Storrs are perhaps best known for their excellent Chardonnays, but they also make some great Zinfandels. Sourced from some old vineyards in the Santa Clara Valley, the Rusty Ridge and Lion Oaks are typically intense, concentrated and delicious.

Recently I happened to be in Whole Foods and spotted their 2006 Central Coast at $20. As I understand it, the fruit is sourced from a number of young, domestic vineyards in Santa Clara Valley.

It pops out of the glass with a savoury nose of raspberry and oak. Lots of raspberry/brambly flavours and peppery spice. Although it's only 14.2% it showed some heat, though in its defence this was perhaps exacerbated by being served a little on the warm side. There's fair acidity but not a great deal of tannin so drink it now. At $20 it's reasonable value but not a stunning bargain, though the 10% half-case discount does help. 87

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Earlier this week I visited the Clos LaChance tasting room. One of the wines on offer was the 2006 Estate Grenache and it didn't particularly impress. Cheryl from the winery left a comment on the blog to the effect that it must have been an off bottle and kindly sent me another one to sample.

I poured a glass and decanted the rest, which we drank over the evening. The wine has a nice garnet colour. Initially tight, it soon opened up and showed a pleasant nose of currant with a touch of smoke, but without the slight oxidation that marred the previous tasting. On the palate it's lively and fruity, with redcurrant and strawberry flavours, good acidity and significantly more tannin than before. According to the label it spent 16 months in barrel, but the oak influence isn't prominent. This is a wine that would pair well with poultry or paella and, while it didn't exactly rock my world, it was certainly a much better example than the last time. 88 $30

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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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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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"Retired computer consultant Duane Cronin may just be the most talented small winemaker in America. His wines have Old World balance and proportion coupled with beautiful Santa Cruz Mountain fruit." -- Richard Nalley, Food & Wine Magazine, 2004

Duane Cronin was one of the early Silicon Valley techies who retired to pursue a second career in winemaking. From 1980 to 2000 Cronin Vineyards made Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet (plus a smattering of other wines) from a variety of sources, from Monterey to Sonoma. He gaines a reputation for excellent, long lived wines. Sadly Duane retired from winemaking in 2000 and died in 2007. Prior to his death he came to an arrangement that K&L Wines would sell off the contents of his library, and as a result us Cronin fans have had the opportunity to grab some amazing values.

While the 1997 Central Coast Pinot Noir may not be the finest wine that Duane ever made it's certainly a good example of his style. Light in colour with a nose that while unmistakably Pinot Noir also has other elements that I couldn't identify, and just a hint of volatile acidity. On the palate there's good fruit as well as a strong note of asian spice - star anise and clove - backed by good acidity. Showing well for a ten year old wine; unlikely to improve but not showing any signs of falling apart. Great value at $10.

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