Not detailed herein was a Rose of which we bought a bottle, and later consumed. It was very good, and would have been in the conversation as my favorite wine of the tasting had it been poured; TN forthcoming on that one.
2018 Grassini Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
Stone fruits, specifically peach, on the Nose, along with a hint of honeysuckle. Medium-light bodied, with medium acidity. Stone fruits and floral notes from Nose are repeated on the palate. 13.2% alc. not noticeable. Aged in stainless steel. Very nice, if not a bit expensive relative to other Sauv. Blancs of similar quality; nonetheless, not a bad expenditure of money to buy this wine. This was my favorite wine of the tasting.
2016 Grassini Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
Melon – cantaloupe – on the Nose. Not as aromatically-expressive as the 2018 Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc that immediately preceded this wine in the tasting. Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. Somewhat creamy, likely owing to the barrel-aging regimen this saw (aged for 1.5 years in oak, 15% new). 13.3% alc. not noticeable. This is “soft” compared to the '18 Happy Canyon bottling, which I do prefer over this barrel-aged bottling.
2016 Grassini Family Vineyards Articondo - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
– 50% Cabernet Sauvignon; 35% Petit Verdot; 15% Cabernet Franc–
Very young/purple color – looks like Welch’s grape juice; color is of medium depth. Smells very young and fruity – red-fruited. Medium bodied with some oaky tannin. Red-fruited. 14.9% alc. is spiky, and the finish is short. Seems to be o.k., but not a style I prefer.
2015 Grassini Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
Young purple color of medium depth. Strawberry jam and banana (oak) on the Nose. Medium-full bodied on the palate. Very spiky, perhaps from the alcohol (14.5% labelled). Heavy oak. More “traditional Cabernet Sauvignon” than previous wine, which was a Bdx. blend. Again, not my style — too ripe and too oaky.
2015 Grassini Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
Boysenberry on the Nose, which seems more complex than the Estate Cabernet immediately preceding this one. Medium-full to full bodied. Oaky, very ripe, and tannic. All oaky tannins on the finish. 14.5% alc… It’s o.k. — again, made in style that seems heavy-handed with the ripeness and oak.
2016 Grassini Family Vineyards Merlot Estate - USA, California, Central Coast, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (8/24/2019)
– Tasted a single pour non-blind in the tasting room –
Savory and red-fruited on the Nose — primarily crushed, sugared, strawberries. Medium to medium-full bodied. Red-fruited on the palate. Easily my favorite of the reds we tasted, but way too expensive for me to consider purchasing.