Thursday, October 14, 2010

Consilience 2007 Grenache Blanc, Santa Barbara

Consilience winery has been making wine since 1997, but was formally founded in 1999. They have been making wines "loosely focused around the typical Rhône varietals" (most of which are sourced from the Fess Parker estate) ever since. Their winemaking philosophy is to create wine with distinct expression of regional characteristics. Brett Escalera is the winemaker from Consilience. He brings experience from his ongoing tenure at Fess Parker Winery where he has been making wine since 1996. His position at Fess Parker's Winery also allows Consilience to source much of its fruit from that estate.


The admirable goals of Consilience wines are straightforward:  "To make the most expressive and reliably high quality wines possible, and to share them with an unsurpassed level of customer service.”  

Winemaker’s Comments: Grenache Blanc is the white berried form of Grenache, and also has its origins in the northeast of Spain where it is found in the blends from the Rioja.


Located in the wine country town of Los Olivos, Consilience winery’s grapes come from the Camp4 Vineyard, known for cool mornings, long warm days, and cool nights; perfect for maximum ripeness for Grenache Blanc, maintaining the necessary acidity. 


The cycle of cool mornings, warm days and return to cool evenings are what make this a prime growing area for the typical Rhone grape varieties. All factors make for a long growing season and maximal flavor development. Barrel fermented in older French and American oak, this Grenache Blanc proudly exhibits well rounded aromatics of caramel apple with that fresh from the orchard scent and crispness on the palate.

Aromas:  fresh green apples, bathed in rich, gooey caramel
Body:  smooth and luscious on the palate
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: Grenache Blanc
Appellation: Santa Barbara
Case Production: 447 cases

About the winemaker: Brett Escalera’s roots in winemaking can be traced back to his grandfathers who were both home winemakers, but his passion was inspired thru courses taught by Dr. Marian Baldy, author of The University Wine Course, while attending California State University, Chico as an undergraduate business major.In 1992 he enrolled as a graduate student at California State University, Fresno where he completed the course requirements for a second major in Enology, a minor in Viticulture, and a Masters of Science in Agricultural Chemistry. His thesis project work was on the trellising, training, and pruning of Chardonnay grapevines in Santa Barbara County to improve yield, fruit composition, and wine quality. 

After a very brief stint in 2005 as the Director of Winemaking for Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria, Brett returned to the Fess Parker organization in 2005 as the Head Winemaker for the Parker Station line of wines and more recently as the Director of Winemaking for the Parker Wine Center.