Winery - Santa Maria Cellars
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June 14, 2010
91 points The first thing that I noticed about this wine was its peculiar orange cast, that made me think more of Sangiovese than of Cabernet Sauvignon. The very first thing I notice on the aroma is a lush blackcurrant note coming from the Cabernet Sauvignon, but after that, almost everything that I detect on the nose indicates Mourvedre. There is a dark chocolate cherry aroma, buttery caramel, coffee beans, and a faint citrus flower note. The flavor is rich with raspberries, sugar cane, dark caramel tones and chocolate, with blackberry, granite, and forest floor notes giving the wine multiple dimensions. There is a lot of layering to this wine’s complexity, but like the nose, the palate strongly shows the Mourvedre more than the Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has excellent acidity that is like biting into a fresh red berry, coupled with this really nice limestone, mineral finish. There is a lightness about this wine but it also manages to be very intense at the same time. I like this wine quite a bit. It has the intense, rich flavors of Mourvedre and the firm backbone of Cabernet Sauvignon, really capturing the best of both grapes. It’s unique, it’s elegant and refined, and it's a steal at $20. Source: What's Worth Drinking: Post #6: Santa Maria Cellars ( http://whatsworthdrinking.com/2010/04/27/ )
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June 13, 2010
89 points The aroma shows well with extreme strength, which almost overpowers the wine’s subtleties at times. There is a good amount of blackberry jam on the nose, some campfire notes that sort of remind me of smores, with a touch of licorice and Bananas Foster mixed in with a faint dark minerality in the background. It opens on the palate with vague chocolate and wood notes, some graphite, and a little dried fruit. There is also a vanilla character that seems to have burnt sugar and figs tide closely to it. The finish is reminiscent of Tiramisu and Black Forest Cake. The acidity is a little mild, but there is a nice balance between the soft jammy fruit and the cacao-like tannins. I am also impressed by how well this wine contains its alcohol, which is extremely high at 16.2%. Instead of being hot and port-like, as I was expecting, this wine is full bodied and thick with very nice balance and smoothness. Source: What's Worth Drinking: Post #6: Santa Maria Cellars ( http://whatsworthdrinking.com/2010/04/27/ )
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