Casa Dumetz (Babi's) Tasting Room, Los Alamos CA

This is 1 of 2 tasting rooms in the small little town of Los Alamos, which is between the Los Olivos and Santa Maria.  We decided to check it out because my friend had seen an article about it in a magazine, and we are so glad we stopped by!  The entire town is incredibly tiny, maybe 4 blocks long.  There's an old historic hotel, 2 tasting rooms, and a flatbread restaurant that everyone raves about. 

Right next door to each other are Casa Dumetz and Bedford.  We stopped inside Casa Dumetz first because they had some adorable chic decor that drew our attention.  This tasting room is also considered Babi's, named after the winemaker's grandmother.  The pourer, Claire if I remember correctly, was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.  We had a great time listening to her stories about the wine and winemaker, and it was a very pleasant experience!

Apparently the winemaker is engaged to Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen's son.  It was very interesting to hear about how they met and also about the gradual creation of this cute little boutique winery.  Also, every Friday they have a speaker come and give some fun talks!

If you're passing through Santa Ynez, you should definitely give this place a shot! Visit their website here.

Babi's Gewurtztraminer (2011), $28: "With a robust personality and intense aromatics of mandarin, grapefruit, Meyer lemon and vanilla, this wine lives up to its flamboyant personality."

• Color - very light, slight golden hay.
• Aroma - slightly sweet with hints of mandarin and grapefruit.
• Taste - somewhat dry yet pleasantly sweet; refreshing.
• Overall - This is a very lovely white and a very easy drink.

Clementina Viognier (2011), $28: "This viognier exhibits bold characteristics of a Rhone varietal caressed by Central California sunshine.  It is intensely perfumed and wonderfully fruity with a great roundness on the palate that comes from cold maceration, neutral French oak barrel fermentation and sur lees aging.  This is a full-bodied wine.  Tropical top notes of pineapple and mango are balanced with muskmelon, creamy key-lime pie and vanilla spiced rum."

• Color - clear, somewhat golden.
• Aroma - pineapple and candied mango.
• Taste - drier, more full-bodied and heavy; crisp at first taste, becomes somewhat creamy on the tongue.
• Overall - Very tasty! One of the 'heaviest' whites I've ever tried!

Roussanne (on tap)

• Color - golden and light.
• Aroma - slightly sweet and citrusy, light.
• Taste - semi dry, subtle fruit, slightly tart; smooth.
• Overall - Goes down well, very easy drink with subtle flavors.

Francisco's Syrah (2011), $29: "This wine shows intensely bright top notes of tart and black cherry swirled together with fresh pomegranate juice.  The vibrancy of the fruit is balanced by a steady tannin structure that delivers a nice weight on the tongue while introducing delicious spicy black and white pepper flavors to round out the overall mouth feel."

• Color - pretty burgundy.
• Aroma - very distinct and fruity; powerful with notes of white pepper
• Taste - delicious; lingers pleasantly on the tongue with a tart fruitiness and subtle pomegranate
• Overall - Very fruity for a Syrah, but absolutely delicious!

Gravitas Grenache (2011), $30: "This vintage exhibits a full, round mouth feel with extraordinary berry notes, spice, Aleppo pepper, and ends with a long-finish that lingers... for a long time.  Licorice, tar, jam and sunshine are what come to mind when I drink this wine."

• Color - deep burgundy.
• Aroma - sweet and delicious; dark.
• Taste - Distinct! Berry, spice, and jam.
• Overall - Wow! I absolutely love this one.  This was one of my favorites on the list; it isn't too heavy, its just great.

Babi's Grenache (2010), $30: "Bright and bold Grenache mellowed with 20% of rich, structured, earthy Syrah.  Flavors of black and red pepper, black cherry, blackberry, luscious cranberry and moist loamy earth meld wonderfully together in this wine."

• Color - deep burgundy.
• Aroma - deep and rich but subtle.
• Taste - strawberry, black cherry, slight spice, and cranberry.
• Overall - This is very smooth and delicious, I absolutely love it! I was tied between this and the last Grenache.