At the tail-end of my 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference experience, I stopped in at Cimarone Winery. I’d heard of them through Twitter, as the winery’s social media (@cimarone) did a great job letting us bloggers know they were in nearby Los Olivos and would be offering a special tasting for us if we ever had the chance to steal away from the conference. I didn’t have much time that last afternoon, having dinner plans in Santa Maria and being due in San Luis Obispo that night, but I fit Cimarone in, and I’m glad I did.
Nestled in Los Olivos’s adorable few blocks of tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops, Cimarone’s English flag and cottage-style building stands out. Why the Union Jack? While owner Priscilla Higgins has an international background, her husband and co-owner Roger hails from Yorkshire and has obviously retained his British loyalties despite starting a winery in Santa Barbara County in 2001.
The Higgins are pictured in the photo to the left. I know, I know, you can’t see it.
My guide in the tasting room, Shelley Woods, spoke highly of the Higgins and of winemaker Andrew Murray, who’s done impressive work throughout the Santa Barbara region. What impressed me most about Cimarone’s wines was the nose—they all had amazingly complex and memorable noses.
In addition to the nose, I loved the artwork on the 2012 3CV Cilla’s Blend.
Named after Priscilla, of course, I found it to be an easy-drinking red that was a little too much on the blueberry side for my preferences. Someday, I’ll learn to like blueberry. If you do, you’ll probably love it. What I loved more was the 2009 Reserve Syrah, which I named one of my favorite wines of the conference.
Shelley pouring me a glass.
I can’t forget that nose and how it made me a believer in barnyard descriptors when I’d never considered that an appealing concept before. But the straw and moss I got from sniffing made me yearn to lead a horse out for a countryside picnic—and I’ve only ever been horseback riding once. I think it helped that the Ballard Canyon Syrah course was still fresh in my mind from the day before, as I was prepared to appreciate the wildness of a good syrah more than I had been before. Bright cranberry and cigar rounded out the glass.
I also loved the 2010 Cimarone Le Clos Secret, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, cabernet franc, malbec, and merlot. Whereas the Reserve Syrah swung the door wide open, Le Clos Secret tiptoed up behind me.
Its lighter nose of lavender and strawberry did not demand the attention that the Reserve Syrah did, but the reward came as the wine opened up in my mouth. Sweet berry, aquavit spices recalling roasted pork tenderloin, licorice, and lavender came together for an expert blend. I cannot tell you how sad I was not to win the half case of it when I learned it was the first prize in the Santa Ynez County Wine Country bloggers’ drawing. Wait, I can. It saddened me a lot.
After the tasting, Shelley was kind enough to show me around the rest of the tasting room (cozy armchairs in the sitting room) and backyard, which are available for patrons wanting to while away a sunny afternoon with a bottle of Cimarone wine.
Thank you, Shelley, and the Higgins, for offering me your blogger tasting!
Visited 13 July 14.
Heading into a tasting room, whether as part of a winery, distillery, meadery, or brewery, is always exciting for me. I love being able to sample several items, always hoping the flight will offer the joy of unexpected flavors or show off clear differences between aging and brewing styles. Ideally, the location will offer a mix of relaxation and information, and when beautiful scenery is also on offer? Perfection.