Pali Wine Company – Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail Tasting #14

Pali Wine Co. was my host for another great wine tasting experience in Santa Barbara’s Funkzone. Their AVA specific Pinot Noirs were quite tasty and the tasting room’s atmosphere and vibe was classy and fun. The wine flights and by the glass offerings are well priced and include a nice variety of high quality wines to enjoy. I am excited to return to Pali Wine soon and try some more of their delicious wines.

I visited Pali Wine Company on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon. The open and airy tasting room was well lit by the large windows that made up its walls, making the relatively small tasting room seem much larger. The place was busy for such a foul weather day. While the beautiful outdoor patio was of no use, there was still ample room for me to sidle up the tasting bar to learn a bit about the winery and drink some tasty wines.

I was greeted by Carmen who would be my host for the afternoon, guiding me through the 6 wines I was about to taste. Pali Wine Co. offers two tasting flights: the Pali Flight and the Tower 15 Flight. The Pali Flight is their more traditional and signature wine flight, made up of a chardonnay and 4 pinot noir wines, while the Tower 15 Flight has a bit more diversity in wine type & growing regions, and includes wines at a little lower price point. I opted for the Pali Flight so that I could get a good feel for signature tastes of Pali Wine Co and their well-known Santa Rita Hills pinot noirs.

Carmen started out my tasting by pouring me the 2013 Huber Chardonnay. This chardonnay was a bit on the dry side with slight butteriness, but the heavy oak was really what came across, so much so that it dominated the flavor a bit. I enjoyed tasting this wine, but I would have liked to have tried it a few years ago, maybe then a bit more fruit would have come through and it would have felt more balanced.

Next I tried the estate grown 2017 Rosé, made from whole cluster Pinot Noir grapes. The rosé had a beautiful translucent rose gold color and a bright cherry/raspberry smell. It tasted light yet still had depth in its red berry flavors with a notable lime/citrus finish that lingered on the palate. I think its smoothness and complexity are products of it being made from pinot noir graphs as opposed to the typical grenache or syrah rosés you find most often. I enjoyed this wine and could see myself happily drinking it while lounging in the sun on one of Santa Barbara’s beautiful beaches.

Pali’s 2016 ‘Huntington’ Pinot Noir was up next. Carmen said this is one of the winery’s most popular wines. It had a rich red berry and slight smokey smell. My first impression was that it was a bit tart, but a second sip revealed a sweet vanilla and dried blueberry flavor that finished with some strong oak. It was on the sweeter side for a Pinot, but I see why people gravitate towards it, as it was overall tasty and reasonably priced at $25 per bottle.

Another lower priced pinot noir followed: the 2016 ‘Bluffs’ Pinot Noir from the Russia River Valley in Northern California. This wine had a lively, fruiter smell, which carried over to its flavor. It was full of deep red candied fruit and a lighter oaky/earthy finish. I personally preferred the Bluffs pinot over the Huntington pinot.

Carmen then poured me the 2016 Summit Pinot Noir. It was not on today’s regular tasting menu, but she said it sometimes makes an appearance. It was a fuller bodied wine compared to the last two. Being more fruit forward and having a bit more depth I really enjoyed this wine. The balance between the Summit’s tannins and acidity were noticeably awesome to boot.

Last on Pali Wine Co.’s tasting flight was the 2015 Rio Vista Pinot Noir, a single vineyard estate wine from the Santa Rita Hills AVA. This wine had a hauntingly earthy rose smell with hints of oak from its 18 months in 50% new French barrels. It was a clear light red color with its edges turning brown. This is normally a sign of an older wine as this color phenomenon is caused by some of the compounds found in the grape skins (phenolics) linking together as the wine ages. It was somewhat surprising to see in a wine of this age, but it was no sign of a diminish in flavor.

The Rio Vista Pinot was full of complex fruit and tannins. I was getting red cherry and blackberries, along with slight baking spices and consistent oak flavors. It had an amazing balance of fruit and woodiness throughout the flavor profile, as opposed to just at the finish. The mouthfeel of this wine stood out as particularly velvety and soft. This was my favorite wine of the tasting and is as good as any of the other premium level SB pinots I have tried so far in my tasting journey.

It was an amazing to finish to a fun and delicious tasting at Pali Wine Company. The wines were diverse and reasonably priced. My host Carmen was awesome, providing great service, fun conversation and helpful insights into the wines I tasted. I really enjoyed Pali’s modern and open tasting room with its giant windows and plethora of natural light. I hope to return to try some more of their wines, hopefully on the outdoor patio on a warm sunny day next time.

Overall I would recommend visiting Pali Wine Company. Stop in for a nice tasting, a relaxing glass of wine or as is the new hot thing to do in Santa Barbara, fill up a growler of wine on tap to enjoy where you please!

– Visited on February 10, 2019

Check out my Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail project, of which Pali Wine Company is apart of. Click here to see my trip reports for the other 25+ SB wineries!

Make sure you get home safe from your own tasting adventures. I always bring along my breathalyzer just in case. No excuse to drink and drive!

 

– Alan Evans