VOLUME 12, ISSUE 34
December 30, 2022
ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
A Commonplace Bucket of Pinot Noir: Quotes, Ephemera, and Thoughts The Prince Retires (this time for good)

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Vineyard: Julia's

OwnerBarbara Banke
AppellationSanta Maria Valley
VarietiesChardonnay, Pinot Noir

Articles mentioning wines produced from this vineyard

Wineries sourcing from this vineyard

Reviewed wines produced from this vineyard

2018 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., $26.99 (but often discounted). Clones are 50% Pommard 4, 20% Dijon 667, 15% clone 23, 8% Wädenswil 2A, and 7% Dijon clone 115. 100% de-stemmed, fermented in stainless steel open-top tanks after a 5-day cold soak. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Giving aromas of boysenberry, blackberry, cardamom spice, tilled earth, flower blossom and a touch of toasty oak. Mid-weight and forward-drinking in style, with flavors of black cherry, black plum and blackberry with a riff of oak in the background. Silky in texture, with quenching acidity and a modest but satisfying finish. Score: 91. Reviewed February 28, 2021 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.7% alc., pH 3.61, TA 0.56, $25. Vineyard named after proprietor Julia Jackson in 1988. This well-known vineyard is sustainably farmed. Soils are fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand. Clones are Pommard 4, 2A, 23, 667, 115, 777 and “828.” Aged 8.5 months in 100% French oak barrels, 31% new. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. This wine performed much better when tasted a day after opening the bottle. Nicely perfumed with black cherry fruit and subtle oak notes of toast, tobacco and cardamom. Discreet in weight, with brandishing flavors of oak-kissed cherry, raspberry, spice and earth. Silky, with a good tannic frame, bright acidity, and a modest but pleasing finish. This wine is always a good choice in the value-price category. Score: 89. Reviewed October 12, 2018 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Byron Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., $45. Pommard clone. Aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 45% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Heady aromas of purple berries and supportive oak. Silken in the mouth, featuring a discreetly concentrated core of cherry fruit and spice. This wine also leans on oak. Easy drinking with gentle tannins and an adequate finish. Score: 90. Reviewed July 21, 2018 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2014 Byron Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.9% alc., 342 cases, $45. Pommard 4 clone. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels, 39% new. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is dominated by oak-driven scents of coffee grounds and toast. Much more appealing on the palate, with mid weight flavors of dark red cherries and berries and heavy accents of oak toast and spice. Forward drinking and nicely balanced with sleek tannins, yet oak currently plays too big a role for me in this wine. Still replete with oak-infused black cherry flavor when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Score: 87. Reviewed December 13, 2016 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2013 Byron Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., 115 cases, $45. This vineyard has some of the oldest vines in the region. Ancient alluvial sandy loam soils and cool, maritime influence. Planted in 1970 originally. Pommard 4 clone. Aged in 100% French oak barrels, 39% new. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of black cherry, ripe strawberry and sous bois lead off. Easy to like, with silky tannins, a suave texture, nicely integrated oak, and a generous amount of dark red and black cherry and berry flavors that linger on the finish. Still solid the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Score: 90. Reviewed April 2, 2016 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2012 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., pH 3.60, TA 0.58, $25. An amalgam of different clones and vine ages with some very old vines dating to 1974. Named after proprietor Barbara Banke’s youngest daughter Julia. Clones 4, 2A, 23, 667, 115, 12, 5 and 777. 7-day cold soak, aged 7 months in 20% new French oak barrels. · Medium reddish purple hue in the glass. This wine is often one of my favorite value priced offerings, but this edition has too much oak sheen for my taste which is surprising since the percentage of new oak is very modest. The fruit aromas of dark cherry and blackberry are overshadowed by oak. The lovely fruit core of black cherry, blueberry and pomegranate is earth-blessed, but somewhat buried in oak-driven flavors of tobacco and toast. The finish is satisfying but offers a rush of tannin. Another 6 to 12 months in bottle should mitigate some of the tug of oak and soften the tannins. Score: 87. Reviewed April 19, 2014 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2012 Byron Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.9% alc., pH 3.63, TA 0.53, 344 cases, $45. Sourced from a small block of old vines planted in 1974. Aged 16 months in 50% new French oak barrels. · Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. A nose of nuance with scents of red and black berries, baker’s spice, raw beef, and toasty oak. Full-bodied, oak-infused flavors of cherries and strawberries. This wine has a bold demeanor, but is not muscular. The tannins are well integrated and the wine is easy to like, although oak tends to play a prominent role in its demeanor. Score: 89. Reviewed November 19, 2014 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2011 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.5% alc., 34,694 cases, pH 3.59, TA 0.63, $25. Released October 2012. Anchored by one of the oldest commercial plantings of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County. (1974). An amalgam of different clones and vine ages. Clones Pomard 4, Wädenswil, 23, 667, 12, Pommard 5 and 777. Aged 8.5 months in 20% new French oak barrels. · Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. Perfume of dark red berry jam, mu shu plum sauce and spice. Lighter in this vintage with delicate flavors of dark red cherries and berries and a hint of spice. Solidly crafted but not exciting, and a bit shallow on the finish. Not up to the level of the past few vintages, but still a good value daily drinker that is widely available. Decent. Reviewed June 23, 2013 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., pH 3.59, TA 0.54, $25. Clones 4, 2A, 23, 667, 115, 12, 5 and 777. Aged 8 months in 26% new French oak barrels. Week-long cold soak for optimum color and flavor extraction. · Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Beautifully perfumed with aromas of boysenberry pie glaze, dark cherries, black grapes, spice and just a hint of mocha. Very tasty core of moderately dark red, blue and black berries with an earthy undertone, well-integrated oak and a polished mouth feel. A quintessential Santa Maria Valley wine that has respectable power, good finishing length and enough spirit to be thoroughly satisfying. Very good. Reviewed October 26, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2007 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.4% alc.. · Shy cherry and berry aromas and flavors. Smooth and harmonious with supporting touch of oak and earthiness. The tannins are reigned in and the wine is quite drinkable now. Good. Reviewed March 11, 2010 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2007 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.5% alc., $25. · More deeply colored than the 2006 vintage. Bright scents of cherries, strawberries, and oak toast and spice. A little riper and richer than the 2006 version with dark red cherry, berry and plum flavors augmented by a subtle loamy underpinning and a refreshing lift of acidity on the finish. Plenty of structure and intensity to satisfy and the soft tannins make for easy sipping. Very good (-). Reviewed February 15, 2010 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2007 Lane Tanner Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.8% alc., 447 cases, $36. Sourced from block B4 (Martin Ray selection) of Julia’s Vineyard which is located about 3 miles east of Bien Nacido Vineyard. The crop was low so it ripened earlier and harvest occurred about a month earlier than in 2006. Lane was the first to pick at this vineyard. Aged 11 months in 33% new French oak and 44% one-year-old barrels. The wine was not finned and was gently filtrated. · Watch out for this spiced-up mother as it will seduce you. On the extroverted nose there are lovely scents of framboises des boise and cassis liquors which draw you into the glass. The lush berry fruit is rich and opulent with well-integrated tannins and a whisper of oak. Balance is spot on. The mouth feel is satiny and the long, powerful finish is seductively perfumed. This is a wine with considerable cleavage that is hard to say no to. Reviewed July 9, 2009 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Estate Bottled Pinot Noir

13.9% alc., $20. This well known vineyard is located at the western end of the Cambria Estate on the Santa Maria Bench 17 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Named for the owner’s youngest daughter. · Deep red color. Highly nuanced nose of cherries, strawberries, oak, cinnamon and green grass. Light strawberry and cherry flavors with a touch of savory herbs and a grassy finish. Decent acidity and very soft tannins. An easy drinker which will perform well at the dinner table. Reviewed May 7, 2009 WINERY » ARTICLE »

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2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.9% alc., The winery’s signature Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard named after the owner’s daughter. The label says, “cherry, strawberry, cinnamon, vanilla” and the label is right on. Multiple clones. Aged in 30% new French oak. The winemaker is Denise Shurtleff. · Red fruit driven wine that is light red in color and elegant in design. Plenty of strawberry flavor and attractive spice and vim. Easy and very approachable, this is a daily “go-to” meal time Pinot. Reviewed March 3, 2008 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

13.8% alc., $25. · Lovely Pinot perfume of cherries, strawberries, brown spice and cinnamon which loses some intensity in the glass over time. Tasty cherry and strawberry fruit offered in a moderately light style with supple tannins, bright acidity and a lingering red cherry and lemon toned finish. Highly drinkable and a perfect daily drinker. Very good (-). Reviewed February 15, 2010 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2006 Lane Tanner Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.5% alc.460 cases, $36. This vineyard is located three miles due east of the Bien Nacido Vineyard and Lane’s block is planted to the Martin Ray clone of Pinot Noir. · Dark crimson in color. Aromas of earth-dusted fruit, grilled meat and toasted oak lead to an attack of plush dark stone fruits which are earth-kissed. Layers of flavor interest with mushrooms, herbs and cola.. Dense on the palate but still silky in texture with a healthy tannic core that is not intrusive. This one will appeal to those who like the more sauvage style of Pinot Noir. Like Lane says, “ like the haunting other woman - rather scary.” Reviewed May 7, 2008 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2006 Foxen Winery Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., 450 cases, $54. Pommard clone. 100% whole berry de-stemmed. 5 day cold soak, 10 day fermentation with punchdowns twice daily. Aged 16 months in 65% new French oak barrels. · Vigorous with flavor and character featuring herbinfused dark stone fruit with char and cola highlights. Packed and stacked with flavor but smooth and polished. The deep berry flavors leave a memorable impression on the lengthy finish. A delicious wine. Reviewed January 1, 2009 WINERY » ARTICLE »

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