LaBarge

Pierre LaBarge IV and his wife Allison have embarked on what is surely one of the most ambitious projects in the Sta. Rita Hills. The LaBarges have spared no expense in purchasing vineyards and building a striking state of the art facility on the site of their Winery Vineyard. Pierre LaBarge's resume includes a degree in Soil Sciences from Cal Poly and stints at Shadow Canyon and Sine Qua Non. The first vintage is 2012 and was made at Brewer-Clifton under the guidance of Greg Brewer, whom LaBarge describes as his mentor. I tasted a number of Syrah and Grenache lots from barrel, all of which were potentially outstanding, or perhaps even better. The only wine that was a final blend at the time of my visit is the Pinot Noir, so that is the only wine reviewed here. There is also a tiny amount of Albarino, but there are no plans to release that wine commercially. Stylistically, all the wines are made in a forward, fruit-driven style that showcases extraordinary purity, class and total finesse. These are the early days, but it is no exaggeration to say these are some of the most exciting young wines I tasted during my visit to Santa Barbara early this year. Production will be minuscule to start. I can't wait to see what develops here over the coming years.