June 1, 2003
Every now and again I try a wine that really knocks my socks off. Last week I tried a bottle of the 1998 Babcock Vineyards Eleven Oaks sangiovese, 50/50 from Eleven Oaks and Stolpman Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. This wine is rich, and full-bodied with good structure (and tannins). And it's only $14-a fabulous wine for a great price in a day and age when it's hard to find a good sangiovese for much under $25. This wine really demonstrates the viability of sangiovese in Santa Barbara County!Tannins, by the way, are a mouth feel, not a taste. Imagine having little sweaters on your teeth. That "feel" comes from the tannins in the wine. Tannins in red wine, which come from the grape skins, give structure and age-ability to red wine.
Sangiovese is one of the several noble Italian red varietals from Italy-specifically from Tuscany and Chianti. Chiantis are familiar to most Americans-the kind of wine that comes in bottles wrapped in ornate straw baskets-the kind of wine we drank in college days back in the 60s and 70s at places like Mom's Italian Village in Santa Barbara.
Chianti, by the way, is not a grape variety. It is a region in Italy, and wines that meet local standards are allowed to be called Chianti. When you drink a bottle of chianti, sangiovese is the most important grape in the blend.
The grape is producing some sensational wine-particularly from vineyards like Vandale, Stolpman, and Eleven Oaks in the warmer climate of the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley.
I think one of the best ways to write or talk about a wine is in the context of food. After all, wine is food to be consumed with food.
I had the Babcock wine with leftover home made navy bean soup (three ham hocks and a grated large white onion) and a baked chicken breast. I baked the breast one hour at 350 degrees, with seasoning salt. I drizzled the chicken with olive oil (from Mission olives and barrel aged vinegar) and, fresh thyme and lavender and garnished with a lavender and rosemary sprig from my yard.
The next day I finished off the wine with yet more chicken. This time with "fried" chicken-what I call Cindy-style fried chicken. I shook the breast in flour and Progresso Italian-style bread crumbs, and browned it in a frying pan with olive oil for about 10 minutes. I then baked the chicken for about 40 minutes at 300 degrees. I had it with couscous and yet more leftover bean soup.
I like to provide some recipe details for anyone who might be interested in trying my improv concoctions. I know I always appreciate cooking tips when I read about wine and food. When I lived in Santa Barbara I thought I was a reasonably accomplished cook. When I moved to Los Alamos, I found I was in a different league altogether - eclipsed by neighbors like Gary and Cindy (a different Cindy), neighbor Scott Ames who works for Babcock and coworkers like Dexter and Beth who are really super chefs!
Babcock Vineyards is located at 5175 East Highway 246, east of Lompoc. The tasting room is open Friday-Sunday, 10:30 to 4. (805) 736-1455.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
