Open daily: Fleming Jenkins, Testarossa
Open weekends: Pinder, Black Ridge
Appointment Only: Heart's Fire, Perrucci Family, Sensorium, Stroth-Hall, Travieso

Testarossa are open daily from 11-5PM in the old Novitiate winery in Los Gatos. They also make wines under the Novitiate label. Fleming Jenkins have a tasting room nearby in downtown Los Gatos, open daily except Mondays from noon-6PM. To the south just off Highway 17 Black Ridge are open from 11-5PM on the third weekend of the month, and at other times by appointment. Sensorium Wines and Perrucci Family are also located in Los Gatos; I believe both are available by appointment but I've never visited either of them. Neither are participating SCMWA members.

In Campbell four wineries share an industrial unit close to the junction of San Tomas and Highway 17 under the banner of Campbell Winemakers' Studio.
Pinder and Travieso pour their wines every Saturday between 11AM and 4PM. Heart's Fire are open between 1-4PM on the first Sunday of each month. Stroth-Hall are only open by appointment.

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For those who don't recognise the label, Dahlia is Beverages & More's own brand. The wines are made by local producers - the last one I saw was by Bargetto and this one is by Testarossa. Apologies for the poor quality image.

This bottle was brought to a social function that I attended. Now I'm not a big stemware snob, but it has to be said that conical plastic tumblers are hopeless when it comes to assessing a wine's potential. The nose seemed interesting but on the faint side. On the palate it had pleasant ripe cherry and a touch of chocolate with a good finish. Smooth, and light on the oak, acidity and tannins. I guessed that it would be priced in the $15-$20 range and tentatively scored it an 88.

When I got home I checked the BevMo web site and was surprised to find that its retail price is actually $30 (which is crazy; you can get Testarossa's Palazzio for less than that) but with a ClubBev card the price currently comes down to a more reasonable $20. If you like Testarossa's style and have a ClubBev card it's worth trying.

The range also includes a similarly priced Reserve Chardonnay as well as a non-Reserve Pinot Noir for $20 ($15 with ClubBev card), though I don't yet know whether those are produced by Testarossa or not - check the rear label if you're interested.

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On a slope overlooking Lexington Reservoir sits the 70 acre Black Ridge estate. Grapes were grown on the site before Prohibition; it later became a prune farm and more recently grew Christmas trees.

The site has great views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and downtown San Jose. Several impressive buildings have been erected, including one which may house the winery that is still under construction.

Beginning in 2000 owners Fred Faltersack and Jim Landes began planting vines. Around 22 acres are planted, with 11 different varieties. The first vintage was produced in 2005 by Jeffrey Patterson of Mount Eden Vineyards; subsequent vintages have been made by Bill Brosseau at Testarossa. All wines use 100% estate fruit

2007 Viognier
The only white currently produced, it has a lovely fresh fruity/floral nose, with apricots and canteloupe. Flavour soft pear and vanilla with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a crisp, oaky finish.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Smoky, brambly nose. Plenty of acidity and tannin, but the fruit seemed a bit muted.

2006 San Andreas Red
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Bright, fruity nose showing redcurrant. Good balance, with plum and blackberry flavours. Tannins on the finish seemed a little harsh.

2006 Cabernet Franc
Nice tobacco and cedar notes backed by blackcurrant and blueberries. Rich, well structured. Dry, tannic finish.

Also on offer were barrel samples of a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, made by assistant winemaker Ashley DuBois. A sample from neutral oak showed bright, pure brambly fruit with a rich, smooth finish. The sample from new French oak added notes of caramel and coffee, while the fruit remained pure and focused. This looks like being an excellent debut release for Ashley.

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There's no denying that Rosella's vineyard, in Monterey's Santa Lucia Highlands, produces some excellent fruit. The list of wineries that the vineyard sells to reads like a "Who's Who" of new-wave Pinot Noir producers, many of whom don't have estate vineyards but seek out quality fruit from across the region. Testarossa is one such producer; despite being based in the historic Novitiate winery in Los Gatos the vineyards are no longer in production.

I opened this for Chrismas dinner last week, and decanted it for a couple of hours. In the glass it has has a lighter garnet colour than many domestic Pinots. On the nose there's a delicious combination of fruit and flowers (roses?) and on the palate there are cherries and wild strawberries. A rich mouthfeel and a long finish with silky tannins. I'd say this was at its peak right now, but will certainly hold for a good few years if so desired. An excellent wine though sadly not an excellent price; at almost $60 it's not something I'd buy regularly.

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Testarossa is based in the historic Novitiate Winery in downtown Los Gatos. However they source the vast majority of their fruit from outside the AVA, notably Santa Barbara County, as with this Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay.

As you might expect, it's made in a riper style than your average Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay. It has the typical California oak and butter components but there's a good core of fruit too. Plenty of complexity. A very nice wine; think I paid $38 at the winery.

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