“Alisos” – a place, a wine, a style, Crafted from Sangiovese and Merlot from the Alisos Vineyard, this blend is for food, for the table, for friends. It speaks to its sense of place, where these two grape varietals grow side by side. It speaks to care in the cellar where patience and skill bring the various components of the blend into beautiful harmony. And it speaks to the Palmina philosophy of wine being an extension of the plate and an integral part of a meal. Alisos was the first wine produced and released by Palmina back in 1997, launching the winery and the mission of Palmina. The tradition continues….

This 2009 Alisos is a multi-dimensional wine, layering in the two grape varietals, the essence of the Alisos Vineyard and the skill of winemaker/owner Steve Clifton. 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.

This is the most labor intensive of all Palmina wines. Sangiovese and Merlot are vinified to dryness and barreled separately. A portion of the Sangiovese grapes are then placed on drying racks, surrounded by drying fans and encouraged to dehydrate to beautiful raisins over a period of about 100 days. Rehydrated in the new year and fermented until dry, this nectar is then barrel aged for six months. In the late spring, the three components are blended and returned as a cuvée to marry in barrel before being bottled. Additional months of bottle aging ensure that the released wine is ready to enhance a meal, stimulate a conversation and appease the most discriminating palate.

2009 Alisos boasts a deep ruby color with glints of intriguing crimson shining through in the beautiful clarity of the wine. A swirl releases a bouquet of pomegranates, tea leaf, and cherry cola at first, followed by wafts of dried plum, high-note red currant, and garden herbs. A sip confirms the nose, but is additionally rewarded by a smooth and silky texture as Alisos glides across the palate, leaving remembrances of dried raspberry and cherry from the Sangiovese, earthy and meaty dark notes from the Merlot and bouquet garni nuances from the apassiemento Sangiovese. The lively acidity, barrel aged tannins and layered structure allow the soft fruits to show through in this superbly balanced As with all Palmina wines, Set the table, pull up a chair, pour the wine and enjoy the harmony of Alisos and your favorite meal! Our featured recipe is Eggplant Parmesan.

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Dolcetto
Santa Barbara County, 2010

There are wines that are destined to be aged, collected, swirled, sniffed, sipped and discussed. Those wines demand lofty descriptions, cellaring advice and the finest crystal decanters. And although their pedestals may be high, they may not be any more appreciated than the unassuming, friendly, filled with laughter and good times, “drink me now” Dolcetto. This has always been a wine to consume early, with friends and food. In Italy, it has always been the wine planted and made to enjoy while the Nebbiolos were being coaxed into greatness. Dolcetto, whose cheerful name translates as “little sweet one” is a charming wine that is balanced, fruitful, structured and delightful with so many foods. It’s a wine for Wednesday spaghetti or Friday night Pizza. A picnic wine, a barbecue wine and on a hot summer day, a red wine that can be chilled for an enchanting aperitif. Don’t let the “sweet little one” deceive you, though. 2010 Dolcetto is soft and approachable; it is artfully made, bone-dry and will continue to gain complexity in bottle in the unlikely case it is not immediately consumed!

2010 Dolcetto is a blend of grapes from three exemplary vineyards. The Honea Vineyard in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley lends big berry notes, soft tannins and roundness to the wine, the Walker Vineyard right across the street from Honea layers in dark, soft berry aromas and flavors, and the grapes from the cooler Zotovich Vineyard in the Sta Rita Hills add spice and lively acidity. Made separately, each lot was de-stemmed and cold soaked to extract color, flavor and soft tannins from the skins prior to the onset of fermentation. Malolactic fermentation occurred in neutral oak barrels, where the wine aged for five months. A final blend was determined and married in a stainless steel tank prior to bottling in the Spring of 2011.

The dark, purple-violet color of the wine still shines with an exuberance and brightness – it simply shouts of its playfulness from the glass. On the nose, a bouquet of blackberries and white clover, mingling with olallieberry jam. On the palate, soft tannins and more berry notes of black cherry, blackberry compote and boysenberry that linger and finish with a lovely bitter almond note. Smooth and balanced, this is simply delightful, delectable Dolcetto. Enjoy now, or within the next 1-2 years.

Our Featured Recipe is Grilled Pizza.

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Like the winegrowers in the alpine region where Lagrein originated, this grape is a sturdy, hardy vareital that enjoys cool breezes and warm days to ripen its thick skins. Lagrein hails 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. 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.

Lagrein is planted on a small hillside block where the soils are laced with limestone. Canopy management is key to farming, as Lagrein is a late ripening grape, needing the Santa Ynez Valley’s long growing season to ensure fully developed and mature flavors. At the winery, the dark indigo clusters are de-stemmed into small bins for fermentation and carefully tasted during vinification to manage the tannic profile. Malolactic fermentation occurs in the neutral French oak barrels where the wine ages for 10 months prior to bottling.

It is difficult to even call Lagrein a red wine, as its hue is so dark as to be almost black! Dark and brooding, a swirl foretells of the conundrum lurking in the wine as lively indigo highlights hint to Lagrein’s rather voluptuous nature. Aromas of cherry plums mingle with flinty-stone and sandalwood, underlaid with black fruit notes. The care winemaker/owner Steve Clifton takes in the cellar is evident in the texture of the wine from the first sip, with velvety tannins perfectly balanced with lifting acidity mingling with a cornucopia of berry flavors – blackberry, huckleberry and currant. The finish is silky and lingering with lasting reminders of perfectly ripe plums. It is no wonder the 2009 Lagrein has been graced with the Palmina black stripe – this is a wine of extraordinary deliciousness.

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This is the varietal that got its hooks into owner/winemaker Steve Clifton in his many visits to Italy. Nebbiolo is a demanding grape; it must be grown in the right place, constant attention is required in the vineyard and it must be cosseted once in the winery. When all these stars align, the wine is one of the most indicative of place and a wine that will gain complexity and sophistication over years of cellaring. Clifton crafts vineyard-designated Nebbiolos each vintage, but also this Santa Barbara County blend that not only reflects typicity of this transverse range region, but also is ready to enjoy earlier.

With a topography and climate mimicking those of Nebbiolo's Piedmonte origins, 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. Add in a vintage that is being hailed as "truly exceptional" and the skill and knowledge gained from years of crafting Nebbiolo to complete the pedigree of this 2007 release.

The 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 Honea and Stolpman vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. These layers and nuances from the various 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 Clifton's dedication to and passion for this grape.

The 2007 Nebbiolo ... possesses striking dark fruit and plenty of varietal character, but with an extra degree of textural density from these Central Coast sites. It is one of the finest Italian-varietal wines I have tasted in California. 90 points Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate #196

A come-hither rich ruby color with garnet highlights first invites you to the glass and encourages a swirl. Aromas of rose hips and warm earth, garden spice and dried plum waft from the glass. A first sip delivers a textural yin-yang of bright acidity and dusty tannins that envelop and transport flavors of mulberry and tea, red plum skin and dried cherry, blackcurrant and cassis. A thread of graphite-like minerality and hints of tar linger on the finish. This is an elegant, food wine that will continue to evolve with cellaring. Designed to enjoy at the table now - Nebbiolo will soon have her hooks in you, too!

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Mention the word “Nebbiolo” to Steve or Chrystal Clifton and their eyes light up. They love making it, tasting it, cellaring it, talking about it. Let’s just say that “Nebieul” (the Piemontese word for Nebbiolo) has gotten under their skin. Each vintage they nurture and invent, tweak and cajole the wines into becoming even more alluring. Their dedication to showcasing the best of Nebbiolo and the individual vineyards in which it is grown has year after year resulted in an invitation to represent California at the Convegno Internazionale Sul Vitigno Nebbiolo (International Convention on Nebbiolo) held each year in Piemonte, Italy.

There is a lot going on in this glass of wine. Still displaying the violet-maroon color of a young Nebbiolo, floral aromas waft from the glass even before a swirl. A bouquet of red rose and lavender mingles with sandalwood and toasted herbs – cinnamon, roasted chili spice, lavender. On the palate, the wine has a feminine and earthy/rustic quality that weaves tastes and textures. Sour cherry and red rhubarb meld with vanilla bean and satsuma plum. Orange pekoe tea and a milk chocolate texture, and a pretty garden herbal component. Complex and intriguing, inviting yet another sip. The 2006 Nebbiolo, Honea Vineyard is a beautifully structured wine with supple tannins and vibrant acidity in beautiful balance. A beautiful wine for your cellar, and will continue to gain complexity with age

Considered one of the great grape varietals, Nebbiolo’s origins are traced to the early 14th century from an east-west running valley in the northeast of Italy. It’s a difficult grape to grow – sensitive to soil, climate and geography – and yet very expressive of where it’s grown. Perhaps Pacific sea fog (nebbia in Italian) rolling through the early hours of the east-west Santa Maria Valley contributes to the character of the grapes grown here. Or perhaps it is the gravelly red clay soil, or its position at the cusp of a hill. For whatever combination of factors, the terroir is evident in this Nebbiolo, planted specifically for Palmina at Sisquoc in 1998.

A cornucopia of aromas, flavors and textures are present in this wine. Aromas reminiscent of holiday baking are present, with inviting notes of vanilla bean, dried orange peel and red cinnamon spice mingling with sour cherry and a savory hint of purple basil. The wine dances across the palate with a bright acidity, bringing baked cherry and black plum skin flavors that mingle and meld with mocha tannins, mulberry brightness and damson plum flavors. There is a hint of bittersweet dark chocolate on the pleasing finish. This wine can stand up to food that might overwhelm other wines – hearty stews, braised meats and hard, aged cheeses. Sisquoc will continue to age well and become even more complex and compelling with up to 10 years of cellaring. We recommend decanting the wine prior to enjoying with friends.

Many believe that the name of the ancient Nebbiolo grape came about because it made its home in fog-shrouded vineyards in Piemonte. Others think the name is rooted in the Italian word for “noble”. Both apply equally at Palmina, where the wine is rightly treated regally. The Stolpman Vineyard provides the fog, as that Ballard Canyon site is caressed each morning by sea fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The Stolpman vineyard looks like a typical vineyard on oak-studded rolling hills, but closer inspection reveals the secret to this quality Nebbiolo. The vineyard is planted on a thin, 2-foot layer of topsoil. Below a thin 2-foot topsoil lies a clay layer and then a thread of limestone. Because it is so adaptive to soil, the Lampia clone of Nebbiolo was chosen for this site, and the vineyard is farmed organically and meticulously.

This is an elegant beauty, rewarding the winemaker’s patience and care with personality and verve. This wine first shows off it’s “oh so Nebbiolo-ness” with its deep baked-brick color highlighted by glints of ruby red. From start to finish, this wine has personality that evolves and entices, revealing layer after layer of concealed loveliness. A swirl produces a seductive perfume of sweet carmelized rhubarb, rosemary, lavender, pomegranate, blood orange rind and a hint of tamari. Hibiscus and blood orange notes are first evident with a sip, melding to dried blueberry mingling with Niçoise olive and finishing with complex Mexican chocolate. Definitely a wine that is best enjoyed with good food and good company, we recommend decanting for one hour prior to serving. This wine will continue to evolve and mellow in your cellar for 7-10 years.

What can you expect from a wine that is named Undici? When winemaker/owner Steve Clifton first puts the Palmina black label on the bottle and then calls the wine “eleven”, be prepared for an extraordinary wine. Inside the bottle, one of the world’s most revered food wines resides – Sangiovese. The grape itself can be traced back to Etruscan times in Italy, and still today those who farm this sensitive grape continue to look for that perfect combination of soil, climate and clone that will result in a wine of grace, balance and character. Sangiovese is very susceptible to terroir, demanding warm, mineral-laced soils and careful cultivation. But when the right clones are planted to the right place, farmed meticulously and then vinified with knowledge and skill particular to Sangiovese, magic can happen in the bottle.

A Mediterranean climate with warm days, cold nights and limestone - mineral laden soils would be an ideal location to grow this somewhat demanding varietal. A mix of clones – Piccolo for body and structure and Grosso for softness and delicate fruit notes would add complexity. Enter the Honea Vineyard; a site of not only the right climate, perfect soils and complementary clones, but also of meticulous farming. The sloping hillside blocks provide superb drainage and sublime sunlight hours.

The journey from grape to glass must be done patiently and carefully. Hand harvested and all de-stemmed, 1/3 of the grapes were co-fermented with small amounts of Malvasia Bianca to extract even more color, spice and goodness from the Sangiovese skins. After fermentation was complete, the young wines were placed into a combination of Gamba (an Italian cooper, but french oak) and neutral french oak barrels to age under careful supervision for thirty months to allow the wine to integrate and evolve, with lively acids and textural tannins marrying with delicate fruit notes.

A deeper, more brooding ruby color gives the first evidence that this is going to be a substantial wine. Primary aromas of rich Bavarian milk chocolate give way to dark essence of black cherry and wild blackberries. Interwoven is an exhilarating lift of subtle pine needles and rosemary, not obvious, yet just present enough to lift the aromas and lighten the otherwise dark platform. On the palate the fruit profile delivers what the nose promises with dark berry flavors intriguingly supported by notes of black tea and dark plum skin. Definitely an Undici.

Our Featured Recipe comes from Jamie Sonsini "My Mom is 88 years old, walks a mile each day, cooks like crazy and loves having company for dinner. One of her 'gems' is her tomato pasta sauce." Click here for the recipe.

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Barbera is one of the worlds friendliest wines. In Italy’s Piemonte region, it is prized for its ability to ripen easily, pair beautifully with a wide range of foods and be ready to drink and enjoy relatively early. And so it is with the 2009 Barbera here in Santa Barbara County, which is released in time for summer fare but continues to evolve and gain complexity in the bottle over time and seasons.

Santa Barbara County is a near paradise to Barbera, which likes cooler climates to truly flourish. A true overview of the region, the 2009 Barbera is a blend from four vineyards in three cool climates – the Alisos Vineyard in the Los Alamos Valley, the Honea Vineyard and Walker Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, and the Zotovich Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. Each of these cool-climate vineyards delivers a bit of their own personality to this charming food wine.

The art of the blend is evident in the 2009 Barbera, with the wine from each vineyard crafted a little differently to add layers of complexity to the wine. The Barbera from the Walker Vineyard was aged in 100% Slovenian oak barrels and Alisos Vineyard Barbera in 100% Gamba barrels made from French oak. The wine from Honea Vineyard was aged in a large “upright”, and Zotovich Vineyard Barbera saw mostly neutral oak. Once the final blend was determined, the wines were racked from barrels to tank and allowed to marry, intermingle and meld for an additional month prior to bottling. The result is a wine that is truly representative of Santa Barbara County and layered with a cornucopia of flavors and bright acidity.

The vibrant purple edges surrounding the scarlet color of the wine tells of its youth and brightness before even a swirl. The swirl releases intense and elegant aromas of blackberry preserves on toast and just picked dark plums. A first sip pleases and surprises the palate, with the roundness from the nose being overtaken with a bright and lively acidity and red fruit flavors – red raspberry, sour cherry, mulberry and cran-cherry. The layering from the vineyards is evident with textural components of bramble, tea-like soft tannins and a hint of rhubarb mingling with more blackberry, a hint of tar and earthiness and a lifting red plum note on the finish. This wine loves food, so enjoy with anything ‘rustica’ – spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, risottos and just about anything with tomatoes and herbs! Enjoyable now, but will really improve with aging – we suggest decanting or aerating while the wine is still in its youth.

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