On my radio show each week, The Spirits of New Mexico, I have been featuring a signature wine from a wine region as well as providing an overview of the region itself. As with most things in life, context is important. In this case, where does this wine come from? Well-made wines honor the terroir in which they are made and are representatives of the wine region in which they reside. Many wine lovers know this and seek out wines from regions that deliver what they want most in a wine.
The Santa Cruz Mountains is one of the oldest wine regions in California and known for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, but so much more. Since I lived at the base of these mountains for many years and bicycled all its twisting, sinuous roads I knew where all the wineries and many of the vineyards were located. Many of these wineries became my favorites and tasting their wines always brought me back to their mountain aeries. That is the hallmark of a terroir-based wine; it gives one a sense of place.
Winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains goes back over 100 years. Many legendary winemakers have been drawn to this region of varying terroir. They include David Bennion of Ridge Winery, always one of my favorites, and David Bruce who helped define the character of Pinot Noir wines. Paul Masson winery and vineyards founded in 1901 in Saratoga became the Mountain Winery, which has been a concert venue since 1958.
Depending on where the vineyards are sited, different characteristics are present in the wines. Obviously the Pacific-facing and San Francisco Bay-facing vineyards will exhibit different influences on the grapes. The inland microclimates are perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel, while the marine climate on the western slopes is unrivaled for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All the wines are known for their minerality, balanced acidity, complexity and deliciously long finish.
The Santa Cruz appellation encompasses 480,000 acres, from Woodside in the north to Watsonville (Mount Madonna) in the south. It became a defined American viticultural area (AVA) in 1981. It is 60 miles as the crow flies (unless blown off course) and 100 miles to drive or bicycle. It contains over 60 wineries and 200 small vineyards growing 1300 acres of wine grapes of consistently high quality.
The main grapes are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, about 25 % each, with significant amounts of Merlot and Zinfandel. Many of the vineyards embrace sustainable practices and organic wines predominate and that trend has been increasing since 2004.
Cinnabar Winery
The town of Saratoga lies at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains. A number of wineries have set up tasting rooms on Big Basin Way which becomes highway 9, the main road over the mountain until highway 17 was built. This was one of the main routes I traveled on bicycle climbs through the mountains and it has only gotten more beautiful. A number of excellent restaurants also dot Big Basin making it an epicurean delight for the senses. A number of wineries can also be accessed via highway 9 and Summit Road that snakes along the mountain range’s ridge .
My focus was only one winery, however, as I like to concentrate on all aspects of a winery rather than diluting it with too many choices, styles and winemakers. Cinnabar was established in 1983 by Tom Mudd, a scientist by trade. He planted 22 acres of estate vineyards and built a winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which was sold after his death in 2007.
Cinnabar’s winemaker George Troquato and Cellar Master Alejandro Aldama, have been with Cinnabar for over 25 years and this team has been crafting great wines for many years. Having left the area in 1999, I was not too knowledgeable of their wines and took the advice of my good friend Jack Faraone to sample the wines. Oh boy, was he right!
Calling ahead I was able to get an appointment with the winemaker. George previously worked at his father’s Troquato Vineyards, then J Lohr before joining Cinnabar in 1990. George gave us a fabulous tasting, describing each wine, where the grapes were sourced, how it was processed and tasting notes. His passion and expertise were obvious and I enjoyed our conversations as much as the wine.
Among the wines I took home were the Cinnabar Dry Creek Zinfandel, which earned a double gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; the largest competition in California. The 2015 Cabernet Franc from Clements Hill, Lodi was a wonderful interpretation of this Bordeaux grape and also took home a gold medal. The Cinnabar 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, from Kelly bench, Lake County was a revelation of complexity with jasmine, melon, tart tropical fruit and wet stone minerality; a Sancerre with a greater depth of fruit and intensity.
What we are tasting:
The on-air tasting of a signature wine is one of our favorite segments and the wine I brought for the show did not disappoint. The Cinnabar Santa Cruz Mountain, 2015 Chardonnay was amazing. I’d selected it from a couple of Cinnabar’s Chardonnay series as my favorite with concentrated citrus, salted caramel, and spices. Lush on the palate and exhibiting the sense of place I mentioned previously, that brought me back home to my beloved mountains. Station manager Eddy Aragon exclaimed it was the best Chardonnay he’d ever tasted. I knew I should have bought more.
Cinnabar Winery tasting room is located at 14612 Big Basin Way, Saratoga CA, 95070
Phone: 408.867.1012 Email: info@cinnabarwinery.com
HOURS:
Monday: Closed, except certain holidays (check our calendar!)
Tues – Thurs: 12pm to 6pm; last tasting at 5:45pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm to 7pm; last tasting at 6:45pm
Sunday: 12pm to 6pm; last tasting at 5:45pm
The Spirits of New Mexico
The radio show airs every Saturday from 4pm to 5pm (subject to change) on KIVA: The Rock of Talk
1600AM and 103.7FM or from your browser enter: ABQ.FM
On ABQ.FM, use the selector dial on the right side of the stereo receiver image and select Spirits of NM to hear the latest show continuously looping. Many shows and great music always available from this App., so check it out.
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