Southern exposure

Santa Barbara is the wine world's hot spot. Literally.

Uncorked by David Marglin

A few great wines may be produced in Los Angeles, and some decent ones as far south as San Diego. But when you get right down to it, Santa Barbara County -- just above LA -- is our southernmost prominent wine region. Indeed, Santa Barbara County ("SBC") is quickly making a name for itself as the nation's hottest wine spot, literally as well as figuratively.

Santa Barbara is California's wine frontier. It was here that the so-called Rhône Rangers began to ride their varietals into battle: the syrahs, mourvedres, grenaches, viogniers, roussannes, and marsannes that are all the rage right now were first championed in this once-sleepy region.

It once seemed unlikely that this area, so far south, could produce good wine at all. But some botany-oriented pioneers decided in the early '70s that the SBC microclimate would yield good fruit. These were hippies and wine freaks more than businessmen or farmers; by now, they've struck liquid gold.

SBC's anchor tenant, so to speak, is Au Bon Climat, or ABC to its fans. Jim Clendenen, owner and chief vintner of ABC, is the region's chief promoter: a consummate showman, a long-haired hedonist, and -- to quote my favorite wine writer, Oz Clarke -- a visionary. The cult success of ABC (which, like Scientology, seems to be on the verge of moving into the mainstream) has helped put this unlikely region on the map. ABC is known for its vineyard-designated chardonnays and pinot noirs, some of which have bizarre names like "Bauge au-dessus" and "Le bouge d'à côté." And Jim is renowned as the Robert Mondavi of Santa Barbara County.

One of Jim's colleagues is Bob Lundquist, who makes Qupé. While Clendenen was concentrating on Burgundy-style wines at ABC, Lundquist was working on wine in the style of France's Rhône valley, and he paved the way for Rhône Rangers like Craig Jaffurs and Andrew Murray, both of whom have namesake wineries (Jaffurs Wine Cellars and Andrew Murray Vineyards).

SBC boasts several other top winemakers, including Ken Brown, from the wildly successful Byron (bought recently by Robert Mondavi). He makes a stellar Reserve chardonnay (**** for the 1995 -- a blockbuster) and a very decent regular chard (**¹/₂ for the 1996), which is lean, light, and super-crisp. There is also Kathy Joseph, who makes Fiddlehead Cellars pinot noir (the 1995 was scrumptious and a steal at $20: ***), and Steve Clifton, a wild and wonderful fellow who makes the notoriously difficult-to-find Brewer-Clifton wines (his Marcella chard is out of this world). Frank Ostini at Hitching Post makes pinots so opulent you taste them and think they'll need another 10 years just to be ready to rock, like a massive Burgundy.

Richard Sanford, however, must be credited as the grandfather of Santa Barbara winemaking. He was the first to plant pinot noir in the Santa Ynez valley, way back in 1971. He and his then-partner, botanist Michael Benedict (the two became estranged in 1980), planted a hundred acres on the north-facing slopes of the Santa Ynez river. The rivers in SBC run east-west, and are banked with wonderful, north-facing slopes that are shrouded in mist much of the morning and during the late afternoon; they never get too hot from direct sunlight. This makes them ideal for growing Burgundy and Rhône varietals, and this is why this region has risen to such heights.

So don't let the latitude of Santa Barbara get you down, because this region, long-known by wine insiders, is on the rise. Let your merchant guide you around.

Here are some wines from Santa Barbara worth trying:

** Byron Pinot Gris 1996 ($14.99, Martignetti's, Marty's)

A lively but slightly sour exemplar of this up-and-coming varietal. Not exciting, but extremely palatable with any spicy appetizer, or with cheese and fruit.

** ¹/₂ Zaca Mesa Syrah 1995 ($16.99, Martignetti's)

A wet, wild wine that is so concentrated it tastes a lot like cherry cough syrup at first blush, but offers considerable depth for those willing to wade through that initial burst of sweetness.

** ¹/₂ Qupé Syrah 1996 Central Coast ($14.99, Marty's)

Central Coast means the fruit can come from many vineyards in the region stretching from SBC to San Luis Obispo County and Paso Robles to the north. Smoky and meaty with plenty of flesh on it, this flabby fellow has hints of mint and cedar, but is ultimately not the most subtle representative of syrah's potential.

*** Jaffurs Matilija Cuvee 1995 ($19.99, Martignetti's)

This Rhone blend is mainly mourvedre with equal parts syrah and cabernet franc, resulting in a slightly lighter and more approachable wine than straight syrah. A very precocious wine, offering restrained fruit with boysenberry accents and a smooth tapering finish. Delightful with smoked meats.

*** Rancho Sisquoc Merlot 1995 Santa Maria ($21.49, University Wine Shop)

A softer, gentler merlot, that is still maturing in the bottle. The round fruit (blackberries and plums) is still quite restrained, but the overall complexity will reward those willing to be patient. Also look for the 1996 sauvignon blanc (**, $11.99) which has plenty of tart tropical fruit flavors to go with some mint and wheatgrass notes and a hint of casaba melon.

*** ¹/₂ Sanford Chardonnay 1996 ($19.99, Martignetti's)

I think that this gives Landmark's Overlook chardonnay a run for its money as best chardonnay under 20 bucks. A zippy, peppy popper, with lush pineapple, clean crisp fruit on the nose, and a not-too-buttery style. It is a leaner, greener sort of chard that can stand up to any fish or vegetable dish, but still offers gushing tropical flavors. Also look for the Estate, $29.99; it is stunning.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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