jill of all tirades

On Sunday, my husband and I went tasting at Leal Vineyards in Hollister, CA.  Approaching the winery, you drive down a 2 lane road with houses on either side.  Suddenly, at the bottom of a small hill, there is a large wooden gate; to the right is a very nice amphitheatre-like area and to the left is the tasting room.  The tasting room is open to the outside, with many tables and umbrellas, filled with people enjoying their glasses.  I was surprised how busy this small winery was at first, but once I enjoyed their elegant selection, I was no longer surprised that this was a hotbed of Hollister activity.

First we were given Reidel O glasses for our tasting.  This impressed me, the high quality of the glassware and the opportunity to try these unique glasses.  We were poured 6 wines to taste, but I will only mention my three personal favorites: the Chardonnay, the Threesome, and the Godsend. 

The Chardonnay (2005) was full flavor without having an over-oaked taste.  I was told that this was accomplished by aging the wine for 12 months in oak barrels and for 2 months in stainless steel.  I am a big fan of stainless steel chardonnays, they have a much lighter and more citrus flavor than the traditional oak aged ones.

The Threesome (2005) was my favorite wine that we tasted.  It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre that is a great lighter red blend; Syrah comprising the majority of the mixture.  With the first sip, I could picture myself sitting in the backyard, reading a novel, with the setting sun on my face.  I bought a bottle, of course!

The final wine we tasted was the 2005 Godsend.  This was described as being a “three year labor of love” to make this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon.  To being, the wine was displayed in a Leal decanter, sitting on the tasting room counter, building the anticipation while you enjoy the opening acts.  This is a rich and full red with a very dry finish; for being unfiltered, it had very little of the chalky taste you sometimes get.  It is aged for 17 months in a blend of French and American oak barrels, and then further aged for 6 months in new American oak barrels.  This is the wine that convinced me to become a member of their wine club.

All in all, this was one of the best tasting experiences that I have had, ever!  Good wine, pleasant atmosphere, and very knowledgeable staff make this winery one of my new favorites.  All images are from the Leal Vineyards website.