This is the wine that started it all. After working in an Italian restaurant, owner/winemaker Steve Clifton sought to craft the ultimate food wine. Based on Sangiovese, with influences from Tuscany and the Veneto, this wine however, is 100% Palmina styled.

This 12th release of “Alisos”is a multi-dimensional work of art, layering in three components that each hail from the meticulously farmed Alisos Vineyard. Sangiovese for high toned fruit notes and bright acidity. Merlot for grounding, base fruit notes and as the “mortar” to pull in the mid-palate to make the wine seamless. And “appassiemento” Sangiovese to achieve balance and harmony. Truly a Palmina original.

It is no surpise that this blend is named Alisos. A thread of the vineyard’s earthy minerality and a sense of the scrupulous care by vineyard manager Loren Colahan runs through each of the intricate layers of the wine. Originally and continually designed to be a wine “of the table”.

Dark, intriguing, inviting – deep magenta hues with rich claret edges and an inviting clarity shout that this is a friendly yet intriguing wine. The bouquet is striking, with aromas of black plum skin, framboise and dried raspberry and orange peel. A first taste is bright, refreshing and unfolds a melange of cranberry, rose petals, black cherry and earth, enveloped by floral reminiscences of lavendar and pressed lilac. Fine tuned tannins , spicy notes of sandlewood and dried orange peel fuse with more plum notes from the appassiemento and a final hint of bittersweet chocolate on the pleasurable and lasting finish. Delightful now and will continue to integrate over time. A classic.

Our featured recipe is Steve’s Famous Chicken Cacciatore.

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This is more of a European styled wine than a big, jammy Californian version. The dark amethyst color shows depth and clarity, brimming with indigo highlights. The bouquet is somewhat floral, with violets and lavender mingling with herbs d’provence, a hint of tobacco leaf and black raspberry crumble. Barbera’s flagship characteristic jumps out at first sip – bright and brilliant acidity lifts the pomegranate, deep red plum fruit, black plum skin and currant.

After a bit of swirling and air, intriguing “wild berry” flavors of olallaberry, huckleberry and blueberry emerge, all surrounded by gentle tannins and that beautiful, lilting acidity. This wine loves food, so enjoy with anything ‘rustica’ – spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, risottos and just about anything with tomatoes and herbs!

Our featured recipe is Faro-Stuffed Zucchini.

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“Dolcetto” translates to “little sweet one”- not because it is a sweet wine (it is perfectly dry) - because it is a friendly and easygoing grape to work with and so pleasurable in the glass. This agreeable little grape is also expressive of vintage, and the extreme conditions of 2008 have produced a wine with depth and more complexity than in previous years. Springtime frosts and little rain in the growing season produced a tiny crop with petite berries and small clusters from both of the vineyards growing Dolcetto for Palmina.

Hand harvested a few weeks apart, the grapes from the Honea Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Zotovich Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills were each de-stemmed into small open top fermenters. A few days of cold soaking extracted a beautiful dark color, spice and soft tannins from the skins prior to the onset of fermentation. Aged for six months in neutral barrels, the wine was ready for bottling in June of 2009 and released at the annual “Dolcetto and Pizza Party” at the Palmina winery the following month.

A dark scarlet color with deep rose tinted highlights speaks to the depth of this 2009 vintage, while the brightness of the wine conveys its youthful character. The nose is spicy and very berry, with a hint of sandalwood mingling with Bing and black cherry aromas that waft from the glass. On the palate, red rhubarb and black plum skin reminders showcase the balanced acidity and tannin structure of the wine. Concentrated black raspberry and mulberry flavors are interlaced with a subtle earthiness – minerality from the Sta. Rita Hills marrying with warm loamy notes from the Santa Ynez Valley – and then leaving a lasting impression of raspberry and raw almonds at last sip. Dolcetto is the perfect picnic wine, a delightful interlude between white and heavier red wines at a multi-course dinner and the ultimate complement to pizza, which is our featured recipe! Enjoy in its youth and serve either at cellar temperature or chilled (which was a big hit at the wine’s debut at our Dolcetto & Pizza Party!)

Our Featured Recipe is Grilled Pizza.

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With a topography and climate mimicking those of the Piedmonte, Santa Barbara County’s transverse valleys, proximity to the sea and mountains ringing the area combine with Nebbiolo-loving soils, warm sunshine filled days and cold, brisk nights to provide a textbook perfect location to grow this intriguing grape.

This inaugural bottling of a Santa Barbara County blend is designed to showcase the region as a whole, layering in various components of clones, soils and characteristics from the Sisquoc Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and the Stolpman Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. These layers and nuances from these two exceptional vineyards are designed to work together to make a wine that is immediately enjoyable, clearly demonstrates the promise of Nebbiolo from Santa Barbara County and expresses winemaker/owner Steve Clifton’s dedication to and passion for this grape.

A glance at the garnet color wine foretells of the depth and complexity before even a swirl or a sip. This is a serious looking wine with an intense nature. A whirl in the glass coaxes spicy and dark red fruit aromas of cranberry, wild herbs and rose petal. A silky texture guides the wine to the taste buds, delivering notes of blueberry, sour cherry and a hint of loose tea leaf. Feminine and masculine at the same time, wisps of earth and vanilla bean mingle with the fruit notes. Beautifully balanced, the bright acids in the wine beg for a meal, the fine tannins bring structure and substance and the finish is graceful and persistent.

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Sometimes you just don’t even want to think about “what wine to have with dinner”. Not at all. You simply want to pull a red wine and pour it knowing it will be tasty and enjoyable right out of the bottle. And that is exactly why we have created Rosso Raro, even bottling it in an oh-so-easy screwtop to make this the easiest decision ever. This is a very fruit-forward wine, full of berry and cherry notes, with balanced acidity and just a whisper of soft tannin. It is pleasing to the palate and to the pocketbook and goes with anything from picnic sandwiches to Wednesday night meatloaf to a good movie rental on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Although the Barbera grape can be traced back to the 1300’s in Italy, and the Honea Vineyard in Santa Ynez was planted in 2003, a mere 700 years later, there are striking similarities between the geography and climate of the two regions. The Santa Ynez Valley is transverse, lying in an east-west direction that results in a “push pull” effect of cool ocean breezes from the west with warm desert winds from the east. Much as the cold northern weather from the Italian Alps battles with the warm air from the Ligurian Sea to the south of Friuli. In both cases, this unique type of microclimate offers a combination of cool nights for acidic balance, warm days for grape growth and a long growing season, ideal for Italian varietals such as the much loved Barbera.

This is a big, smooth and exotic wine. A dark brick color is surrounded by scarlet edges and the beauty of the wine invites a swirl. Heady aromas of spice, wild strawberry, Bing cherry compote, and bright, fresh, black fruit demand that first taste. More spicy and striking flavors caress the palate – fresh nutmeg, black currant, Chinese five-spice, cassis, dried porcini mushroom, framboise – all balanced by fine tannins and lively acidity that aches for a great meal! On the finish, lingering notes of dark chocolate meld with ripe mulberry (dessert anyone?).

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Barbera’s adaptation to soils and climate allows, perhaps compels, bottlings of vineyard designated Barberas from Palmina. The Zotovich vineyard is located in the cool climate, fog-laden Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Sandy soils provide superb drainage, and the afternoon breezes and sunshine result in an extended growing season that produces complexity, concentration and charm.

The 2006 Barbera, Zotovich Vineyard, is a reflection of its “place”. A deep crimson color with indigo highlights visually depicts the cool climate of the Sta. Rita Hills. Almost brooding, the bouquet of dried dark plum, blackberry, baked black cherry and smokiness is released with swirling. On the palate, the interaction of fruit and acid plays across the mouth; wild fennel, fruit compote, and currants intermingling with acidic brightness and fine barrel tannins. Nuances of porcini and spice fuse with a jolt of juicy red berry on the crisp, long and layered finish. Bold and elegant at the same time, this wine pairs exquisitely with hearty food like duck. We also love it with those hard cheeses aged in red wine – the saltiness of the cheese perfectly complements the structure and firm acids of the wine.

"...briery black cherry and berry fruit with hints of chocolate, underbrush, and spice... 90 points"
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

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Lagrein hails originally from Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region, and probably is named for the Lagarina Valley of Trentino. This valley is framed by the Dolomite Mountains, which push cold air down the slopes as the Adriatic Sea sends warming sea breezes into the valley. This confluence provides a micro-climate wonderfully suited for Lagrein, a thicker skinned Tyrolean grape varietal. Thousands of miles away, the Honea Vineyard sits nestled in the transverse Santa Ynez Valley, where cool sea fog and breezes from the Pacific meet warm desert airs flowing down the San Rafael Mountain hillsides.

A deep, dark color – scarlet/cobalt, almost black, alludes to the depth of the 2007 Lagrein, and a swirl produces a glycerin-like veneer in the glass. Aromas of pipe tobacco and leather, spice and bramble waft from the wine. The 2007 Lagrein might be sub-titled “Bogart”, as it is an elegant masculine wine with dark plum, “old spice”, Havana cigar leaf and dark spice notes. Layers of sour cherry mingle with the plum and a thread of cedar, and lead to a finish that lingers with hints of bittersweet dark chocolate. This slightly mysterious, intriguing and robust wine benefits from aeration, and we suggest decanting. Beautifully balanced fruit, acid, tannin and structure, Lagrein is best enjoyed with rich and robust foods.

Our featured recipe is Apple- and Fennel-Stuffed Pork Shoulder.

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Dolcetto – the “little sweet one”. A grape that produces a friendly, playful, youthful, easy-going wine. A wine to drink now, with a picnic or a pizza. All true. And yet - ? Not one to shy away from a challenge, in 2007 Steve expanded the cane pruning experiment he began in 2006 in the Dolcetto block at Honea Vineyard. Once again, the crop size was smaller, the clusters longer and heavier and each one uniformly ripe. Picked at lower sugar levels than in the first year, and with a gleam in Steve’s eye, the whole clusters were placed into 1.5 ton open top fermenters, cold soaked for a few days and then fermented with stems. At the completion of fermentation, the cane-pruned Dolcetto aged for 11 months in French oak.

The result is quite astounding. Whether that is one of those variables – the cane pruning, the whole cluster fermentation, the French oak barrel aging – or a combination of factors is an enigma yet to be resolved. But, the end result is a multifaceted delight. A vivacious red wine with layers of intrigue. A yin yang of youthfulness and experience. A juxtaposition of flavors and textures. In a word – captivating.

A bit closed and shy at first swirl, the 2007 Dolcetto, Honea Vineyard yields a dark fruit profile of blueberries, blackberries and mocha, with earthy tar overtones. The deep maroon color hints of the depth of flavors, all intertwined with robust tannin. The skin of a French vanilla bean, cocoa powder, black raspberry, more blackberry, orange pekoe tea and that dark chocolate/orange peel truffle all meld together, layer after layer. This wine is complex and fascinating. The texture is both silky and mocha-like, and the finish lingering. It is a food wine, no question.

As this wine is a bit “Pinot-esque”, we have paired it with Sage Polenta with Wine-Poached Eggs and Crispy Pancetta.

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When Palmina owners/winemakers Steve and Chrystal Clifton decided to get married, it was no surprise to anyone that the wedding would take place in Italy. And particularly in Friuli, in the northeastern part of the country. With family and friends gathered, they were presented at their reception with a “wedding wine”, made by good friends Valter Scarbolo and Joe Bastianich. This very special wine was a blend of Refosco, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Chrystal and Steve decided a few years hence to recreate this wine in honor of the celebration and their union.

Depth of color predominates, yet with rather mischievous glints of garnet peeking from the maroon/violet color of the wine. On the nose, vibrant and earthy notes of currant, plums, dried cherry and violets abound. Plush on the palate, Mattia refreshes and caresses with a yin-yang of liveliness and elegant, dusty tannins all beautifully integrated and layered with fruit notes of black cherry, dark plum, pomegranate and blackberry, intermingled with a hint of cedar, a wisp of truffle and a suggestion of black tea-like tannins. A food wine bar none. Try this with Veal Meatballs in White Cream Sauce from our friend Chef Kurt Alldredge at The Chef’s Touch.

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There is just “something” about Nebbiolo that captivates those who grow it, vinify it, drink it, and savor it. The grape itself is particular about where it is grown, finicky about vineyard practices and requiring patience and care in the cellar.

At the Honea Vineyard, a combination of climatic conditions, soil and aspect are in perfect alignment for growing exceptional Nebbiolo. Maritime morning fogs, warm afternoons and cool evenings combine with limestone-laden soils, the Michet clone of Nebbiolo and fastidious farming practices. A decision to drop fruit for a number of years prior to a first harvest allowed the vines to mature and reach deep into the soil. A first harvest from Honea occurred in the stellar 2005 vintage, and although that was known as a year of abundance, the inaugural pick yielded a scant .78 ton of this precious fruit.

Complex, intriguing, alluring and enticing – this wine is a superb example of the charm and entrancing characteristic of Nebbiolo. A liveliness seems to shine from the maroon/garnet color of the wine, and a swirl first produces red fruit aromas of cranberry overlaid with blackstrap molasses. The wine dances across the palate with notes of red currant, a hint of fig and spicy notes of sandalwood and cardamom. Weaving throughout the flavors and texture is a flinty, graphite minerality overlaid with brambly, savory garden herbs. The 2005 Nebbiolo, Honea Vineyard has great breadth and depth - firm acids, balanced tannins and rich fruit all melding and mingling together. A beautiful bright and charismatic food wine, this Nebbiolo can be cellared and enjoyed for the next ten years. A classic. Just 48 cases produced.

Our featured recipe is hearty Tagialatelle with Lamb Ragu.

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In addition to the calcareous/clay soils and south facing hillsides at Rancho Sisquoc, the vines are of the Michet clone of Nebbiolo, considered among the local Piemontese to be the highest quality biotype. Meticulous farming is required for every stage in the growing season, and once harvested and delivered to the winery, the grapes are nurtured from fermenter to bottle. A long fermentation period with extended maceration then leads to one year in French oak barrels (50% of which are new). From there, the wine was gently transferred to three 500 liter neutral upright tonneau for two additional years of aging before bottling. Even then, winemaker/owner Steve Clifton decided that the youthful tannins of the wine needed resolve, and so the wine was aged an additional year in bottle before release. This determination for releasing a wine that, although still youthful, is now ready to enjoy with a meal, is a hallmark of Palmina’s philosophy.

Even after four years in the cellar, the 2004 Sisquoc should first be decanted and allowed to breathe before even a sip. This is a wine full of intrigue, complexity and intricacy. A brick red color with russet/maroon edges foretells of the depths of layered delights to follow. After so many years of restrained aging, a breath of air releases sophisticated notes of heady wildflower, caramel, pomegranate and earthy, garden spice. A hint of bacon from the barrel aging, a wisp of dried sage, a trace of orange zest – all leading to deeper flavors of cranapple, hazelnut, a suggestion of truffle, a hint of black strap, a reminder of the earthiness that is Sisquoc. Fine dusty tannins and a bit of smoke infused cider on the captivating finish ensnare you into the charm of Sisquoc.

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The grapes for the 2006 release of Undici hail mainly from the Honea Vineyard, a site favored with a warm Mediterranean climate and mineral laden soils. Two clones are planted there to contrast and complement each other in the blend. Sangiovese “Grosso” lending a softness and delicate fruit, and Sangiovese “Piccolo” bringing body and structure. The hillside block keeps yields low and berries small to provide the needed tannin and color in the finished wine.

Winemaker/owner Steve Clifton must be patient in the cellar, allowing the grape’s natural acidity to tame and come into balance with the fruit and tannins of this food wine. After fermentation is complete, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in neutral oak barrels to add texture and body. The 2006 Undici Sangiovese continued to age in barrel for thirty months and then was bottle aged for an additional six months prior to release. This laser-beam focus is meant to craft and present the wine in a traditional style that showcases the food-friendly nature of the grape and the elegance imparted by the superb growing conditions of Santa Barbara County.

And the name? When the owner/winemaker is also a musician, unexpected references often creep in. “Undici” is the Italian word for eleven, and “These go to Eleven” (can you name the movie?). As suggested by the name, this is a high quality, elegant and ageable wine. The violet floral notes and orange-peel nuances of the bouquet of 2006 Undici are a gift from the limestone in the soil at Honea. Herbs d’Provence add a layer of intrigue and invite a first sip. Bright on the palate, the natural acidity of the grape lifts blueberry and dried wild strawberry fruit notes, a hint of cranberry and spicy layers of thyme, anise and crushed wild sage. This supple wine delivers layers of texture, fruit, and acids - all playing and working together for a yin-yang tasting experience. The finish is persistent and adds a trace of bakers chocolate to the wine’s profile. Definitely an Eleven.

We recommend decanting the wine prior to enjoying with a meal. Our recommended recipe is Grilled Lamb Shoulder served on a bed of arugula. Enjoy!

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