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Santa Barbara
wines impress

I've just returned from an exhilarating week-long trip to California wine country. One of the most provocative stops was the Santa Barbara region.

Over the years, many of my favorite California wines have come from this unusually cool grape-growing appellation. But 15 years ago, my annual trek there was much simpler. Only a handful of vineyards were truly great (Sanford & Benedict, Bien Nacido and the Babcock Estate, to name three), and only a handful of wine producers were truly noteworthy.

How times have changed.

The region has experienced a HUGE growth surge. High-quality vineyards are popping up all over, seemingly overnight. Where five years ago there were five or six, today more than 15 are capable of producing world-class grapes. It has gotten hard for even the consummate wine professional to keep up.

The same can be said about the emergence of many new-age winemaking phenoms, who are just now stepping forward to strut their stuff. The results are some of the most tasty, interesting wines produced in California today.

The movie "Sideways" did a good job of promoting the superb quality of the area's pinot noirs, and it is amazing how many people are now willing to try these wines. Here are some of the real standouts:

For a very pretty, wonderfully perfumed, feminine pinot, try the 2002 Costa de Oro (roughly $20), one of the best buys for the dollar.

For sexy, seductive, contemporary pinots, try Au Bon Climat (about $30), Melville ($25), Drew ($26) and Brewer-Clifton 2002s and 2003s ($50 and up).

For profound, age-worthy pinots, consider the 2001s and 2002s from Whitcraft ($45) and Ojai ($36).

But the most eye-opening revelation of this year's trek to Santa Barbara was the number of absolutely gorgeous, truly superb syrahs. Unbelievable, to say the least. Three standouts:

2002 Duo "Colson Canyon" ($35): This is a syrah crafted by a pinot noir winemaker -- so sleek, elegant, highly refined and light.

2003 Drew Family Cellars "Morehouse Vineyard" ($35): A stellar bottle of which only 150 cases were produced.

2001 Ojai "Bien Nacido Vineyard" ($37): This profound syrah combines the best of California and the Old World.

These are some of the very best California has to offer. Keep an eye out for these small-production wineries, only now beginning to find their way into our state.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone of some wonderful white wines also being produced in the area. In fact, Santa Barbara chardonnay is what initially drew my attention to the region.

Wine writers such as Robert Parker have lavished much-deserved praise and high scores on the area's top producers, such as Au Bon Climat, Ojai, Melville and Brewer-Clifton. I would like to add Whitcraft to the list. The 2004 Bien Nacido I tasted out of the barrel is one helluva California chardonnay. It should be released sometime near Christmas.

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