With more than 40 wineries and a station devoted exclusively to rosés, as well as a Library bar, it was a surfeit of riches for wine lovers at the Santa Cruz Mountains Grand Tasting at The Mountain Winery on March 31. These were among the most memorable wines of the day:

2014 Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards George’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Dusty and plummy, with hints of dried cherry, cracked pepper, tobacco and very approachable tannins;
1995 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon, Saratoga – Marty Mathis intended to illustrate how a 30-year-old cabernet from these parts can evolve and stay as timeless as a Cary Grant movie. Like a vintage automobile that’s been kept in fine tune, this one hums like a V8, right from the turn of the key. Too bad this was the last of it. He recently released the 2022, and it’s already approachable;
2024 Kings Mountain Vineyards “Boathouse” Rosé of Pinot Noir, Woodside – There were many great rosés, but this orange and strawberry creamsicle from the Martini Clone of pinot noir, grown in Woodside and made by Nate Kandler (Fogarty Winery), kicks ass with class;
2005 Kings Mountain Vineyards Estate Meritage – At the Library bar, I was chatting with a group of young ladies who had never been winetasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They were having a ball tasting the older wines; a rare treat. We agreed this wine smelled more like Bordeaux than California, leaning toward the earthy. A significant percentage of Cab Franc (28%) and Merlot (14%) provide plenty of fresh horsepower for another 10 years;
2002 La Questa Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Woodside – Superbly old school, with impressive tannins and softening blueberry fruit. Like a gorgeous old barn, it’s distinctive and built to last. The 2010 La Questa Cabernet was also utterly amazing, showing worn leather, licorice, baker’s chocolate and a hint of amaro. The tannins in this one were downright lovely;
2022 Sandar & Hem Deerheart Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains – Scoring 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, this dark-hearted and mouth-filling wine from a Skyline vineyard near La Honda has accents of lavender and savory spice;
Marty Mathis recently released his 2024 Marty Mathis Winegrower Albarino from a shade-grown pergola in Saratoga. This is heady with ripe peach, guava and a hint of pineapple. Lovely texture and engaging mouthfeel. Mathis is also out with a new sauvignon blanc, a standard of measure for warm weather sipping.

Until April 20, Fogarty Winery is offering a spring six-pack for $170 (regularly $228) that includes two bottles each of 2021 Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay, 2018 Gewürztraminer and 2024 ‘Rosalee’ Rosé of Pinot Noir. You can also score a four-pack of Rosalee Rosé, made from the Mariafeld Selection of pinot noir grown at their Will’s Cabin estate vineyard. Mariafeld Clone hails from Switzerland and is prized for its high acidity, making it ideal for a dry style of rosé. Now $114; regularly $152.

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For those who love the Lexington Alma, a blend of sauv blanc and semillon from the Gist Vineyard on Skyline (named for the town of Alma that disappeared when the Lexington reservoir was created), a six-pack of 2019 Lexington Wine Co. Alma is $218 (regularly $312) through April 20. As Antonio Galloni of Vinous noted when he awarded the wine a 93-point score, this is a “potent, phenolic wine full of hillside character. Apricot, orange peel, dried herbs and mineral undertones lend uite a bit of textural richness throughout. This distinctive white has a ton to offer.” https://shop.fogartywinery.com

Meanwhile, Ridge was awarded a unicorn score of 100 points by Virginie Boone of JebDunnuck.com for its 2023 Ridge Estate Monte Bello Chardonnay. Owen Bargreen gave it 95 points, and Wilfred Wong of wine.com rated it at 93 points. Despite what it might say on the tasting notes, the wine was made by former Ridge Monte Bello winemaker Trester Goetting, who picked the grapes at the end of October 2023 and nurtured it in barrel until his untimely departure in August 2024.

Goetting says the 2022 Estate Monte Bello Chardonnay, scored 98 points, the highest score ever awarded to that Ridge wine. Longtime Ridge Monte Bello winemaker Eric Baugher, who preceded Goetting, notes, “It was a great chardonnay vintage, and it’s one of the finest chardonnay vineyards in the world.”

Baugher is currently making the Gali Vineyard wines (tasting room in Los Gatos), as well as his own wines, under the label Deaurātus.

Enoteca La Storia celebrates 15 years in Los Gatos with a big party on Saturday, April 26, 1-4 p.m., featuring 40 wines to taste and food favorites like Lasagna Lorenzo; the “Otto,” their 8-foot salumi and cheese board packed with premium Italian imports; and new menu additions like Pollo Siciliano (sous vide chicken with Castelvetrano olives, cherry tomatoes, and capers) and squid ink pasta with poached prawns. Tickets are $50 for wine club members and $65 for non-members at https://bit.ly/3XS9LnN.

This just in: The second largest wine company in the world, The Wine Group, owner of brands like Franzia, Imagery and Cupcake Vineyards (which recently launched a wine in collaboration with hit Netflix series “Love is Blind”), is acquiring three wine facilities and thousands of vineyard acres from the fourth largest wine producer, Constellation. The Wine Group gets these six labels as part of the deal: J. Rogét, Meiomi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, SIMI and Woodbridge. Clearly, The Wine Group values the loyal followings these brands currently enjoy.