Heidi-Ho Fellow Fun Guys and Gals,
Another year in the can (movie talk not bathroom humor) and
life is looking great! I have some killer wines..that I will describe
in a minute. I had a wonderful harvest (see harvest report), turned the
magic
five-O AND got married to boot. (well, actually to Ariki). Many of you
know Ariki Hill as my long time helper bee and king of the punch downs.
That rascal became my lover about two harvests ago. He 
makes
wine here
and in Australia (web site www.labyrinthwine.com)
and called OZ home, so I only saw him a few months a year..which is
great for some things but not a sex life. We decided to take our
relationship further. He had a three year plan, mine was a two year
plan. So we compromised..two years. We picked my birthday because I
couldn’t afford a huge 50th birthday party and a wedding. My
thought was that, in the long run, he would have a better chance of
remembering the date this way and I could get better presents.
We had everything set up to happen on November 12th in New
Orleans. Sister Suz called a few days after “the big
storm” (during harvest I am sooo out of touch) and asked me
what I was going to do. My first thought was…o, it
can’t be that bad…well, to make a long story short
we ended up getting married at the house. Up side, you party till you
drop….down side, it’s your
house and
it’s a mess. As always,enough about me-me-me and onto the
wines. If you want the technical stuff on these babies, go to the wines section of my site.
2004 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir…a new one for me. This yummy wine is White Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir from Los Alamos (you know…just below Santa Maria and above Santa Ynez) with a touch of French Camp Syrah for fun. It is my new quaffing wine. There are cherries, rhubarb and herbs with a mouth feel of soft tannins. Clean and refreshing with lingering fruit flashes.
This is thee wine for BBQ, mid week dinners, take out, lunch, after school, TV….the theme here is everyday-happy wine.
2004 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir….This is my aging wine. Bien Nacido is my personal favorite wine. It starts its life out a bit more tight and lean than my other Pinot Noirs but watch out! Give this one just a bit of lay down time and it turns into the “like butter” kina wine that simple melts in you mouth with goodness. Strawberries and sweet herbs swirl and dance till you just have to swallow. The earth tones and mushrooms hint at shady decadence and your mouth feels like the satin elf was cleaning your teeth (ie fruity, earthy, smooth). There is something addicting about this one. Your glass will be empty and you will find yourself thinking that second bottle is a very good idea.
2004 Julias Pinot Noir….This is my special occasion wine. It has all of the characters to make your dinner guests think you are a “spot on” wine connoisseur. This one hits your nose with wild cherries, smoke and spice. Crunchy red fruit tingles the mouth and a carpet of flavors linger on the tongue so long, its embarrassing. Sexy? You bet! Like compliments? Serve it to your best friends.
2003 French
Camp Syrah….This is my Pinotesque (like Pinot)
Syrah. It has all of the Syrah character in a more gentler, refined
style. The wine is sooo vestal. Fresh fruit (not jam) is the dominate
factor here 
with
integrated medium tannins and the patented
“Lane Tanner” lingering fruit finish. I could tell
you what food it goes with but honestly, I don’t know what it
doesn’t go with.
2001 Reserve Syrah….This is my manly wine. It is a different style than all the rest and it is at it’s zenith. It is dark and jammy with wonderful smokey bacon fat overtones. You will want a sound piece of meet with it or a really good cigar and a big soft chair. Turn your phone off , linger over the spicy warm aroma and loose yourself in the swirling deep red color.
Well, there you have it. I find that writing my wine descriptions always makes me thirsty for some reason. Go Figure. I want to thank all of you who buy my wines and support my brand. I’m going on 26 years in the buiz now and I’m still making a living doing what I really want to do (with your help). You are the best! When you order, just remember that I’m always up for signing a bottle for you…just ask
P.S. Just a note. If you want any of Arikis’ wines,
just contact me and I can set something up. His website sales form is
for Australian sales still.
Hugs and Kisses…LYP…Lane