What a treat! Tasting from only four wineries – that specialize in making wine from LA County grapes! I knew three of the four already from past tastings, but this time it was a true focus on what they can do as we compared each. Below is the invite, wine list (hyperlinks go to their Facebook pages) and my notes. Photos are here.
Invitation
Come join The Los Angeles Vintner’s Association at Angeleno Wine Company …for an extraordinary tasting of locally grown, Los Angeles wine! We’ve gathered four amazing local wineries, and assembled a line-up of 10+ incredible wines, all grown right here in Los Angeles County. Come meet the winemakers, and discover the true potential of local wine as you taste your way through this diverse collection of styles, single varietals, and blends.
Participating wineries include: Angeleno Wine Company, Acri Wine Co, Byron Blatty Wines, and Cavaletti Vineyards.
Acri Wine Company – This was a new winery for me to try. All were barrel samples but showed great fruit and potential. Especially the 2019 Sangiovese, also from the Antelope Valley. My husband liked the depth in the 2018 Syrah and likewise thought it would cellar nicely.
2018 Syrah, Antelope Valley
2019 Zinfandel Barrel Sample, Antelope Valley
2019 Sangiovese, Antelope Valley.
Angeleno Wine Company – Our host winery for the event, about 60 minutes away and definitely worth a visit. Besides the list below I also snagged a sample of their chilled orange wine – made orange by skin contact with these Spanish/Portuguese grapes I was unfamiliar with: Treixadura, Godello and Loureiro. These same varietals were also in the White Field Blend I favored, with the addition of Albariño.
2017 White Field Blend, Sierra Pelona Valley
2018 Bike Path Red (also served a little chilled, blend of Tempranillo and Grenache) Sierra Pelona Valley
2017 Grenache, Sierra Pelona Valley (This is from the Alonso Family Vineyards. They also make their own label, and by “they” I mean Juan Alonso. He has made his own wine for many years, and is the longtime owner of Le Chene.)
Byron Blatty Wines – Mark Blatty was there charming the guests, as usual, suffice it to say he had the busiest table. My favorite wine in his lineup was the 2016 Evenfall Red (I jokingly call it my namesake!) blend of Tempranillo and Petite Sirah. His Syrah and Malbec garnered a lot of attention, and an extra special pour of his soon-to-be released proprietary red – only 23 cases – of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, was powerful! Stay tuned for that release. I predict this to be my next favorite from Byron Blatty.
2016 Agenda Syrah, Los Angeles County
2016 Evenfall Red, Los Angeles County
2017 Pragmatic Malbec, Los Angeles County
Cavaletti Vineyards – With a tasting room in nearby Moorpark, this is a winery to visit. Besides the wines listed below owner/winemaker Patrick Kelley also shared a 2018 Nebbiolo. I enjoyed them all, with special nods to the Cab and Nebbiolo, really fine fruit that will develop with a little more aging. I bought two of his Rose, a blend of Tempranillo and Grenache, as it was very good and the price was only about $25 per bottle.
2018 109 Mile Rosé, Los Angeles County
2018 Swayze (not Patrick) Grenache, Antelope Valley
2018 Whispering Bells Cabernet Sauvignon, Malibu Coast
##
Angeleno Wine Company is located at 1646 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
