Margerum Wine Company Riviera Rosé Reserve 2017
In the Fall of 2018 I took a trip to Santa Barbara, CA to visit a few selective wineries and taste some of their current offerings, particularly the Rhone blends. There were four of us tasting wines and my comments, on each of the wines tasted, incorporate nuances from everyone’s palate. It was a great trip, the wines were outstanding and the folks I met at each of the wineries were extremely informative, helpful and very generous with their time. The wineries have “Wine Clubs” which offer some tremendous, small production, wines that can only be obtained directly from the vineyard. I recommend to try a “Club”, click this “WineClubLink” to go to their site. I highly recommend a trip to Santa Barbara, you will not be disappointed! Keep checking back with SippingFineWine.com for all of the wineries visited, wines tasted and comments regarding the wines, wineries and folks I met.
Doug Margerum founded Margerum Wine Company in 2001, in a tiny 240 square foot cold room behind Brander Vineyards, handcrafting wines adding his personal touch. Margerum Wine Company produces limited quantities of wines made from grapes grown on their Estate Vineyard and grapes purchased from other top vineyards from in and around Santa Barbara County. Their 18-acre Estate Vineyard is planted exclusively to Rhône grape varietals. In 2014, Margerum released BARDEN wines – an exploration of cold climate grapes grown in and around the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. BARDEN is Doug’s middle name and its English meaning is “Lives near the boar’s den”… thusly they have adorned the label with an image of the wild boar that is pervasive in the area’s vineyards. Their tasting room was fun and staff was very knowledgeable on their wines.
Wine was made from Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsaut, through a winemaking process called Saignée where a portion is bled off to yield a slightly pink juice from a red must right after crush, aged for 8 months in French oak, 17% new, 64% neutral and the rest in stainless. Salmon color with aromas of fresh berry fruits, citrus and subtle spices. On the palate flavors of strawberry, sour apple, citrus, spices with a creamy touch, nice balance with acidity. Soft tannins, nice mouthfeel ending with a crisp pleasant finish, much nicer than their regular Rosé. Tasting Sample!
Cheers!