WTN: Domesticated

[Jenise]

From the last week:

2014 JB Neufeld Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley
First night, one glass: very soft, no apparent tannins and leaning more toward fruit than acid. Okay with a steak. Following night, one more glass: a lot more grip but fruit waning, and while I tried to decide whether it merited finishing the glass (if you even ask, it usually isn't) it turned opaque/cloudy--the discoloration literally bloomed in the glass like a dust storm--and the flavor was instantly affected, like malt powder had been added. Lots of sediment too. Dumped the rest on the rhododendrons.

2016 Thomas Gerrie Wines Syrah Les Collines Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Last bottle of a case. Really fantastic on first pour--this is a syrah made with the deft hand of a pinot noir maker--but it dried out over the next two hours. Was never unpleasant, but time to drink up if you have them.

2022 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir El Jabali Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills
This winery was famed Santa Barbara based winemaker Richard Sanford's second act after losing his original, eponymously named winery to his business partner. Raspberry fruit with tomato skin, thyme, cola and anise. Drinks well immediately with a cashmere texture that gains grip overnight. The 14.4% abv doesn't show--I could drink this all day.

[David M. Bueker]

Cool that you were able to try the Alma Rosa. Levi Dalton did a long interview with Richard Sanford, which went through the whole, long story of Sanford & Benedict, and the eventual turn to Alma Rosa.

Good to see a note on the Alma Rosa. I visited there ca. 2018 and had a great tasting (been following Richard Sanford from *almost* the beginning) and probably drank my body weight in their 2016 PN, which -- mirabile dictu! -- was available locally for some reason.

[Jenise]

Several of Richard's '22s were recently dumped here in Washington state, probably by a troubled distributor, but tasting room prices were north of $60. I jumped on a few of these at $29. Lucky to get this one as I missed another SV and some chardonnays by minutes. I have a very fond memory of meeting Richard in the original Sanford & Benedict tasting room, and again later at Alma Rosa whose tasting room is the other half of a building that contains THE restaurant Bob and I never missed when travelling up and down that stretch of California in our Sprinter van, Industrial Eats. First lunch, then wine: not just a place to visit, a place to languish away an afternoon.

I only went to the Santa Rita/Santa Barbera area once, but we ate at Industrial Eats multiple times when we were there. One of my favourite restaurants ever!

OK, Alma Rosa is new name to me, I should try (although I confess to never being a fan of Sanford and Benedict)

[Jenise]

I only went to the Santa Rita/Santa Barbera area once, but we ate at Industrial Eats multiple times when we were there. One of my favourite restaurants ever!

Same here! You probably know the owner died? Very sad (cancer, of course), but his employees took it over and it still thrives with, perhaps, only slightly less wild imagination than before but it's still on my all-time favorites list.

[David M. Bueker]

Last Bottle was selling a 2022 Alma Rosa single-vineyard Pinot today for $32.

[Jenise]

Last Bottle was selling a 2022 Alma Rosa single-vineyard Pinot today for $32.

Saw that, and it was $42. I was tempted.

[David M. Bueker]

It started at $42. Dropped to $32 before it was gone.

[Jenise]

It dropped? I've never seen a drop. One price only. How does that work. Did you get notices of the price change?

[David M. Bueker]

No. I am not even signed up. I just happened to look, saw it was $42, and when I went back to check that it was really a single vineyard wine the price was $32.

[Jenise]

Well that's interesting! I would not have expected it. Typically, if I go back to look again, whatever it was has already sold out.