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2007 Big Paw Chardonnay: A laser beam of a wine that acts like that great Chablis you have come to love! Stainless Steel fermented all native yeast then barreled in neutral Oak for the aging process and Native Malo Conversion. One of two Cuvees derived from the same source--Solomon Hills and Bien Nacido Vineyards. This wine screams of minerals, floral aspects, wet stone and white peach. Bottling for this extraordinary wine will begin in January. As the barrels were meticulously chosen for the final blend, it marries in tank and improves every day. All the 2007's are built to cellar because these white wines will continue to age gracefully 7 to 15 years down the road.

2007 Fang Blanc Chardonnay: 100% barrel fermentation 80% Neutral and 20% new French Oak, same sources as Big Paw. The percentages of each vineyard are slightly different. . We incorporated many of the Dijon clones from both vineyards that add all the varieties of tropical fruit known to Santa Maria; beautiful tangerine, lemon rind, pineapple and peach enveloped in that steely edge that comes with our great acidity! Slightly rounder in the mouth from barrel fermentation but nothing heavy here.

2007 Solomon Hills Vineyard Chardonnay: What can I say about this spectacular wine! For those who missed it last year we sold out almost immediately. In 2006 we placed this wine in as many blind tasting as we could and the wine took the world by storm. It is a tour de force that can stand next to any white wine in the world including old world Grand Cru Burgundy. I know because I've done it several times. This wine is barrel fermented in three year air dried Damy Trocais barrels. Yes! 100% new French Oak, but here's the best kept secret; it's not about how much new Oak, it's about the quality of the Oak! Crème Brule, vanilla, flowers, spice, exotic fruits and great minerals all rolled into an amazing package. Not many wine makers would go to the lengths we have to produce such a wine. The sacrifice was enormous and the costs associated with this extreme, but well worth it. It will take a year or so for the wood to integrate as it did in 2006 but rest assured it will happen and you will be left shaking your head and wanting more! All native as all our wine are!

2007 Block W Chardonnay: All new for 2007 is our introduction of W named after (no not the president) the famed W block on Bien Nacido Vineyards which was planted in 1973 and farmed to our specs since 2002. We are very proud to debut this baby to the World. Since the original plantings there was also inner plants added all Dijon clones and married with old vine Clone 4 and 100% barrel fermented in the same Oak as Solomon Hills, we came up with another winner. This wine has many of the same qualities as the Solomon Hills Chardonnay, but a more muted wet stone, granite, lime stone aspect. The soils are a little shallower plus the vineyard expresses itself differently because of the more mature vines. A must see to believe, or should I say drink to believe!

2006 Solomon Hills Vineyard Chardonnay

Only four extraordinary barrels chosen by Greg Linn make up this very limited offering. Now in small cooperage from Troncais Damy, this lovely juice is now beautifully integrating the finely grained new oak that was air-dried for three years, then toasted. This champion is our translation of Leflaive – but with a California accent. Fat and lush while young, we expect bottle age will melt the nutty notes of toasted new oak into opulent richness braced by focused acidity.

750ml 100 cases made

Will ship fall ‘07

Expect intense flavors of orange blossoms, mango and peach, buoyed by flint and wet stone with a soft, haunting finish. With slightly lower pH's than previous vintages the 2006's boast a litheness that is utterly appealing.

This is our youngest pup in the kennel—now selling for its second outing. Once again, it integrates a small amount of new oak (around 10%) and barrel fermentation to mold another singular chardonnay of robust character.

Again a blend of fruit from the famed Bien Nacido Z Block and Rimrock Vineyard, we were thrilled to make the most of this exquisite vintage. Hang times were extended, clusters were perfect and pH levels were ideal. The decision to increase whole cluster fermentation to 30% (from 20%) proved wise, further gleaning luscious syrah flavors.

In the glass, the nose gets a floral lift from the addition of 2% viognier while characteristic aromas of violets, blueberries and blackberries leap forward. Firm, yet ripe tannins burst to expose a delicious middle of classic black fruit, white pepper, cacao with hints of cherry candy and blueberry pie. Beautiful acidity only boosts the depth and appeal of this cool climate tour de force.

Brimming with Santa Maria spice, this Bulldog won’t be ignored. Deep and dark in color and personality. Liqueur-like back fruits underlie notes of clove, cumin, lily, cocoa powder and black pepper. Fine but firm tannins back a decidedly stony, chalky minerality. Reminiscent of a great spicy Romanee St Vivant.

Less is more in this incarnation of legendary Hyde-Hudson Vineyard that brings a fine Chambolle Les Amoureuses to mind. Tempered alcohol reveals a fascinating nose of peat, fresh black raspberry and bittersweet flowers. Sappy fresh fruit opens to a palate that is uncannily rich and viscous, yet still elegant.. A profound finish allows minutes to pass before you’re ready to reach for more.

Again we blend north and south, if only for eight precious barrels. Explosive yet clear as a bell, it finishes with notes of cherry, licorice and animale. Flowers, fruits and stone fuse in this intense wine that recalls Chambertin Latricieres. If you can manage to keep your hands off, this wine will reward with integration worth waiting for.

Our second outing with this great vineyard takes a turn to what some refer to as ‘the dark side.’ We’ve always included whole cluster fermentations (sometimes up to 60%), but this is our first 100% stem-included example. It prompts thoughts of La Tache with all those Vosne notes of Oriental spice, purple plum, cloves, anise and forest floor jumping out of the glass. Soothing and sweetly fruity, it’s still wearing some all-important baby fat. Well integrated tannins are only worth mentioning for their addition to structure. This palate-stainer (in a good way) will please those who can measure against the best.

For the first time, we are taking this single vineyard for a solo spin. Think Morey St. Denis or Clos de La Roche and now were setting up a great wine. Living up to those expectations, this wine supplies black cherry, cedar, incense, iron, wet stone, roasted meats and some coffee aromatics. On the palate, black cherry, cassis, minerals, wood smoke, stewed cherries meld with a touch of funkiness. Very gripping on the back with a great display of meatiness and stony minerality with long, tight tannins. Time is this wine’s best partner.

From Bien Nacido’s historic Block One comes this highly concentrated effort. Shallow soils stunt the site’s yield to a miniscule 1.75 tons or less per acre. The generosity of a Musigny is evoked by this wine’s overwhelming concentration without over-extraction. Tea, ginger, tangerine rind, sweet flowers, cherry distillate, truffles and dark fruit scents pour forth. Meat and chalk join a medley of fruit, floral and spice essences. Smoke and a hit of tar round out the palate. My words are inadequate to describe the velvet nature of the integrated finish. This is a wine for sharing a high-five with your staff, all the while hoping you can do it again.

2005 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Pinot Noir – the first vineyard designated wine in our history.

2005 Bulldog Reserve - Santa Maria Valley:The 2005 Bulldog is a classic representation of what I feel the 2005 vintage was all about. In this wine, there is a certain elegance and refinement that I usually associate with the great wines of the old world - with the extraction that is undeniably California (or Burgundy in 2003). In the glass, although we reduced our average sugars, this pinot is a dark ruby with a magenta hue to its fine rim. On the nose, it is brimming with red fruit - ripe Bing cherries and wild strawberries fill the nose supported by subtle nuances of earth and cooking spices. Once in the mouth, this pinot is pure and clean due to the lower alcohol, excellent natural acidity and evenness of the ripening. The wine punctuates the palette with cherries, red plums and strawberry rhubarb that is strengthened with hints of black truffle, white pepper and touch of cinnamon that extends to a long finish that rides on vibrant acidity.

2005 Mastiff Cuvée – Carneros: The 2005 Mastiff is a fantastic follow-up to the 2004 debut. By being even more hands-on in the vineyards in 2005 allowed us to really hone in on the greatness of what Carneros has to offer us. By visiting these vineyards every 2-3 weeks, I was able to better call the pick this year which helped in reducing the sugars (and thus, the alcohol) while maintaining a higher acid profile. The 2005 Mastiff Cuvée presents an opulent, garnet hue in the glass like its predecessor. On the nose, it is again, very much a Mastiff with loads of raspberries, black cherries and baking spices. On the palette, the wine's core explodes with black cherry, ripe black plums and hints of blueberries and raspberries enveloped by subtle notes of vanilla bean and nutmeg that extend on a long, sublime finish. The 2005 Mastiff, though not as unctuous, delivers the same, hedonistic pleasures as the 2004.

2005 Canis Major – California: Our other two pinots have more time in the barrel before we select 'the best of the best' for blending the wine we categorize as out shining star. As always, this is the wine that combines all the superior aspects of our northern and southern programs and blends them for harmony, structure for a long-lived creation that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It is by nature, extremely limited.

2005 Big Paw Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley: Our chardonnay program got a boost from a bumper crop this year due to the heavy rains in the early part of the year. Yields were nearly 4 tons/acre this year compared with just under 3 tons/acre last year (and that was at 1 cluster/shoot). I saw blocks of chardonnay this year as high as 10 tons/acre! But there are still intense flavors of orange blossoms, mango and peach, supported by flint and wet stone with a soft, lingering finish. With slightly higher pH's than the 2004's, the 2005's have a suppleness that is ethereal.

2005 Fang Blanc Chardonnay: This year we are introducing a new chardonnay to the kennel. It incorporates a small amount of new oak (roughly 10%) and barrel fermentation creating another distinct chardonnay of impeccable character.

2004 Howling Syrah, Central Coast: This was a new venture (and new varietal) for Ambullneo and it is fashioned in true Ambullneo style - big and decadent, yet with a supple, persistent texture. It is a blend of 80 percent from the famed Bien Nacido Z Block and 20 percent Rimrock Vineyard - a newer, small vineyard southeast of Laetitia. The fruit was meticulously hand sorted (it took 6 hours to process just 4 tons!) and about 90% of the stems were removed with the berries intact. The wine was fermented in open-top stainless steel fermenters using both cultured and native yeasts, punched down 3-4 times daily. Upon completion of primary fermentation, the wines were barreled down into French oak barrels (60% new) and aged for 18 months.

For me, this wine truly speaks of where it came from - cool climate vineyards. In the glass, the aromas of crushed violets, blueberries and blackberries jump from the glass, mixed with subtle nuances of coffee creme brulee. On the palate, the wines' firm, yet sweet tannins bite down and then explode to reveal the mouthwatering core of brambleberry, blueberry and black plums with savory notes of white pepper and river rock. This wine is big and expressive but still seems to maintain a certain elegance, much like our 2004 pinot noirs.

The 2003 Big Paw Chardonnay shows minerality on the nose plus typical Santa Maria citrus tones. The wine mimics the nose once on the palate. Hugely popular with chard lovers, this wine’s refreshing fruit melds well with both its floral and steely aspects. The finish is prolonged, encouraging slower, more deliberate drinking. Intricacy of flavors makes this wine stand alone, or a fine complement to food.

The 2003 Bull Dog Reserve Pinot Noir has at its core an added spectrum of red fruits when compared to the 02, the result of incorporating additional clones. This wine is tighter on release, with more tannin structure that will support it for years to come. For those brave enough, we suggest decanting this wine to allow the air to reveal the wine over two to three days. Most winemakers would be leery at the prospect of oxidation this kind of decanting might create. We are not. This simple decanting experiment will demonstrate the true ageing potential of this wine, and its capacity for enjoyment over a long period of time.

The 2002 Big Paw Chardonnay has a great steeliness on the noise combined with a citrus character Santa Maria is well known for. On the palate the wine shows great mineral flavors (again, a little citrus) but in a much subdued fashion. Wet stone and a floral aspect coat your mouth with a great acidity that holds it all together. This wine reminds of a great Meursault from a ripe vintage such as 1989 or 1995. This wine is light with a finish that goes on for minutes, allowing for a slower consumption rate. No fat here, just beautiful acid and refreshing fruit! Balance and complexity make this a perfect choice with or without your favorite chardonnay dish.

The 2002 Bull Dog Reserve Pinot Noir is the true definition of Raw Power and Great Finesse! It shows great plum and dark fruits on the nose along with a hint of crushed strawberry. The wine on the palate explodes with plums, smoky spiciness and a rich thoroughly seductive texture. The finish goes on and on! The wine has great complexity and just the right amount of ripe tannins. Great acid and balance makes this wine work and should hold for years to come.