Winemaker Notes
Stone fruit (peach/nectarine) skin and flesh, white fruit blossoms on a warm Spring day, Summer rain on granite, hint of vanilla brulee on green apple. Crisp, bright, mineral and fruity-quite dry with lip-smacking structure/acidity. Lively, saline, stoney, fruity, nervey and begging for seafood. Profound tension between freshness and structure with persistent and notable nectarine in the finish. St. Louis or Carolina-style BBQ, the smokier and tangier the better. As the winemaker is an honest oyster addict, he freely admits he cras this wine to match perfectly with cold-water oysters or a NOLA-style fried oyster Po’-Boy. Charcuterie or salumi. If it has pig and salt, it will match perfectly. Anything fried and any white sushi or sashimi, especially yellowtail, monkfish liver or scallops.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a very accessible white wine for those seeking a reliable alternative that's both bright and flavorful. Aromas of coconut, poached pear, chamomile and white flowers show on the broadly painted nose, while the palate is clean and crisp with apple, zippy acidity and a chalky minerality.
After a long and rewarding career as a salesman, grape grower and ambassador for Santa Maria and Paso Robles wine, Jeff Wilkes decided to try his hand at winemaking.
He went to his long-time employer and friend, Steve Miller, with a proposal to create wines that focused on California’s Central Coast, through the lens of two of its sub-AVA’s, Santa Maria and Paso Robles Highlands.
Jeff launched his namesake label in 2001 and immediately received critical acclaim. He continued on that path until his untimely passing in 2010. Inspired by Jeff’s vision and moved by their friendship, the Miller family decided to continue the J. Wilkes label as a tribute to Jeff’s passion.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.