WTN: Santa Cruz-NEGRETTE?!

Quarterly trip to Santa Cruz, and it was a beautiful fall day, so I brought my bicycle and braved the horrors of Highway 17.

Parked at Natural Bridges and cycled along the amazing West Cliff Drive (my future post-LOTTO place of residence) , East Cliff, and Opal Cliffs to Capitola. In Soquel, I just kept riding north on Main Street, which became the beautiful Glen Haven Road. ...and...there is a winery near the top! Soquel Vineyards has carved a tasting room, winery, and vineyard at 800 feet elevation or so! I tasted a minerally, balanced Chardonnay, an estate blend Pinot that was light and herbal and delicious, and some Napa-sourced Bordeaux blends. Quite a surprise.

Rexford Winery is a father and son effort tucked away in an industrial park on Swift Avenue. They had a lovely Tempranillo and a Pinot Blanc made in the richer, oaked Alsatian style.

Finally, Bonny Doon was pouring a NEGRETTE! Sourced from San Benito County, this was a ferocious wine-like a less fruity, earthier Petit Sirah, perhaps, but definitely tannic. Also: a juicy, somewhat simple San Luis Obispo Syrah (as well as the meaty Bien Nacido 2009 Syrah, which was amazing). The Grenache Blanc was, well, Grenache Blanc. A variety I have never found exciting, but....

Finally, Bonny Doon was pouring a NEGRETTE! Sourced from San Benito County, this was a ferocious wine-like a less fruity, earthier Petit Sirah, perhaps, but definitely tannic. Also: a juicy, somewhat simple San Luis Obispo Syrah (as well as the meaty Bien Nacido 2009 Syrah, which was amazing). The Grenache Blanc was, well, Grenache Blanc. A variety I have never found exciting, but....

Negrette is an interesting variety, Brian. One they should be planting all up&down the Coast of Calif.
It's origins are in Cyprus and mostly planted in the AC Fronton, near Tolouse in SW France. They can make
a pretty rough/rustic wine there.
It was originally planted in SanBenito back when Almaden was encouraging vnyd plantings there for their
Charles LeFranc label (made by EdFriedrichs..they were actually pretty good wines). It was then known
as PinotStGeorges. KennyVolk rediscovered it up there when he was a WildHorseWnry in Paso. He continued
to make it under his KenVolk label and still does, I believe. DeRose and Debost also make Negrette from that same
MillerFamily vnyd.
Now you know the rest of the story...as made up by TomHill.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Negrette is an interesting variety, Brian. One they should be planting all up&down the Coast of Calif.

And why should they be planting it up and down the coast?

Negrette is an interesting variety, Brian. One they should be planting all up&down the Coast of Calif.

And why should they be planting it up and down the coast?

Because it makes a very interesting wine far superior to Cab or Pinot. The Negrettes
from Calif are world-class, better than any of the 6-8 I've had from Fronton.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Ah you are trolling.

Ah you are trolling.

In Tom's world, Suisun Valley is the center of the American Wine Universe (because of all the oddities tucked away therein).