I liked this Anapamu Pinot Noir the first time that I tried it. It was at a benefit wine tasting, and I probably sampled the 1995 vintage. I dimly recall the man who was pouring telling me that it was a Gallo wine (he was also serving the Zabaco, and I really liked that one too), but I forgot the Gallo association. (I also dimly recall telling him I probably just liked it because "the best years of my life were spent in Santa Barbara in the 1980's while living on Santa Barbara Street between Victoria and Anapamu". Wine tastings certainly bring out the scintillating discourse, or, paraphrasing a line from a review Lambira just posted tonight: "schmoozing is so much easier when you're liquored up").

When I purchased a few bottles of this Pinot last year in Durango, the liquor store owner again told me it was a Gallo wine, and there was talk of discontinuing the line (along with the Zabaco label).

Well, with my steel trap memory and all you'd think some part of that information would have stuck. But no, today as I looked at the one bottle of the 96 I grabbed last week in Durango, I thought to self: "Now WHO makes this wine again?" (I fear my research for this category is finally taking its toll).

Yes, E & J Gallo is responsible for the Anapamu label. In a 5/21/97 article in the Sacramento Bee titled, "Gallo Pouring on Designer Labels", Food Editor Mike Dunne writes:

"Gallo is releasing a flurry of wines under labels with little or no suggestion of their pedigree... all look to be the labels of small new wineries, but all are Gallo products. While the fabricated names do suggest that Gallo is trying to hide the wines' heritage, it's ironic that the company retains the family name for Gallo Sonoma, its top-of-the-line release."

Well, if the intent was to cover the tracks on the ancestral trail, it sure worked in my case. If you have an interest in such things, a quick click on: http://www.Gallo.Com/USA/p_table.htm (Table Wine Portfolio) will prove to you beyond doubt that this company aims to realize its stated mission: "A bottle of Gallo wine on every table".

Here are a few of the other labels that they have introduced over the past few years:

Ultra Premium Wines:
Rancho Zabaco (Sonoma Valley)
Anapamu (CA Central Coast)
Marcelina (Napa Valley)
Turning Leaf Sonoma Reserve
Indigo Hills (CA Coastal Blend)

Imported Varietal:
Ecco Domini (Italy)

Mid Priced Varietals:
Gossamer Bay ("lighter, more approachable style")
Turning Leaf ("casual, unpretentious attitude that fits contemporary lifestyles")

WHAT ABOUT THE WINE, ALREADY?

I could tell from the get-go that this was no wimpy Pinot in my glass. It was relatively dark and saturated to the eye. The nose confirmed what the eyes suspected. Very strong aromas of dark cherries, ripe strawberry, rhubarb, and hints of tobacco and cedar were in evidence, along with a good percentage of that 13.5 alcohol level.

More confirmation: the taste was one big mouthful of, yes, dark cherries. Side by side with the fruit struts the toasty oak/tobacco/earth overlay. The more I tasted, the more the word "monochromatic" came to mind. The wine is a bit of a one note symphony due only to the intensity of the cherry flavors. The tannins are what I would call medium, and it is just a tad hot on the tongue, in the finish and aftertaste. I found the inside of my upper lip almost sweating after the first several sips, but I like to sweat (means I'm working hard!), so this is not necessarily a strike against the wine. It might just need some more time in the bottle to settle down and chill out.

In their May 15, 1998 issue, the Wine Spectator dubbed the 1995 Anapamu Pinot Noir (score of 87) the Featured Wine and placed it at the top of their American Pinot Noir List in the A WORLD OF VALUES cover story. I am unable to find their ratings for the 1996, however.

Even though I preferred the last vintage a bit over this one, this is still a great full-bodied Pinot for $12. I believe that Zinfandel and Merlot lovers might be pleasantly surprised by the depth of the fruit and strong tannin in this wine. This also makes me inclined to recommend that you try this wine not only with the standard foods well-suited to Pinot Noirs (salmon, dark poultry, grilled vegetables, hamburgers and hot dogs), but also with some hearty beef, lamb and pork dishes, and definitely kung pao tofu and garlic eggplant. I think this sturdy Pinot could probably take on and keep pace with whatever food you wanted to throw at it.






Recommended: Yes