A fun little Thanksgiving Post for you all today, including a wine from Los Altos Hills!
When I heard “the Domies” were having their 50th reunion, I was all in. While I had seen the UC Davis domes over the years, a chance to attend one of their reunions had always eluded me. My husband was one of about 2 dozen people who work on the project to build the domes back in 1972. The reunion was very well attended, with most of the former hippie-esque originals in attendance. It was a great weekend of memories and rekindling of old relationships and making new friends.
We brought a case of theme-appropriate Napa wine made by one of our local vintners – the 2018 Bunter Spring Hippie Syrah, which was enjoyed greatly by everyone. We have reviewed this wine before (#756) here: https://decantingmonterey.com/bunter-spring-suddenly-closes-tasting-room-wine-pod-jumps-on-chance-to-taste-his-wines/.
My Review: Very dark ruby in color. A dark cherry nose. Black cherry on the rich, tasty palate, with a touch of yeastiness on the finish. This is my favorite to date of the Hippie Syrahs! Can’t wait to taste the 2019! June 2022
What I did not really expect to see at this reunion was Central Coast wine! I captured 2 true “Central Coast” wines the first night we were there.
- 2021 Hitching Post Pinks Dry Rosé Wine, Central Coast
- 2009 Yáñez-Chin Winery Chardonnay, Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County
The very first wine served as the Hitching Post Pinks. I was a bit surprised to see it up in Northern California. I’ve written about Hitching Post wine before.
The second wine was much more obscure. On the first night of the Dome Reunion, I met Luis Yáñez, the engineer who was the senior managing consultant on the Domes construction project and a part-time instructor at UC Davis. He oversaw the design and construction of the utility core elements of the domes: kitchen, bathroom, plumbing and electrical. He continues to play a role in innovative technologies and solutions.
A very sweet and friendly fellow, Luis also dabbled in wine making for a while, as the owner of the Yáñez-Chin Winery in the Los Altos Hills and brought a case of his award-winning 2009 Chardonnay for us to enjoy. He produced Chardonnay from 2008-2010 from a nearby property where he planted 127 vines of Chardonnay and built an impressive home.
I don’t know much about the Los Altos Hills wine growing region in Santa Clara County. Wineries nearby include Portola; Thomas Fogarty; Neely Winery; and the new Madsen located in Los Altos Hills. More wineries are just to the south, including historic Murrieta’s Well and Felloms Ranch, a source for grapes by our own Ian Brand.
I did find an article about residents making their own wines in “Our Town: The Official Newsletter of the Town of Los Altos Hills” from June 2017: Los Altos Hills Wine Country. It indicates that there were 112 vineyards in town at that time! There is also an annual Vines & Wine Event in Los Altos Hills with dozens of local winemakers!
2021 Hitching Post Pinks Dry Rosé Wine, Central Coast AVA, 13% ABV, $18 (#862)
The Hitching Post Pinks is made by Hartley Osini Vintners, Santa Maria, CA.
Winemaker’s Notes from their website: “A clean and softer version of our typical style of Hitching Post Wines Pinks Dry Rosé. Using our staple blend of 80% Valdiguie from French Camp Vineyards in San Luis Obispo County and 20% Pinot Noir from Quinta del Mar Vineyard.
“Lightly peach colored with an almost rusty hue. Soft tropical notes drawing out slight watermelon rind, and strawberry. An easy sipper for hot days, the acidity gives enough amplitude on the palate to bring out a cactus pear flavor. A fun wine to accompany a cheese and charcuterie board that is balanced and repeatable to drink.”
My Review: Rich pink in color. Aromas typical of a Pinot Noir-based rosé. Very tasty. I would have this again. The Valdiguié is a nice switch up from our usual Pinot Noir-driven Central Coast rosés! I would buy this. October 2022
2009 Yáñez-Chin Winery Chardonnay, Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County, 12% ABV, $45 (#863)
Luis brought a case of his 2009 Yáñez-Chin Chardonnay to share with the group. 90 cases were produced. He indicated this wine won third place out of 35 wineries in a Los Altos Hills wine competition, likely the Vines & Wine Event mentioned above, about 5 years ago. At that time, the wine should have sold for about $45, although Luis mostly gave it to his family and friends.
My Review: Amber in color. A little cloudy. Caramel on the palate with fig notes, a touch sweet like a vermouth. I would have liked to taste it 5 years ago! October 2022
© Decanting Monterey 2023
1 Response
[…] Last week, I posted about a rainy day Idle Hour tasting. In addition to Idle Hour, Mark Bunter of Bunter Spring Winery (finally) showed up with his wines and Lenora Carey of Big Sur Vineyards also poured some of hers – including a limited release Pinot Noir made by…Mark Bunter! We had arrived early for Idle Hour and were just about ready to leave when these wineries showed up, so I only have 3 wines to present today. In addition, we re-tasted Bunter’s 2018 Hippie Syrah – it was meaty and delicious, as I previously reported here: Interesting Showing of Central Coast Wines at the Dome Reunion! […]