Dierberg Wines are occasionally in the news.
Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards Announce Changes to Winemaking Team
Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards Announce Changes to Winemaking Team
Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards Announce Changes to Winemaking Team
Santa Barbara, CA - Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards have announced that Andy Alba, who has held the position of Winemaker since 2009, has assumed additional responsibilities giving him overall leadership and direction of winemaking and vineyard management. With his additional responsibilities, Alba will oversee all aspects of wine production at the company’s three estate vineyards.
Alba has been a part of the Dierberg /Star Lane since their inaugural vintage in 2001. Alba will oversee Assistant Winemaker, Chris Carter, vineyard managers, and the balance of the wine production staff. Alba will also be supported by Coastal Vineyard Care Associates, a third-party vineyard consultant that has assisted Dierberg / Star Lane since the start of the year.
Jim Dierberg, president and founder of Dierberg / Star Lane said about Alba, “We are very excited that Andy will be assuming full responsibility for our vineyards and all aspects of winemaking. Andy has invaluable knowledge about our vineyards and our wines from having been a part of the winemaking team since inception. I am confident that Andy’s leadership will take Dierberg and Star Lane wines to new heights.”
A San Diego native, Alba studied biology at UCSD, and remains intrigued by the natural chemical process. Alba began his career developing diabetes drugs at a Southern California biotech company. His interest in chemistry, coupled with a sense of wanderlust, brought him to the Central Coast in 1998 to perform wine analytics. The Dierbergs made their wine at the co-op facility where Alba was employed during the construction of their Star Lane winery facility. In 2001 Alba became intimately involved in producing their wines and understood the style they hoped to achieve. When asked to describe his winemaking style, Alba responds, “I try to produce wines that are natural, not overly manipulated, that reveal the essence of their birthplace. That’s how I know I’ve done my job.” In 2005, when the Dierbergs were ready to move their wines into the Star Lane winery facility, Alba moved with them. “I was a stowaway in the barrels,” he says with a smile.
To learn more about Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards, please visit www.dierbergwines.com. To request a JPEG of Andy Alba, please contact Sao Anash at sao.muse@gmail.com.
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The company produces ultra premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under the Dierberg brand from the Dierberg estate vineyard in Santa Maria and from Drum Canyon Vineyard, the company’s estate vineyard in Sta. Santa Rita Hills. The company also produces ultra premium Bordeaux varietal wines under the Star Lane brand from its estate vineyard in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA.
2008 Dierberg Chardonnay "Steel" 90 points
2008 Dierberg Chardonnay "Steel" 90 points
Made without any oak influence, this wine shows the splendors of great Santa Maria Chardonnay. It's marked by complex flavors of Meyer lemons, pineapples, orange zest and honeysuckle, and is beautifully bright in crisp acidity. Nice with fresh crab.
The Wine Enthusiast October 2010 issue
2007 Dierberg Chardonnay 92 points
2007 Dierberg Chardonnay 92 points
A lovely Chardonnay, bone dry and rich, that shows how well this Santa Barbara valley can develop the variety. With crisp acidity and a tang of minerals, the wine is citrusy and floral, with opulent notes from oak barrels and creamy lees.
The wine Enthusiast October 2010 issue
April Newsletter
April Newsletter
Spring Flowers and New vintages......A great time to Visit the Valley
April marks the two year Anniversary of our Tasting Room being open here in Santa Rita Hills. During the last two years we have made so many great friends and had too much fun. We are excited for what our third year will bring, but we know it's bringing NEW WINES!
New this month:
The abundant rains have left us with beautiful wildflowers and green hillsides. The spring rains have flushed out the salts that accumulate in the soils from irrigation during our 3 previous drought years, helping to open the root pathways and restore nutrient health to the soils. The rains have also led to a high cover crop, which promotes early vine competition and builds microbial health. The cover crop in our vineyards typically consists of oats, bell beans, vetch, and peas.
The soils at our three properties are incredibly diverse despite all being in Santa Barbara County. Star Lane, in Happy Canyon, is composed of shallow, silt-and-gravel clay loams with small amounts of chert and serpentine. The Dierberg vineyard in Santa Maria is very deep and sandy, with some clay in the soil horizon. Our newest Drum Canyon site in Sta. Rita Hills is defined by sandy-clay-loams laced with high amounts of shale. The key factor they all share is their ideal balance between drainage and water holding capacity. This results in small clusters with a very high skin-to-juice ratio, creating very fine tannic structure, pure fruit flavors, and excellent balance. If we do our job in the vineyard and the cellar, these soils are able to speak through the finished wine, providing a sense of place and a connection with the earth.
This is a great time to visit our tasting room and the Santa Ynez Valley; the hills are green and filled with beautiful wild flowers. Take a break and head out to wine country and taste all of our new releases!
To order any of these wines you can visit our website or please call Amanda at (805)736-1906 or e-mail at amilholland@dierbergvineyard.com.
Remember all Wine Club members receive a 25% case discount and all shipping within California is just a flat fee of $10.00!
Holiday Newsletter
Holiday Newsletter
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Why not give the gift of cherished memories? Bring your family or whisk your partner away for a holiday weekend in the wine country. During the weekend of December 4th through the 6th, there are numerous events to choose from. There are Christmas Tree Lightings, Parades, Wine Tasting Passport, Winery Open Houses, Concerts, Pomegranate Festival, Wine Maker Dinners, and much more. While you are here, take advantage of the discounts many tasting rooms and stores are offering, and get a head of your holiday shopping. To plan your holiday weekend, please visit the website, Holiday Weekend in Wine Country for a complete list of participants and details.
Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards will be offering 2 for 1 tastings, $0.01 shipping on all purchases of 6 bottles or more, and pouring two top secret wines that have not yet been released!
Have you noticed there are only three weekends to finish all of your holiday shopping this year? That doesn't leave much time to shop for family, friends, and business associates. Why not let us do some of the work for you?
Decompress with Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards this Holiday Season. Wine is a great corporate gift, that you know won't go to waste during this special season. We can customize one to several bottle options and include a personalized note. We will also be extending the $0.01 shipping on orders of 6 bottles or more from now until the end of December. The offer will also apply to orders of 6 bottles or more going to multiple address which is a real savings! For more information, or to arrange an order please contact Amanda our Tasting Room Manager directly at (805) 736-1906 or by email amilholland@dierbergvineyard.com.
This is in addition to our normal Case discount of 10% and our Wine club discounts of 15% by the bottle and 25% discount by the case.
From our family to yours, we hope you have a joyous holiday season and prosperous new year!
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Dierberg Estate Vineyard and Star Lane Vineyard
P.O. Box 217, Santa Ynez, CA 93460
toll free 866.652.8430 local 805.736.0757 f. 805.736.3075
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2006 Dierberg Syrah 91 points
Very big, bold and powerful, this Syrah,.......
2006 Dierberg Syrah 91 points
Wine Enthusiast November 2009 issue
2006 Dierberg Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley) 91 points
Very big, bold and powerful, this Syrah, from the warmer eastern portion of the appelation, shows a tannic robustness that strongly suggests cellaring. It's massive in blackberry, currant, plum, leather, tobacco and peper flavors. Best 2010-2012
2006 Dierberg Chardonnay 92 points
"Displays good terroir qualities of extraordinary ripeness, spiciness......
2006 Dierberg Chardonnay 92 points
92 points - 2006 Dierberg Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley
"Displays good terroir qualities of extraordinary ripeness, spiciness and crisp, cool-climate acidity. Just beautiful, with exotic flavors of grilled pineapples, honeysuckle, lemondrop, cinnamon and buttered toast."
Wine Enthusiast Magazine - October 2009
Gambling on the Quality Factor Again
They have three labels, Star Lane for Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals, Dierberg for Burgundian varietals (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), and Three Saints for value oriented bottlings. By all accounts, the risk has paid off.
Gambling on the Quality Factor Again
DIERBERG VINEYARD: GAMBLING ON THE QUALITY FACTOR AGAIN
Santa Barbara News Press Thursday August 13, 2009
By: Dennis Schaefer
In 1996, when Jim and Mary Dierberg bought the Star Lane Ranch property, located in Happy Canyon at the far east end of Santa Ynez Valley, it was a gamble. One of the warmest spots in the area, Happy Canyon was home to a few vineyards but none were of the size and scope they envisioned. Then they determined that cabernet and Bordeaux varietals were the way to go and jumped right in, planting a hundred acres. That was another gamble: at the time, Santa Barbara County cabernet had a bad reputation.
That same year, the Dierbergs bought a vineyard in cooler Santa Maria Valley. Most recently, they added another property in Santa Rita Hills, where their new tasting room is located.
They have three labels, Star Lane for cabernet and Bordeaux varietals, Dierberg for Burgundian varietals (chardonnay and pinot noir), and Three Saints for value-oriented bottlings. By all accounts, the risk has paid off.
Now the Dierbergs are gambling again, with the construction of a new winery that will be ready for the coming harvest. But not just any winery. This is a state-of-the-art underground winery, carved into a 1,500-foot-high ridge at Star Lane Vineyard. A three-story, gravity-flow winery, it allows the grapes to be received on the top floor and dropped into fermentation tanks on the next floor. The juice is then transferred directly to the ground floor for cellaring in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Undoubtedly, the Dierbergs are gambling that this functional facility will allow them even greater control over the quality of the wines.
The wines I recently tasted from the Dierbergs' labels were all delicious, but more than that, their hallmarks were richness, balance and polished elegance. Winemaker Nick de Luca really knows his stuff, from grape growing to production to wine chemistry, and the proof is in these bottles:
• Star Lane Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Maria Valley 2007 ($20): A jumpy and totally vibrant nose of grapefruit, green melon, passion fruit, gooseberry and pear just leap out of the glass. The flavors have many amazing facets, including grapefruit, melon, passion fruit, guava and peach pit, that continue to reveal themselves, spread out and resound on the lengthy finish. In the same league as Brander, Buttonwood or Margerum sauvignon blancs.
• Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley 2005 ($42): Blackberry and freshly toasted bread on the nose. Blackberry echoes on palate, as well as black currant and lead pencil and what can be described as sage brush, as if the earthy dust of the vineyard had made its way into the bottle. It adds complexity to the wine, as does the tinge of savory herbs. Approachable now, it has considerable structure to age and show a multitude of flavors over time.
• Three Saints Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley 2005 ($22): Three Saints is the label for value-oriented wines but the bottlings are still genuine to the varietal and Santa Barbara County. Blackberry and dark cherry on the nose give way to a hard core of blackberry and plum flavors, aided by roasted herbs. Delicious and supple in the mouth, it's drinking well right now. A crowd pleaser and a best buy.
• Dierberg Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley 2006 ($32): The rich and buttery tropical fruit and citrus on the nose, with toasted coconut, is a giveaway that this wine is special. The typical Santa Maria Valley pineapple flavors show up, but this is really about the lemony qualities: lemon blossom, lemon curd and lemon zest are all on the tip of your tongue. Great concentration here but also a wonderful sense of balance.
• Dierberg Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2006 ($34): From the highest and windiest micro-climate of Star Lane Vineyard, this is the "dark star" of the bunch with an exceedingly deep color that borders on black. The aromatics are big and bold as well, with dark plum, cassis, graphite, mineral, wood smoke and a certain gamey/aged beef quality. Big-boned and mouth-filling, this is a full throttle syrah with brooding plum, blueberry and blackberry flavors that stage a full frontal assault on the palate. Despite that, the flavors are still tightly wound, though silky long chain tannins make it easy to swallow. One for the aging cellar.
• Dierberg Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley 2006 ($42): The grapes for this pinot come from the cool-climate Dierberg Vineyard, not far from the renowned Bien Nacido Vineyard; not surprisingly, the Dierberg and Bien Nacido pinots share a lot in common. Smoky plum, beet root, sassafras, black cherry and root beer are the intoxicating aromatics of this wine. Full-bodied flavors of plum, black cherry, raspberry, root beer, wood smoke and forest floor all mingle together in a delightfully pleasant and savory way. It's classic textbook Santa Maria Valley pinot, but polished like a jewel with a patina of elegance.
• Star Lane Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley 2006: ($36): Lovely soft but ebullient nose of red cherry and plum with a dusting of mocha and roasted ground coffee beans. The wine is rich and full-bodied but, at the same time, sleek and elegant in the mouth; the power and intensity is kept in check by the balance of all the elements that belie its 15-plus percent alcohol. Supple flavors of dark plum and cherry lengthen on mid palate buttressed by vanilla creme. Is this the best merlot in Santa Barbara County?
• Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Astral, Santa Ynez Valley 2005 ($80): The grapes for this top-of-the-line cabernet come from very specific blocks of Star Lane Vineyard. Cassis, smoke, vanilla and wood spice are prominent in the dark-fruited nose. Tightly layered flavors o f blackberry, plum, cassis, licorice mix with chocolate, espresso and sweet wood smoke. Densely concentrated, it needs to be decanted for full enjoyment. Still in its youth now, it's a real keeper that will mature over the next 10 years.
Wine expert Dennis Schaefer's column appears every week in the Food section. E-mail him at life@newspress.com.
Dierberg Winery Take on the World, Holds its Own
Dierberg and Star Lane wines shocked sommelier panel in a blind tasting against top Chardonnays and Cabernets.
Dierberg Winery Take on the World, Holds its Own
www.stltoday.com, September 2, 2009
By Joe Bonwich P-D Restaurant Critic and Food Writer
A dozen wine experts from local retail outlets, restaurants and country clubs convened today in a private room behind the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus for a blind tasting staged by Jim, Mary and Ellen Dierberg and their staff from Dierberg Estate Winery and Star Lane Vineyard in California. (The Dierbergs obviously also have local ties; they own Hermannhof Winery in Hermann and Jim is from the First Banks side of the local supermarket family.) The Dierbergs pitted their Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay against Kistler Les Noisettes, HdV Hyde Vineyard and Walter Hansel, all California wines. Their Star Lane Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet went up against Jordan Alexander Valley, Sassicaia from Tuscany and Shafer Hillside Select, the latter two selling for close to $200 a bottle.
The rankings:
Chardonnay
1. Walter Hansel
2. Dierberg
3. HdV
4. Kistler
Cabernet
1. Shafer
2. Star Lane
3. Jordan
4. Sassicaia
There’s a whole lot more to this story, and we were there with notebook and still and video cameras. Check next week’s Let’s Eat in print or online for what we saw, heard and tasted.
2006 Dierberg Pinot Noir
Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine gives the Dierberg Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir 91 Points and two puffs, click to read entire review!
2005 Dierberg Syrah Robert Parker rates 90 points
A beautiful inky/ruby/purple color....
2005 Dierberg Syrah Robert Parker rates 90 points
A beautiful inky/ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of blackberries, blueberries, forest floor, and spring flowers. On the palate, the wine exhibits good sweetness, lush tannins, medium to full body, and excellent depth as well as balance. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
Wine Spectator 92 Points for 2005 Dierberg Pinot Noir
“Beautifully crafted, rich, intense and elegant.......
Wine Spectator 92 Points for 2005 Dierberg Pinot Noir
92 - Dierberg 2005 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley
“Beautifully crafted, rich, intense and elegant, with a stylish mix of earthy raspberry, wild berry and blackberry fruit that’s complex and concentrated, offering depth and length.” – James Laube
The Wine Spectator – June 30, 2008
Vinfolio review of 2005 Dierberg Pinot Noir 95 points
Shows dusty black cherry and black raspberry nose with subtle dried lavender, and vanilla sprinkled sea salt.
Vinfolio review of 2005 Dierberg Pinot Noir 95 points
Just re-tasted at WOPN in early March. Shows dusty black cherry and black raspberry nose with subtle dried lavender, (there is some whole cluster fermentation), and vanilla sprinkled sea salt. The palate is round and ripe, leading to vibrant, mouth-coating flavors of black cherry, cola and violets. The finish comes through with silky violet-laced tannins.
- Doug Wilder, Vinfolio Issue 159
Vinfolio review of 2005 Dierberg Chardonnay 96 points
The aromas are rich, smooth mango, citrus, gun powder, wet stone and lemon custard.
Vinfolio review of 2005 Dierberg Chardonnay 96 points
Re-tasted in mid-March in San Francisco. The aromas are rich, smooth mango, citrus, gun powder, wet stone and lemon custard. The dense and smooth flavors show butterscotch, tropical fruit (mango), macadamia and creamy citrus. The finish lasts for over 30 seconds. - Doug Wilder, Vinfolio Issue 159
Wine Spectator 93 Points"Syrah Shines in Santa Barbara Wine Futures Tasting" - James Laube
Dark, rich and savory, complex and concentrated, with a layered mix of wild blueberry and raspberry, mocha and chocolate brownie flavors that are sharply focused, tapered and ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2012. 93 points, 715 cases made. J.L.
Wine Spectator 93 Points"Syrah Shines in Santa Barbara Wine Futures Tasting" - James Laube
James Laube
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008
Hurrah for Syrah—it dominated. Pause on Pinot, at least for now. And good for Grenache, it's coming along nicely.
The gutsy Rhône-inspired reds trumped the red Burgundian transplants in Wine Spectator's blind tasting of selected wine futures from Santa Barbara County, though it was hardly a landslide.
After tasting 46 wines (19 Pinot Noirs and 27 Rhône-style reds, including Syrah, Grenache and a Petite Sirah) we found 35 wines to recommend, with this caveat: Overall, this was the least impressive showing of wine futures I've tasted since I began reviewing them with the 2002 and 2003 vintages, mainly because this isn't a great Pinot vintage. (Another 15 wineries chose not to submit wines for review). For those considering buying futures from Wine Cask's sale (www.winecask.com), shopping cautiously is always the best advice.
The wines were divided up by varietal, vintage, finished bottles and barrel samples in our tastings. Finished bottles have final reviews and scores, while barrel samples are given a four-point range, which is where I expect a wine would rate on release based on what I tasted this week. All wines have two prices: The futures price is lower than the expected retail price.
The discounts range from $5 to $21, and average about $10 below expected retail price. The star of the tasting was the 2006 Jaffurs Syrah Verna's Vineyard (94 points, $38 on release, $31 as a future). It's a dense, concentrated beauty that offers uncommon depth and range of flavor. This winery has been on a roll of late, making its best wines ever, with Syrahs that offer rich, opulent flavors and smoother, more integrated tannins. The Jaffurs 2007 Thompson Vineyard Petite Sirah (90-93, $34/$28) proves that Petite can shine in this appellation. This is a superrich wine with unique boysenberry and raspberry fruit.
The Dierberg Santa Ynez 2005 Syrah (93 points, $30/$26) exhibits a complex mix of savory herb, pepper and dark berry fruits.
Three of the eight new wineries that we tasted wines from made showy debuts in this tasting. The 2006 Tecero Santa Barbara Watch Hill Vineyard Grenache (89-92, $38/$29) offers white pepper, juicy dark berry and jam notes on an elegant frame. Larry Schaffer, a winemaker at Fess Parker, owns Tecero, which is named after the dorm area at U.C. Davis where Schaffer and his wife met. The Dara Grenache-Syrah Gratitude Larner Vineyard 2006 (88-91, $35/$27) featured white pepper, herb, spice and rich cherry-berry flavors; the husband-wife team of Gary and Teresa Burk owns it. The Departure Grenache Alta Mesa Vineyard 2007 (88-91, $35/$28) is a tight, structured wine with layers of exotic dark berry flavors and tapered, fine-grained tannins. It is owned by Tim Grubb, P.J. and Jason Miele, a trio of Newport Beach, Calif., buddies who also graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara.
Lifestyle
Dierberg 2005 Chardonnay (Everything you'd expect from a California chardonnay but with far more elegance and restraint than so many of them possess. This is a lush, mouth-filling wine, fragrant with the aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon, but its bright acidity keeps all this richness lively.)
Delaware Online
'Jim Dierberg wants to make world-class cabernet in the "Sideways" territory of northern Santa Barbara County.
Delaware Online
'Jim Dierberg wants to make world-class cabernet in the "Sideways" territory of northern Santa Barbara County. Dierberg is a banker from St. Louis who took the family enterprise and extended it into the First Bank franchise. Along the way, he bought Missouri's Hermanoff winery in 1974, and then he and his wife, Mary, decided to go west with their winegrowing in the late 1990s.'
'Two properties they purchased are in prime pinot noir and chardonnay territory -- the Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Rita Hills -- and produce very good wines under the Dierberg label. But it was a 4,000-acre tract in the eastern end of Santa Ynez Valley that attracted their attention because it is both the highest and hottest vineyard land in the appellation.'
'Here, Dierberg planted Bordeaux varietals and some syrah. The wines are called Star Lane, and the early cabs are very promising. A third line, Three Saints, produces wine from all three of the "Saint" properties.'
