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Jaffurs Makes the Case for the Terroir of Santa Barbara

The concept of terroir is not exclusive to the great vineyards of Burgundy and Barolo. Anyone who has tasted through and experienced the so-called great growths of Northern California cabernet will immediately recognize the difference between the elegance of the Ridge Monte Bello, from high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains and the richness of wines of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, from the heart of Napa Valley.

Just because a wine is without hundreds of years of history does not mean terroir is inapplicable. Napa Valley wineries demonstrated this at the Judgment of Paris in 1976.

A similar situation is beginning to emerge in Santa Barbara, encompassing the AVAs of Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills. Despite the popularity pinot noir from Sideways, winegrowers and winemakers, to date, have had most success with the Rhône varietals of syrah and grenache for reds, and viognier, marsanne, and roussanne for whites. The Burgundian nomenclature of labeling with specific vineyards has also taken hold, with Bien Nacido, Thompson, Stolpman and Larner becoming more and more familiar to the consumer.

Jaffurs, located in heart of the city, is an urban winery that uses only purchased grapes from the best of these vineyards in Santa Barbara. The winery excels in single vineyards syrahs, as well as small

productions of viognier, roussane, and grenache blanc from the famed Thompson Vineyard.   Tasting through these wines, the sense of place is not lost. Santa Barbara is located on an east-west stretch of the Pacific coast line, and its climate is decidedly Mediterranean, and the city has the moniker of the American Riviera. As such, the grapes have no trouble ripening, and the resulting wine should be full-bodied, supple, and rich.

Jaffurs does not shy away from this bold style involving high alcohol levels, which in recent years, has seen a backlash from the wine community for being extracted and difficult to pair with food.   These criticisms are valid to a certain extent, but the key for any wine is still balance above all else, and Jaffurs achieves it splendidly. Its wines retain a firm structure and vibrant acidity. The judicious use of oak, mostly involving used, year-old barrels, complements a dark, rich expression of syrah, without masking the primary fruit and peppery qualities.

Winemakers often aspire to make their favorite wines. And more often than not, unfortunately, the result is a wine without identity. In this case, Jaffurs might be expected to look to the Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie for inspiration. One taste of its syrahs should make its intentions clear: this is a big, badass syrah from Santa Barbara; if you would like a wine that reminds you of the Northern Rhône, go buy a wine from the Northern Rhône. These wines make no apologies for being what it is, and nor should they.

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