Wine values from Meridian

Edited by Darryl Beeson

For Meridian founding winemaker Chuck Ortman, it was a perfect opportunity to make important wines from an emerging region. Back in the early '80s, he had noticed that Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of great quality were being created from grapes grown in the cool-climate areas of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. He continued to build his reputation as a top-notch winemaker in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, never losing sight of his desire to create important wines in the Central Coast.

In 1988, Wine World Estates, now a part of Beringer Blass Wine Estates, supported Ortman in his new Meridian label, asking him where he'd like to base operations. His answer was "Down Highway 101, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles." They acquired the former Estrella River Winery in Paso Robles, completely remodeling the natural stone buildings. Soon enough, he began to produce a variety of premium wines from vineyards located in Santa Barbara County, Edna Valley, and Paso Robles.

"The California Central Coast is unique with its east/west running mountain ranges which open to the Pacific Ocean," explains current Meridian Winemaker, Lee Miyamura. "This allows fog and cool breezes to be funneled directly inland, offsetting the otherwise hot temperatures and giving the Central Coast an unusually long growing season. These favorable climatic conditions result in extra time on the vine for the grapes, which allows them to ripen more slowly and develop more concentrated flavors." Visit www.meridianvineyards.com  for more information.

Meridian Chardonnay, Santa Barbara 2005
Price $10
Rating 89
The nose leads with tropical banana and toasted hazelnut. There are rich, chewy flavors of hazelnut toffee, banana, marshmallow, butter and oak.

"The tropical and grapefruit notes drive the zing in this Chardonnay, making it the perfect complement to a seaside picnic lunch of turkey burgers, a Sunday brunch omelet, or for lazy afternoon sitting on the patio," suggests Ms Miyamura.

Meridian Pinot Grigio, California 2005
Price $10
Rating 90
The nose is bright with hints of citrus and complex mineral. The sip is crisp and ripe with melon and citrus in the medium-to-long finish. There is a bit of floral character within.

Winemaker Ms Miyamura suggests that this Pinot Grigio "complements a picnic basket lunch of chicken salad and potato chips, or a Saturday evening feast of fiery Kung Pao Chicken."

Meridian Cabernet Sauvignon, California 2004
Price  $10
Rating 87

The nose offers dark, somber black cherry. The sip is bright, almost tart with more red fruit within the medium length. The higher acidity made the wine a great pairing with yhick, reduced tomato sauce with pasta.

"This wine will stand up well to a robust steak dinner," suggests Ms Miyamura. "It can handily go toe-to-toe with a leg of lamb at an Easter or Passover feast, and makes an excellent match to a tri tip roast." 

Meridian Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2005
Price $11                    
Rating 91

The nose is concentrated with ripe, mulberry-like fruit. The sip is dark, earthy and complex. This Pinot Noir has grip and power.

The beauty of well made Pinot Noir is that it can pair with almost any food. Ms Miyamura contends that this wine is the "perfect complement to a savory salmon steak prepared on the grill or a creamy pumpkin soup."

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