Wine Talk by Robert Whitley

It would be impossible to separate the meteoric rise of Monterey County viticulture from the evolution of Ventana Vineyards as an emerging superstar. So I won't even try. The two go hand in hand.

Wine enthusiasts with long memories know that Monterey once owned a hard-won reputation for foul-smelling, thin, tannic cabernet sauvignon. Everyone in the California wine industry wanted to emulate the success of the Napa Valley, and that meant cabernet sauvignon. Never mind that much of the California coast was far to cool to adequately ripen cabernet in most vintages.

So it was in Monterey County, where cabernet was widely planted, resulting in some of the nastiest, green, vegetal red wines ever produced in California. Until recently, Monterey County wineries have struggled to overcome the perception that their region was better suited for asparagus, artichokes and broccoli.

That was until the Garys, Pisoni and Franscioni, started growing some of the finest pinot noir grapes (pinot loves the cool weather) this side of the Cote d'Or. Given that this happened at roughly the same time interest in pinot noir grew white hot, it brought attention and unusual acclaim to a region badly in need of an image remake.

Never mind that one of California's single greatest chardonnay (another grape that thrives on a cool breeze) vineyards, Sleepy Hollow, had anchored the suddenly glamorous Santa Lucia Highlands for a quarter-century. Or that Monterey seemed to be the best place west of the Mississippi to grow riesling. Before the Garys came along, Monterey was best known for vegetal cabernet.

Ventana Vineyards has been through it all, and winemaker Reggie Hammond, a 12-year veteran at Ventana, correctly notes that it seems weird that after 20-plus years Ventana has become an "overnight" success. And so it has. Ventana has been the darling of the wine competition circuit this year, taking Best of Show awards at four prestigious wine competitions (with three different wines).

If there is a precedent for such a feat, no one has come forward to claim it. First it was the 2007 Ventana Riesling ($18) that was all the rage. It was voted best white wine at both the San Francisco Chronicle and Monterey wine competitions earlier this year. More recently, Ventana's 2008 Pinot Gris ($18) was voted best white wine at the West Coast wine competition in Santa Rosa; and the 2006 Rubystone ($18), a grenache-based Rhone-style blend, earned the honor as best red wine at the Riverside International wine competition.

I spoke with Hammond recently and, while he was certainly excited, he was philosophical, too. It's not like he couldn't make great wine one day, but now he can.

"We've won our share of medals over the years," he noted. "We may be the most medaled winery in California. But nothing like this. I can't explain it."

Indeed, Ventana's 2006 riesling also won the honor of best white wine at last year's Monterey wine competition, and the gewurztraminer once won nine gold medals in a single year.

More amazing, perhaps, than the ringing endorsements from a diverse group of judges around the competition circuit is the fact that Ventana hasn't gone Hollywood and raised its prices. The majority of its wines can still be had for less than $20 a bottle, and the new label design conveys a restrained modesty that's in keeping with the style of the wines: Superb but not flashy.

And it's comforting to know that greatness in a wine bottle is still affordable, if you only know where to look.

BEST BUY

Wines are rated on a 100-point scale.

Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value.

Matua Valley 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($14) — I've watched with horror as the price of Kiwi sauvignon blanc has taken off in recent vintages. It's the price of popularity, and you can hardly blame the wineries for taking advantage of the worldwide drift toward fresh, crisp white wines. New Zealand's Marlborough district, located on the cool northern tip of the South Island, is the source of some of the finest of the genre. Matua Valley is one of them. Yet, to my utter amazement, Matua Valley has held the line on price. For the money it remains one of the great values in classic Marlborough sauvignon, with its racy acidity, pungent herbal nuance and juicy tropical fruit palate. Rating: 90.

TASTING NOTES

Spring Mountain Vineyard 2004 Elivette, Spring Mountain District ($100) — Even as the market for A-list Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons has plunged, there remain a handful that are worth discussing with an eye toward the day when we might be able to afford them again. Though Spring Mountain's Elivette is technically a Bordeaux-style blend, the backbone is cabernet sauvignon (80 percent) from one of the Napa Valley's most spectacular mountain vineyards. Winemaker Jac Cole has crafted a complex red that delivers that rare combination of power and elegance. This beautifully structured blend displays aromas of mocha and spice, intense flavors of blackberry and raspberry, and an earthy minerality. There's even a hint of violet, and a long, lingering finish with supple tannins. You'll have to dig deep, but ultimately this is a wine that can be cellared for a decade or more and improve as a result. Rating: 95.

Eberle Winery 2008 Mill Road Viognier, Paso Robles ($20) — Winemakers walk a fine line when they work with viognier, the noble white grape of France's northern Rhone Valley. While they press for the ripeness levels that deliver the opulent peach, apricot and honeysuckle aromas that set viognier apart, they can only push the grapes so far before losing the ability to produce a balanced wine. All too often, particularly in the warmer climates of the California coast, balance is the big loser. Eberle's '08 Mill Road Viognier flirts with that fine line, coming in at 14.9 percent alcohol, but ultimately nails it. This is one of the finest California viogniers you are likely to ever taste. It exhibits layered aromas of peach, apricot and lychee, rich viscosity and mouthwatering acidity. Rating: 91.

Morgan 2008 R&D Franscioni Vineyard Pinot Gris, Santa Lucia Highlands ($17) — California winegrowers have been slow to the pinot gris party, though envious no doubt of this versatile grape variety's success in Oregon and other parts of the viticultural world. Neither as weighty as chardonnay nor as crisp and pungent as sauvignon blanc, pinot gris falls somewhere in between. Dan Lee at Morgan winery has taken up the challenge with some excellent results thus far, as evidenced by Morgan's '08 release from the R&D Franscioni vineyard in the northern (cooler) end of the Santa Lucia Highlands. With exceptional acid-fruit balance, Morgan's latest pinot gris is the perfect wine for anything from baked oysters and steamers to roasted chicken. The nose offers hints of white flower and minerals, and on the palate the wine is fleshy and complex, showing aromas of pear, green apple and grapefruit. Rating: 90.

To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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