OASIS, Chardonnay
Loma Verde Vineyard

My Top Cream Chardonnay has a foil, and what a good foil it is. OASIS is a small south-east facing hillside in the Loma Verde Vineyard, just off Highway 101 as you head north out of Los Alamos. If you know what you are looking for you can see the peculiar white streaks of soil that run under the vine rows. If you were touring around the west side of Paso Robles, you wouldn't think it peculiar at all. You see, in Paso’s West Side, limestone abounds. But in Santa Barbara County, it’s about as common as water in the desert. And yet, there it sits in a little two acre pocket of Loma Verde, at the end of the rows of block 3C, as they drop down from the bench upon which 80% of the block rests.

Was I expecting to find this little enigmatic piece of dirt? Not really. Over a year ago I was touring the vineyard with General Manager Tavo Acosta. Loma Verde in its entirety is about 218 acres. I was looking for 15 or so nice tons of reasonably priced Chardonnay to blend into my regular wine. Tavo was quite proud of most of the Ranch. The vines were healthy with balanced crops. It was obviously a reflection of someone who knew what he was doing. That’s when I saw these scrawny yellowish vines struggling on a little hillside at the end of this one block. It was by far the most scraggly thing we’d seen, and I had the feeling Tavo was accelerating to get past it as soon as possible.

“If I find an area that I like, and it only takes up a portion of one of your blocks, is it possible to pick only the ends of the rows that are in that area?” I asked Tavo. “I don’t see why not,” he said. “What’s that white stuff in the dirt right there?” I asked. “Limestone,” he said.

“Is that why these vines are struggling?” I asked. “Yea,” he said hesitatingly. “Is this section with the limestone available?” I asked. I knew what he was thinking, “Oh boy, another nutcase winemaker.”

But to make a long story short, Tavo has been very open minded. He has done a great job of helping the vines in OASIS find the vigor and vitality that they desperately needed. The first time I saw OASIS I was only impressed with the soil. Now I see balanced vines and I taste incredible wines.

2005 "Oasis" Chardonnay is SOLD OUT.
2006 "Oasis" Chardonnay is SOLD OUT.
2007 "Oasis" Chardonnay is now available.





Click Here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of Bryan Babcock's Vintage Note on 2005 "Oasis" Chardonnay.
Click Here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of Bryan Babcock's Vintage Note on 2006 "Oasis" Chardonnay.
Click Here for an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of Bryan Babcock's Vintage Note on 2007"Oasis" Chardonnay.

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