The first full day of our Temecula Wine Country press trip began with a precarious drive up to the Wild Horse Peak Vineyard. Of course, I was sitting on the side of the bus with the mountain drop off views. Deep breaths. I kept my head down and prayed for a safe ascent. Mind you, I have climbed Machu Picchu in Peru, and that bus ride up is much more precarious. As I get older, more things bother me that never did before. Alas, we reached the top and enjoyed fresh air and sunshine, surrounded by vines and trees. Temecula isn’t resting on her laurels, as other California wine regions do. Jim Hart of Hart Winery tells us that “Temecula struggles with recognition” and that “their identity has not truly been honed”. Part of this is because Temecula is a destination wine country and not a distribution wine country. Most Temecula wine is consumed locally, versus distributed across the country to restaurants and wine shops. Another identifier of Temecula is that all wineries in Temecula are family-owned. In fact, none are corporate-owned. When you think of Temecula you think of warm temps, hot air balloons, and wine tasting. Yes, it does get warm here. Especially in the summer. But, Temecula actually has a Mediterranean climate. It leans more arid and benefits from good diurnal shifts (warm days and cool nights). Wild Horse Peak sits at 1,900 feet elevation. A full 500+ feet higher than any other vines in the area. This elevation gives temps 5-10 degrees cooler than the rest of Temecula. The Wild Horse Peak property is owned by Jim Carter, who also owns South Coast Winery, Berenda Road Winery, and Carter Estate Winery. The 400-acre plot of land boasts 140 acres under vine, planted mostly in 1995-97. According to Jon McPherson, winemaker at South Coast Winery and Carter Estate “the yields on the vineyards at Wild Horse Peak are historically cropped very low, the color and tannin development in the fruit always seems a bit higher than the valley floor, and the wines are more intense.” He tells me that they “have done tannin and color trials on the fruit and it is significantly higher than that of the valley floor. This is attributed to the lower yields, higher altitude, and limited irrigation available.” The vines are watered from their reservoir, which in some years is very limited, based on rainfall. That brings us to the wines. While standing on Wild Horse Peak, we tasted two wines with WHP fruit. Talk about enjoying wine directly at the source! This wine has a medium + body with a full-bodied, and textured (almost clay-like) feel. Lots of red fruit. Medium, well-integrated tannins. Great balance on this wine. This is a 4-block blend, all Wild Horse Peak fruit. Sweet spice (vanilla) notes and savory (green) notes, plus baking spices. Dry, chalky tannins. Ripe, full fruit forwardness. Other Wild Horse Peak wines from South Coast Winery can be found at the link HERE. While on our Wild Horse Peak jaunt, we also tried the below wines. These wines do not have Wild Horse Peak fruit, but they are good examples of what you can expect from high-quality Temecula wines. Pyrazines and eucalyptus on the nose, but soft on the palate. Dare I say: delicate? Soft tannins. Tasting notes from Joe Wiens of Wiens Family Cellars: If Temecula Valley is a bowl, WHP sits on the southeast edge, and our Waxman Vineyard in La Cresta is the opposite edge of the bowl, northwest of the valley. We see good diurnal shifts, and cooler days being closer to the coast, and about 600 feet higher in elevation than the valley floor. The soils are less nutrient-rich, so we see lower yields (about 2 tons per acre), with very nice concentration and character from this site. Joe Wiens and his Waxman Cab Sauv This wine is asking to be laid down. A big boy Cab, not for the faint of heart. With full bodied, grippy tannins, according to Jim. #laymedown LOVE this wine. For those jonesin’ for a Pinot from Temecula, this is as close as you’re gonna get. And it’s good. Tasting notes directly from Gregg Penny royal, the vineyard manager at Wilson Creek Winery: The Cinsault is 100% valley floor Temecula AVA fruit from the First Light Vineyard. Cinsault is a heat-loving, floral soft wine with moderate but firm tannic structures. We sometimes refer to it as the warm climate Pinot Noir for the similarity in density and the commonality of rose in the bouquet. Gregg Pennyroyal and his Cinsault Love this guy. Feels like an Old-World Syrah. Slate and minerality on the nose. Tasting notes directly from Jim Hart of Hart Winery: grapes from a vineyard that is approximately 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean. 2400 feet elevation. The vineyard is surrounded by a wall made from volcanic rock cleared from the vineyard site. Much more of a cool climate Syrah. Thank you for joining me to explore Wild Horse Creek in Temecula wine country. Cheers!
Temecula Wine Country
Why Wild Horse Peak?
Wild Horse Peak Tasting Notes
South Coast Winery Wild Horse Peak Syrah 2016 $30
South Coast Winery Wild Horse Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 $40
Wiens Waxman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Hart Winery Reserve Volcanic Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 $52
Wilson Creek Winery Cinsault 2016
Hart Syrah Volcanic Ridge 2016 $52
