The Terrific Tastes of Temecula

Yesterday, on a cloudy Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, my wife and I decided to go wine-tasting in Temecula, located about 100 or so miles east of where we live. I don't have the exact number but I believe there are between 30 and 50 wineries there. It's the closest collection of wineries to Los Angeles next to Santa Barbara and up the coast of California.

We visited Temecula a few years ago and tasted some wine... and didn't like it. I don't remember what vineyards we visited but I concluded that, unless they figure out better farming techniques or hire better winemakers, they're not going to be selling much more than something slightly more flavorful than 2-buck chuck.

Maybe we visited the wrong wineries back then.

Yesterday, after a stop for lunch at Miguel's JR in Corona, we visited three wineries: Leonesse, La Cereza, and Mount Palomar.

La Cereza did not impress us, although we may have offended them when we asked to taste only one wine instead of the whole lineup.  I suggested they recommend the wine and they served a Cabernet in a plastic cup that was priced around $24 but tasted like something we'd find for about $5 at the grocery store. It was wimpy and absent of just about any character. It wasn't 'bad' tasting, just not very good.  A side note to La Cereza - even if someone asks for a freebie, give it to them in a nice glass.  You never know what they're going to do with that experience.

Not the same for Leonesse and Mount Palomar.

We first stopped at Leonesse and paid $12 for 6 tastings, which we shared. We started with the 2008 Viognier and 2007 Vineyard Selection Chardonnay for starters. Both are yummy wines with the Vionier having surprising body and boldness. The Chardonnay is oaky and filled with pineapple and melon nuances.

So far, so good.

We moved on to the reds. So much for my Temecula history! Leonesse definitely knows what they are doing. We chose to taste the 2006 Meritage, a Merlot-based wine that manages to be bold and delicate at the same time with a wonderful cherry finish wrapped in soft tannins. It reminded me of some of the finer blends coming out of the Paso Robles area. The 2007 Zinfandel was probably our least favorite but more on that later. The 2006 Syrah was pleasingly complex with a nice balance of dark fruit and, one my favorite characteristics found in a good syrah - black and white pepper. Although the tasting notes only identify the black pepper, I personally tasted white as well. The 2007 Syrah was a younger version of the 2006 but with similarly pleasant flavors.

At this point, the kind folks behind the tasting bar broke out their 2007 Vineyard Selection Syrah and the 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel. Both are single vineyard wines. The Syrah was an elegant and bold wine laced with black cherry, chocolate, blackberry, and a fantastically soft finish. It's also got a bit more alcohol than the cellar selection Syrah tasted earlier. This wine should age nicely but can drink nicely now - I recommend decanting.

The 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel was more to our liking than the cellar selection mentioned earlier. We both agreed that the cellar selection was a decent Zinfandel but it didn't blow our minds like the Vineyard Selection did. This wine just jumps from the glass with cherry, cola, coffee, clove and nutmeg nuances... all the fruit and spiciness I've come to love in a yummy Zinfandel.

Before I move on, one more note - the folks at Leonesse are clearly exited about their wines and passionate about their customers enjoying the experience. It's a fun place to visit and it's in a beautiful location. If we didn't have places to go and things to do, we could have stayed all afternoon.

But we did move on... detouring at La Cereza before landing at Mount Palomar - a rustic winery that looks as if it's all set for a party with live music and free flowing vino for all!

Our tastings began with their 2006 Sangiovese - a medium bodied wine that was loaded with cherry flavors and a nice finish. We followed this with the 2005 Trovato, a Tuscan style wine that was quite complex and yummy. The Trovato left me wanting for a place of spaghetti with Italian sausage and a robust tomato sauce. Are you hungry yet?

The 2006 Meritage was 50% Merlot and very pleasant to drink. At this point, it was my wife's favorite at Mount Palomar. But, of course, we moved on and tasted the 2005 Syrah - the only one on the list that left me wanting for a bit more robust flavors; although my taste buds could have been conditioned by this time. Anyway, the stars of the Mount Palomar tastings were the 2004 Cloudbreak, a Meritage style blend that was big, tannic, and cried out for a grilled T-Bone or Rib Eye steak, and the 2005 "Best of Vintage" Charbono. The Charbono, we were told, is a grape from Argentina although there is some speculation as to its origin. I'd never tasted a Charbono before and this was lovely. We both agreed that it's a wine that can be enjoyed with or without food - it's got enough backbone to hold up under some pretty bold dishes but is smooth and complex enough to enjoy by itself.

Alas, it was time to go home. We talked at some length about our experience and decided to come back. We will definitely return to Mount Palomar and Leonesse and allow for more time to visit other wineries in Temecula as well.

I imagine at one youthful time, Napa Valley and Paso Robles were poised for experimentation and probably some trial and error along the way before blossoming into wine regions with their own identities. Temecula will get there. If Leonesse and Mount Palomar are any indication, they are well on their way.