Winemaker Notes
This wine is a blend of multiple pickings from multiple sites in Santa Barbara County. A majority of the fruit comes from "Kick-on Ranch," while the rest comes from other older vineyards in the area. Typically, the selection for Vandenberg are grapes with a higher percentage of Botrytis, or "Noble Rot." The result is a richer more fruit driven wine. It has more of the stone fruit flavors often associated with Riesling, nice minerality, and some slight botrytis notes often expressed as honey, or pollen. The reason the wine is called Vandenberg is because the Kick-on Ranch is located about a mile from the Air Force Base with the same name.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Graham Tatomer is the regional master of Riesling, and this countywide blend is a great entry point. The ocean is ever-present on the nose, with wave-washed aromas of granite, Meyer lemon peel and lemon oil. The palate is focused on dried citrus peel, with a strong sense of fresh sea spray and funky seashore elements, reminiscent of peat.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.