Edna Valley

There was a time, in the “way back when” that the finest grapes in California came from the Central Coast’s Edna Valley. The time was trhe early 1800’s And its frame continued until 1919 when the Prohibition Law was enacted. This alcohol restrictive law sounded the death knell of the area .Grapes were replaced by every conceivable orchard product including the laxative prune. When prohibition was repealed on December 5 1933 prospective grape growers and wine makers made a dash for any decent region that could support fine wine grapes. Unfortunately, the Edna Valley was bypassed because all of the better growing areas were taken by fruit trees. Jack Niven a land developer and aspiring vintner learned about the grape growing that formerly took place and found a respectable vineyard site in the Edna Valley and established, for the want of a better name, the Edna Valley Vineyards.

Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Merlot ($18). About fifteen years ago, the up and coming star of the wine world was Merlot. There was even a time when the demand far outreached the supply and prices skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the Merlot craze did not last too long and what remained was just too much of what had become an uninteresting wine. There were still a few areas where Merlot continued to shine and one of those was, you guessed it, the Napa Valley. The Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Merlot is one of those luminaries. This wine displays the aromas of ripe cherries enhanced with cranberry and hints of orange peel and allspice. Its flavors are creamy and lush on the palate, filling the mouth with black cherry and pomegranate. The finish is soft, supple and lingering. It is exactly what a fine Merlot wine should be, outstanding.

Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($15). Wine from the sauvignon blanc grapes are finally coming into their own. Wineries such as Beckmen are producing wines from this variety that are a notch above the familiar and somewhat boring sauvignon blanc wines of the past few decades. While the Beckmen offering continues to maintain the crisp acidity that the variety is famous for, they have also perused the fruit flavor possibilities of the grape. Citrus, grapefruit, melon and gooseberry aromas and flavors abound in this wine and the dominant flavor changes with each sip. Unlike many of the other sauvignon blanc wines, the Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc has a fruity finish.

Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Pinot Noir ($20). To us, Pinot Noir is almost a religion. We ave continuously bemoaned the fact that, in most cases, California Pinot Noir wines have been mediocre at best and in most cases, downright awful. Occasionally, there is a bright star. The Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Pinot Noir is one of those bright stars. The color is a deep cherry/ruby while the aroma is a complex of fruit flavors featuring cherries and blackberries mingled with oak. Below the surface there is a swirling, kaleidoscopic array of dark summer fruits and berries along with that indefinable incense-like aroma that, to us, marks a truly great Pinot Noir. The flavor is as multifaceted as is the aroma. There is a host of cherry and berry flavors, all of which are wrapped in that indefinable Pinot Noir velvet softness. This wine also possesses a substantial body, which is another sign of a well-made, finely proportioned Pinot Noir. The finish is long and as interesting and complex as is the aroma. To be very honest, this wine is reminiscent of the great Burgundies of the sixties and take our word for it, they were great Pinot Noirs. This wine is the perfect accompaniment to pork and veal, full flavored fowl and any meat dish featuring positive spices such as black pepper, allspice, thyme and sage.