SC Mountain wines win in state competition

Bargetto Winery’s 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve merlot was selected as California’s best merlot by judges at the California State Fair’s annual wine competition in June in Sacramento.
The $40-a-bottle wine was awarded 95 points of a possible 100, a gold medal and top honors among 186 California merlots.
Forty other Santa Cruz Mountains wines were awarded medals from among 2,600 wines entered by more than 600 wineries.
“I’m very happy,” said John Bargetto of Scotts Valley, the winery’s vice president and director of winemaking. “Merlot is a very competitive category. This says something about how merlot can do well in cool climates.”
Bargetto said the winery started planting merlot vines at its Regan Estate Vineyards near Corralitos in 1993, defying conventional wisdom that said the grapes needed a warmer climate.
The winning wine contains 79 percent merlot from the estate vineyards and 21 percent cabernet sauvignon from an old Martin Ray vineyard above Saratoga. Bargetto made 300 cases, and some bottles are still available at the winery in Soquel and at a few county retail outlets.
The region’s other winners:
Bargetto Winery: 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve chardonnay, Regan Vineyards (88 points, silver, best of Greater Bay Appellations class).
Chaucer’s Cellars (a Bargetto label): California olallieberry (98 points, double gold); California raspberry mead (90 points, silver).
Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery: 2006 Sonoma County zinfandel (94 points, gold); 2006 California Mercury Rising (91 points, silver); 2007 Paso Robles merlot (88 points, silver); 2005 Lodi cabernet franc (87 points, bronze, best of Lodi Appellations class).
David Bruce Winery: 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, estate bottled (93 points, silver, best of Greater Bay Appellations class); 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay, estate bottled (93 points, silver); 2005 Paso Robles petite sirah, Shell Creek Vineyard (88 points, silver); 2007 Santa Maria Valley pinot noir (88 points, silver); 2005 Santa Rita Hills pinot noir (88 points, silver); 2006 Russian River Valley pinot noir (88 points, silver); 2006 Sonoma Coast pinot noir (87 points, bronze).
Hallcrest Vineyards: 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains sauvignon blanc, Belle Farms Vineyard (88 points, silver, best of Greater Bay Appellations class); 2005 Lake County limited-production zinfandel, Nova Vineyards (88 points, silver).
Hunter Hill Winery: 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, estate bottled (90 points, silver); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains merlot, estate bottled (86 points, bronze); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains syrah, estate bottled (86 points, bronze).
Loma Prieta Winery: 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, Saveria Vineyard (86 points, bronze); 2008 Lodi viognier, Amorosa Vineyard (86 points, bronze).
Martin Ranch Winery: 2006 Santa Clara Valley merlot, J.D. Hurley (95 points, gold); 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains cabernet sauvignon, Therese Vineyards, estate bottled (94 points, gold); 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains cabernet sauvignon, Therese Vineyards, Dos Rios Vineyard (92 points, silver); 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains cabernet sauvignon, J.D. Hurley (90 points, silver); 2006 Santa Clara Valley syrah, Therese Vineyards (88 points, silver).
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard: 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, Branciforte Creek Vineyard (89 points, silver); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, Bailey’s Branciforte Ridge (89 points, silver); 2006 Mendocino pinot noir, McDowell Valley Vineyard (86 points, bronze).
Sones Cellars: 2006 Paso Robles petite sirah, French Camp Vineyard (98 points, gold, best of South-Central Coast Appellations class); 2006 Lodi petite sirah (86 points, bronze).
Storrs Winery: 2005 Santa Clara County red, Mann Vineyard (94 points, gold); 2002 San Francisco Bay Vianne Malea Cuvee red (92 points, silver); 2005 Santa Clara County zinfandel, Lion Oaks Vineyard, handcrafted collection (90 points, silver); 2006 Central Coast zinfandel (88 points, silver); 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay (86 points, bronze); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay, Christie Vineyard (86 points, bronze); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, Wildcat Ridge Vineyard, handcrafted collection, (86 points, bronze); 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir, Lester Family, handcrafted collection (86 points, bronze).