What delightful aromas and flavors--butterscotch, caramel, red fruit jam, lingonberries and tea.
This wasn't a pastry shop or a tea party. It was a wine tasting, and these were nuances I found in wines poured by Mark Crawford Horvath of Crawford Family Wines in Buellton.
Butterscotch? That came from the 2013 Crawford Tin Shack, Rita's Crown Chardonnay (above), sourced from a tiny parcel in the highest part of the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. The beautiful deep golden color suggests an old-fashioned, buttery, oaky wine, but that isn't Horvath's style.
Actually, it's the opposite of what he wants. While I experienced butterscotch, Horvath talked about crisp minerality, lemon zest, lean structure and "baking spices" from 11 months on the lees. Oak was negligible. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and went into neutral French oak at the end of fermentation.
Red jam? I sensed that in the 2013 Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir, which Horvath is pouring from a decanter (above). This dark, rich Pinot from the Santa Rita Hills has layers of texture, acidity, minerality and a sort of tannic structure that will meld into one. That's his analysis, not mine.
The wine also has "a tea-like quality that I think is really cool," Horvath said. Not Earl Grey, but definitely premium.
Caramel? I was overwhelmed with that by the 2012 Walk Slow Pinot Noir, also from the Santa Rita Hills. As soon as I swirled and sniffed, I was off to dessert heaven.
The 2013 Walk Slow is more austere, made from grapes picked a little less ripe. This is where I got red fruit--lingonberries.
The Walk Slow Pinots are assembled from the best barrels in the cellar for each vintage. The name Walk Slow "is our way of encouraging you to take your time enjoying the wine," Horvath's tasting notes explain.
Whether you can taste these wines depends upon how resourceful you are, because they are not widely available. Crawford Family Wines produces just 800 cases a year in a tiny facility in Buellton. Only 104 cases of the 2013 Chardonnay were made, 97 of the Radian Pinot Noir and 100 of Walk Slow 2012. The biggie was the 2013 Walk Slow Pinot at 194 cases.
Horvath (above) specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills within 10 miles of his winery. He's now branching out to Rhone blends. The first is the 2013 Second Street Cuvée from Ballard Canyon, a blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Grenache. "The idea was food friendliness," he said, and "letting the fruit shine through." The wine was fermented in neutral barrels and bottled after four months.
Pouring for the LA Wine Writers at Hotel Angeleno, Horvath brought out a barrel sample of his 2014 Mourvedre, a fruity, dark, acidic wine with a hint of effervescence at this point.
And he treated the group to the Crawford 2014 Santa Barbara County Rosé (above), made from Pinot Noir and Grenache grapes. It's his first Rosé, and there are only 34 cases.
"Rosé should be a wine to buy and enjoy and not take too seriously," he said. Here's his shopping tip: Rosés should be priced under $20. If more, move on. Crawford's is $18.
Horvath came to Santa Barbara County in 1997 after working for Carmenet Vineyards in Sonoma and studying at UC Davis. Starting out at Babcock Winery, he launched a partnership venture, Kenneth Crawford Wines, which lasted until 2008. Then he founded Crawford Family Wines with the aid of his wife, three kids and a brother-in-law who provided photos for the labels (above).
Horvath also consults for private owners of small vineyards and works for other wineries. "Harvest is insane," he said, because he's all over the place tending to his gigs. Never mind lack of sleep. "I feed off that energy," he said.
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