Longoria Wines Blues Cuvee 2011

Viticulture

The grapes for this blend were sourced from vineyards within Santa Barbara county.

Vinification

The blend consists of four of the traditional Bordeaux grape varietals plus a healthy dose of Syrah. All of the lots were entirely destemmed, crushed and fermented in small open-top tanks. After a 21-month aging period in French oak barrels, of which 20% were new, the components were blended, fined and filtered before being bottled in July 2014.

Tasting notes

The wine has a dark ruby color and a powerful and fragrant mix of black cherries, herbs, potpourri and flower blossoms. On the palate the wine has flavors of red and black berries with a hint of sweet oak vanillin. The moderate tannins combined with the relatively high acidity give the wine a tight structure which additional bottle aging will resolve. 

Winery Description

Artisan winemaker crafting works of art out the hills of Santa Rita

Longoria Wines is an artisanal family winery established in 1982 by Rick and Diana Longoria. Rick’s decision to start his own wine label was born out of a desire to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two varietals he was not producing as the winemaker for J. Carey Cellars, his first job as a winemaker. Rick sensed that those two varietals were poised to become the signature varietals for the new Santa Barbara County wine region, and he wanted to become a part of this new movement.

By 1982 he felt confident in his skills and in the quality of some of the County’s best vineyards to venture into the wine business for himself, and with financial help from his father he produced 500 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley vineyards.

Rick continued to produce very small quantities of Longoria wines after he became the winemaker for The Gainey Vineyard in 1985.

In 1997, Rick gave up steady employment to devote his full energies to his winery business. In May 1998, Rick and Diana opened the doors to their own tasting room in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Los Olivos. In December 1998, Rick moved his winery operation into a 5,400 sq. foot industrial building in what is now affectionately called the “Lompoc Wine Ghetto”. His was the first winery to be established in Lompoc. In 2014, Rick moved into a brand new winery on the site of Lompoc's historic JM Club, with the Longoria Winery Tasting Room located in the former clubhouse.

Rick states "From the very beginning of my career I felt that the Santa Barbara wine region had the potential to produce world-class wines and it's been very gratifying to see that belief realized over the more than 30 years I've been here. It's also been very rewarding to have had the good fortune over the years to have some of my wines contribute to the acclaim of our wine region."

Over the years Rick has experimented with many different vineyard sources and grape varietals and has added more wines to his portfolio. Rick’s pursuit of excellence requires the production of his wines to remain small even after more than 30 years in business. Longoria wines are handcrafted in very small quantities ranging from 50 to 700 cases. Total annual production currently averages 3,000 cases.