Looks like Clos Lachance are having another clear out this month. Many of these seem to be wines that were in the last sale; I can recommend the "FACA06 2006 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon" and "SRCH06 2006 Monterey County Chardonnay" which I picked up last July as being very good values.

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What would you say was the most expensive vineyard in the world? It's difficult to tell, as the most valuable land is rarely - if ever - sold and prices tend not to be discussed openly. In the Napa Valley, where land can go for $200,000 or more per acre, the Screaming Eagle estate was recently sold for a rumoured price of $30 million. This included 60 acres, plus the brand and inventory. The wine sells for $750 a bottle on release, rising to thousands on the open market.

Surely the first growths of Bordeaux must be among the top contenders. Perhaps Lafite or Yquem, who respectively hold the titles for the most expensive bottles of red and white wine ever sold.

In Burgundy the arcane legal system means that land is even harder to get and surely no vineyard can be more expensive than Romanée Conti. Less than 5 acres in size, it hasn't changed hands in over 140 years. Individual bottles of the wine costs thousands of dollars on release and are snapped up almost instantly.

And then of course there's the Atherton vineyard.

Atherton's 94027 ZIP code is one of the most expensive in the nation. Though prices have declined by almost a quarter and it gave up the top spot to 07620 (Alpine, NJ), the median home sale price is still a massive $3.85 million according to a recent article on Forbes.com. So the idea of a vineyard in Atherton may seem ridiculous, but to Ann Ramsay - whose family have owned the property since the 1920s - the land is part of the family. In 1994 she planted 2.5 acres with Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is made in small quantities yet is surprisingly inexpensive; it retails for up to $20, rising to $35-$40 in restaurants. The vineyard is north of the Santa Clara Valley AVA boundary and below the elevation of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, so falls under the San Francisco Bay appellation.

2007 Orchard Hills Atherton Vineyard Pinot Noir, San Francisco Bay AVA
Light garnet colour. Some initial burnt match funk soon blew off, revealing light cherry and cranberry. With time caramel notes emerged. Light bodied with good cherry fruit and bright acidity, and a good medium-length finish. Developed nicely in the glass. 89 Value. $20 at Vino Locale in Palo Alto.

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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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When Ken Burnap retired he sold the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard company to his assistant, Jeff Emery. Unfortunately Jeff didn't have the resources to also purchase the historic Jarvis vineyard, so that was sold to Nick Guerrero who founded Vine Hill Winery. The vineyard has been replanted and is currently not producing.

The first releases were labelled as "Gatos Locos" (Crazy Cats), which was the label Nick had used for his home winemaking. The premium brand is Cumbre (which means Summit) and will be exclusively Santa Cruz Mountains fruit. I first tasted the wines at Pinot Paradise last year and wasn't that impressed, but the current release is a significant improvement.

2006 Cumbre Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Sourced from the Lester Family (formerly known as Deer Park) and Saveria vineyards in Corralitos, it shows very bright, focused cherry fruit, both on the nose and the palate, backed by chewy tannins. One to cellar. $49

2006 Gatos Locos Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
Sourced from the Nelson Family vineyard near Zayante and the Devery vineyard near Mount Madonna. Cherry fruit backed by chocolate and caramel notes, with a nice finish. $29

2006 Gatos Locos Syrah, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Sourced from the Manildi Vineyard near Soquel and Nelson Family vineyard. It's got a good, smoky nose with black fruits. Sweet, spicy blackberry flavours with a hint of clove and a good tannic finish. $20 Value

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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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It seems that value Pinot Noirs are like buses; you wait ages for one then a bunch come along together. The 2007 Downhill Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains is a well made Pinot with nice fresh cherry fruit, balanced with light tannins and a clean, fairly short finish. Like the Sarah's Central Coast that I tried recently it's intended for the trade market; it isn't listed on the winery's web site. The only known retail outlet is Johnny's Liquors in downtown Boulder Creek, where it sells for $16. If you spot it on a restaurant wine list it's definitely worth a shot. Value.

Update on June 21st: According to the comments it's sold out at Johnny's, but is in stock nearby at Boulder Creek Liquors for $14.99

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There's not much good Pinot Noir around for under $20; by all accounts it's a difficult grape to grow well. The Santa Cruz Mountains is a great place to grow Pinot, but it's typically expensive; there's a lot of demand for the fruit and little supply.

Sarah's Vineyard make two highly regarded Pinots; one from Estate fruit, another from small vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Each retails for $35. But they also have a third wine; a blend of barrels that didn't make the cut for the other two. This wine sees less oak and carries the Central Coast appellation; it's aimed primarily at the restaurant market, for their by-the-glass programmes.

This is a lovely, rich Pinot with a cherry/floral nose and lots of sweet cherry and spice flavours. There's enough structure that it doesn't come across as flabby; although it's not going to fall apart any time soon I don't see it getting any better than it is right now.

In fact the only downside with this wine is its availability; it goes directly into the wholesale market and isn't even sold out of the winery tasting room. The only retailer I can find currently offering it is Vineyardgate in Millbrae, who have it for the bargain price of $17 (the RRP is $24). If you spot this wine on a restaurant wine list you should definitely consider it. Value.

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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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