Epiphany Cellars
Los Olivos

 
2005 Pinot Gris, Goodchild Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 14.9%
Very zesty on the nose with some peachy stone fruit.  Nice palate: good and round.  This is a nice pinot gris.  Very Good.  88/100

2005 Inspiration, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 15.7%
A blend of 31% roussanne, 25% viognier and 14% grenache blanc.  Two thirds of the fruit comes from the Camp 4 vineyard in Santa Ynez, and a third from the Rodney’s Vineyard on the Fess Parker Estate.  It was aged for ten months in one-year old and neutral barrels.  239 cases were produced.
It has a very fragrant, nutty, salty nose.  The palate is really good, beautiful indeed.  It really hangs together nicely in the mouth.  Very impressive.  92/100

2005 Roussanne, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 15.9%
A deep, scented nose.  Good round palate.  Nice concentration.  It’s a bit ordinary maybe, but still very appetising.  Very Good.  87/100

2005 Grenache Rosé, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 14.5%
Rather a dull nose, with some sweetish red fruit.  Decent attack.  It feels very plain on the palate.  But towards the finish there’s some real strawberry fruit showing through.  Good.  83/100

2005 Revelation, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 15.9%
This is a blend of 61% syrah, 33% grenache and 4% petite sirah from three different vineyards: 40% comes from Fess Parker’s Rodney’s vineyard, 30% from the Starlane vineyard and 30% from the Hampton Vineyard.  It was aged for 22 months in one-third new French oak.  590 cases were produced.
The nose has some very gentle soft red fruit.  Good palate; curiously pinot noir like.  There’s some fruit on the palate, with a nice coffee note on the finish.  87/100

2003 Syrah, Hampton Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, Epiphany Cellars, 15.9%
The fruit for this syrah comes exclusively from Dale Hampton’s vineyard in Happy Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley and was aged in one-third new French oak for 20 months.  220 cases were produced.
It has a slightly fragrant meaty, almost bresaola-like nose with smoky blackberry fruit.  Good palate with a nice structure.  Fairly complex, though it’s a touch reductive and rubbery on the finish.  But there’s also some nice black fruit flavours on the finish.  Very Good.  87/100