“Sideways” Central Coast
Reservations Closed
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Santa Barbara This is a richly textured wine with tropical aromas of sweet pineapple, Crenshaw melon, and undertones of fig which on the palate are set in a finely textured, creamy structure of balanced acidity ending in a complex, yeasty finish. |
Folely Estate Sauvignon Blanc |
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Santa Barbara County 100% Chardonnay Lincourt Chardonnay is produced from prime vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s two principal AVAs: the Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa Maria Valley opens directly to the Pacific Ocean, drawing evening fogs over the vineyards which persist until late the next morning. This marine influence creates very cool conditions and an extended growing season especially well-suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Santa Ynez Valley, 25 miles to the south of the Santa Maria AVA, also lies in an east-west oriented trough, at the western extremity of which is the Santa Rita Hills AVA. The topography draws cool Pacific winds inland, resulting in a very cool climate that warms as one progresses eastward. This moderately warmer climate is ideal for Syrah and Bordelaise varieties. Sourcing grapes from both AVAs captures a wide diversity of characteristics of each variety. At harvest, the fruit is hand picked and whole-cluster pressed. The fresh must is immediately cooled and transferred to sixty-gallon French oak barrels for fermentation. Barrels are predominately of Vosges and Alliers forest origin and are purchased from several Burgundian cooperage firms. Forty to fifty percent of the cooperage used for Lincourt’s Chardonnay is new oak in each vintage. Once fermentation in complete, the wine is allowed to clarify and settle in the barrel. It remains in barrel from January through June during which time the wine is stirred weekly to enhance development of flavor and complexity. Malolactic fermentation is completed at this time and the wine is further aged and stirred until August. At the end of August final evaluation of each individual lot takes place and the decision of the final blend is determined and assembled. The wine is bottled in early September. The wine shows the distinct tropical fruit and citrus notes of classic Santa Barbara Chardonnay. It is enhanced with vanilla and butterscotch aromas and hints of toasty oak. The flavors are well structured with citrus fruit and light buttery tones balanced by a firm pleasant acidity and a lingering soft finish. This classic Santa Barbara Chardonnay shows distinct tropical fruit and citrus aromas enhanced by vanilla, butterscotch and toasty oak notes. The flavors are well structured with citrus and buttery tones balanced by a firm acidity. |
LinCourt Chardonnay |
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Pinot Noir/Syrah/Valdigue blend Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido, Syrah and Valdigue - French Camp Vineyards, San Luis Obispo Brown sugar and raspberries swirl with floral notes of rose petals and the sweet smell of watermelon. The mouth follows this path into a denser fruit with black pepper and licorice. The wine finishes long with firm but refined tannins and polished, dark fruit flavors. Just when you think the flavor ride has stopped, you get a lingering hint of the watermelon again. The range of the Lano Rouge will make this wine a true crowd pleaser. It is the perfect wine for that mixed dinner party. It will make your wine geek friends happy and Aunty Em from Kansas will be amazed that she has finally found a wine she likes. As a side bar…this wine is a great treat for summer. Serve it chilled, it's wonderful right from the cooler. |
Lane Tanner Lano Rouge |
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Santa Barbara 100% Pinot Noir Bien Nacido, literally Spanish for “Born Well”, is one of the vineyards in Santa Barbara where Steele Wines purchases Pinot Noir grapes. It is an expansive tract of land with many different aspects and exposures. It sits on a bench above the Sisquoc River and is one of the most well known of the Santa Barbara area vineyards. Many of the most prestigious wineries in California purchase grapes from this vineyard. Our favorite block for the single vineyard wines is “F-Block” which gives the most intense fruit. With Pinot Noir we take a minimal approach to wine making. Fermentations are carried out with as little manipulation as possible. We use a gentle crusher, one short pump-over per day and cool soak the grapes prior to the onset of fermentation. The wine is always elegant, perfumed and alluring. The wine from Bien Nacido is deeper, richer with more color and body than from other vineyards. Our aging program is always in French Oak barrels which are heavily toasted during the bending of the staves. This toasting gives a smoky aromatic backdrop to the wonderful cherry fruit aromas and flavors. We usually bottle the wine in December of the following year, so at a minimum the wine spends 12 months in French Oak. The wines made from Bien Nacido have a unique “Terrior”. A salty, briny complexity reminds us that the grapes are grown close to the sea. Salmon in dill sauce or rack of lamb work well with this wine. Try to avoid heavy sauces or reductions as these may cover some of the unique character of this wine. |
Steele Pinot Noir
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Santa Barbara County The latest in a line of delicious, full throttle Rhone blends, this year’s bottling is comprised of Syrah (50%), Grenache (30%), and Mourvedre (20%). Aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, this wine shows rich cranberry, dark cherry and plum fruit flavors accented by hints of vanilla and oak. It is a weighty but elegant wine that will compliment grilled meats and roasts perfectly. The only unfortunate part of this new release is that the 2002 gave us less than 200 cases, about half as much as the 2001 vintage. |
Epiphany Revelation |
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Santa Barbara County Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley 100% Syrah Lincourt Syrah shows seductive spice and anise aromas with bright, ripe blueberry and blackberry notes. Rich flavors of plum and cherry are followed by subtle nuances of spicy tobacco and toasted oak. A full bodied wine with excellent fruit extraction, it expresses classic varietal flavors with a rich texture, well-balanced tannins and a broad finish on the palate |
LinCourt Syrah |