhat surprising to realise that this is also the home of Ahlgren Vineyards.

Val Ahlgren was a teacher who began making wine in the garage of their Sunnyvale home in the 1960s out of whatever fruits were available. In the early 1970s Dexter sold his engineering business and the couple purchased their idyllic property. The winery is in the cellar below the house; it was bonded in 1976.

Grapes are sourced primarily from a couple of well known and highly regarded sources; Bates Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Ventana Vineyard in Monterey County. They also source Zinfandel and Semillon from Livermore and Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains. There is a small 1 acre vineyard (with the potential for maybe 5 more acres) which is planted to Pinot Noir; the first successful crop was in 2007, when one barrel was made.

The winery is open to the public on Saturdays from 12-4PM. There is no tasting fee.

2007 Chardonnay, Ventana Vineyard, Monterey County
Nice nose of tropical fruit and caramel. Sweet, creamy flavours of asian pear and pineapple; rich and full bodied with balanced acidity and a long finish. Recommended $27

2004 Merlot, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Super-ripe, plummy nose leading into sweet, rich, heavy plum fruit and a big finish. Surprising acidity and lack of heat given the 16.2% alcohol. $30

2004 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
Sourced from a vineyard near Aptos. Lovely cherry nose, nice fresh cherry flavour and bright acidity. $30

2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
Unreleased; only 25 cases made. (Will be available to wine club members only.)
Nose of rose petals and ruby grapefruit. Light, fresh flavours of red cherry; good balance, nice tannins. $NA

2002 Syrah, Ventana Vineyard, Monterey County
Black fruit and tobacco on the nose. Dry, tart black cherry and plum with a little white pepper; lots of acidity and good mouthfeel. $15

NV Zinfandel Livermore Valley
2% residual sugar, 16.9% ABV
Spicy raspberry notes with some heat on the nose, but not so evident on the palate. Sweet candied fruit; raspberry and loganberry with a slightly port-like finish. $35

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This weekend was the final - or more accurately latest - assemblage of the 2008 Monte Bello. Right now the individual components are still in barrel; the staff have been evaluating each lot to see whether it should be included in the blend, if it adds or detracts from the whole. It's a difficult job, involving lots of blind tastings and group decisions. Having tasted some of the components in March we now get to see how things are progressing. But before we get to that...

2007 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
A decidedly mineral quality to the nose, with candied lemon and vanilla. First sample was too warm and just showed alcohol, the problem with pouring outdoors on a hot day. It's got a nice, rounded mouthfeel and flavours of lemon, melon, guava and wet stone. Quite an oaky finish. Recommended

2008 Monte Bello Barrel Sample
The current blend is 71%Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot. Neither the Cabernet Franc nor the Petite Verdot have made the cut, though in the case of the latter there has been much debate. The winemakers will continue to monitor its evolution and it may yet come around; if it doesn't then this will be the first Monte Bello since 1985 that the blend has only contained two grapes. Not a lot of change since the first assemblage; some additional parcels of Cabernet and Merlot have been added, but the decision was tough.

Nose of violets, plums and blackberries. Flavours of blackberry, plum and tart blackcurrant backed by smoke, meat and pencil shavings, with a hint of mint, eucalyptus and liquorice/anise on the long finish. Good acidity; tannin is evident but not overpowering or puckering. Surprisingly drinkable even now, but has the backbone to be a particularly long-lived vintage. Recommended

Now onto some older vintages. These wines were all decanted and then returned to their bottles prior to pouring.

1999 Monte Bello
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot. 13% ABV
The nose on this seems much older than you might expect; it shows a distinct note of Dijon mustard and a hint of what seemed like oxidation. On the palate it's rounded and quite concentrated, showing brambles, mint, eucalyptus and meat. Though it has good structure it seemed to be significantly more advanced in development of the three; if you hold any of these it would be a good idea to open one to make sure that you're happy with the direction that it's heading.

Note: See my notes on the retasting at Ridge

1997 Monte Bello
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot. 12.9% ABV
The low percentage of Merlot is explained by the fact that in 1997 Ridge bottled a Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot.
Nose of smoked meats and cassis. Rich, smooth and balanced with good acidity. Flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and cedar leading into a long finish. A lovely wine that's yet to peak. Recommended

1995 Monte Bello
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot.
Lovely rich nose of roast meat, brambles, graphite and notes of blackcurrant and violets. A second sample from a different bottle showed more cedar. Great balance; smooth with a long finish. Far more youthful than the 1999. Recommended

2005 Monte Bello
Rich, spicy berry and slighly floral nose. Great blackberry and blackcurrant flavours backed by smoky, meaty notes and a good long finish. Unsurprisingly it's still very primary, showing the most tannins of all, but still very tasty. Recommended

Then onto some of the other Ridge wines:

2007 East Bench Zinfandel, Dry Creek
8% Petite Sirah. 15.4% ABV.
Nose of raspberries and fresh white mushrooms. On the palate there's lots of raspberry, white pepper and toast. Good, medium length finish. $30

2005 Nervo Zinfandel
4% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignane
A lighter berry nose than the East Bench. Concentrated and meaty with sweet black fruits. A really good Zinfandel. Recommended $33

2005 Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache
Nose shows earth, bell pepper and black olive. Smooth on the palate, with black fruit, cardamom and orange peel and a savoury finish. $33

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Sones Cellars is the private label for Michael and Lois Sones; Michael is the winemaker for Bargetto. I visited them a year ago during the vintners festival and caught up with them at a recent trade tasting in Los Gatos.

2008 Siren Song, California
A white blend previously known as La Sirena, until the Napa winery of the same name asked them to change it. A blend of Viognier, Torrentes, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, mostly from the Lodi area. It's a lovely fragrant, floral wine; light and crisp yet spicy. Alison really liked this. $21 Recommended

2006 Zinfandel, Santa Clara Valley
Sones source their Zinfandel from the Wiedeman vineyard in Santa Clara; for the 2006 vintage they blended some Carignane. It has an earthy, raspberry nose. On the palate there's tart raspberry fruit with some chili pepper spicyness and a good finish. $25 Recommended

2006 Petite Sirah, Lodi
Sones is one of the few wineries I know (Storrs is another)that aim to make a Petite Sirah with soft, controlled tannins by pressing the fruit off the skins early. The grape makes good wines when it's not furring your mouth up. There's a light berry nose - raspberry and loganberry, which leads in to smooth, sweet fruit and a medium finish. $23 Value

2006 Petite Sirah, French Camp Vineyard, Paso Robles
Nice aromas of redcurrant. Similar in style to the Lodi, though slightly lighter in weight. $29

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Winemaker Katy Lovell founded the Rios-Lovell winery in Livermore in 1994. In 2004 she sold her stake and founded Poetic Cellars in the hills above Soquel. Katy retained control of around 38 acres of vineyards in Livermore, which are planted with several different varieties. In addition the new estate has roughly 10 acres of growing land. Initial plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are not yet mature. The winery is open to the public at weekends from 12-5PM.

Notes from the SCMWA trade tasting in Los Gatos, May 4th

2007 Chardonnay, Chestnut Hill Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Very perfumed nose, more reminiscent of a Roussanne than a Chardonnay. Flavours of apple and stone fruit; slight touch of residual sugar. Good finish $24

2006 Mourvèdre, San Francisco Bay AVA
Another fragrant nose; gamey with notes of black fruit. Rich, earthy and fruity with notes of Red Vines and a long finish. Recommended $28

2005 Syrah, San Francisco Bay AVA
Yet another wine with powerful spicy, black fruit aromatics (I'm sensing a theme here). On the palate it's rustic and peppery with tart cranberry flavours and a medium finish. $28

2005 Petite Sirah
Initially this had a strange nose that made me think of soft cheese, a tart berry character with soft tannins and a quick finish. However after a little swirling in the glass it developed a musty, hedgerow character and the berry notes became richer. Alison really liked this. $26

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Solis dates back to before Prohibition. Back then it was owned by the Bertero family, who grew Zinfandel and Carignane. The property stayed in the family until the 1980s when it was purchased by the Vannis. Over the years they have planted several French and Italian vines both at the original site and a second nearby vineyard that is jointly owned and managed.

I last visited Solis around 5 years ago; their wines were clearly way ahead of many other Hecker Pass wineries at the time. All the wines carry the Santa Clara Valley appellation, and most are Estate. Tasting is free.

2007 Fiano Estate, Santa Clara Valley $18 Fiano is an ancient Italian varietal, grown mainly in the Campania region of southern Italy. If I hadn't been told that I'd have sworn that this was a Viognier. Floral nose; crisp, fruity palate and a nice finish. Good acidity too; the best non-Chardonnay white wine I've tried in a while. Value Recommended
2007 Vino Roseo, Santa Clara Valley $12 A sweet rose made from Sangiovese. While it has some complexity and nice flavours, it's too sweet for my tastes.
2005 Merlot Estate, Santa Clara Valley $24 A little on the oaky side, this had good black fruits with a subtle hint of black olive or bell pepper. Nice finish.
2007 Zinfandel, Santa Clara Valley $18 It's easy to let Zinfandel get too ripe and end up with a fruit bomb that's got 15.5%-17% alcohol. It's much harder to get Zinfandel that's properly ripe, having good acidity without unripe green flavours and still under 14% alcohol, so this was a pleasant surprise. Good raspberry flavour with white pepper notes.
2004 Syrah, Santa Clara Valley $20 Hints of earth and mushroom on the nose. On the palate it's fruity with soft, integrated tannins.
2005 Cara Mia (Meritage), Santa Clara Valley $30 90% Merlot, blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Good fruit with a hint of espresso and vanilla. Give it a year in the cellar to integrate.

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