Chelsey and I had our first Santa Cruz wine tasting today, and what a fantastic start it was at Madson Wines! Our friend Colin, the winemaker at Marbeso, highly recommended Madson, and we quickly understood why. He even sources grapes from some of the same excellent vineyards, so we had a bit of a head start on the terroir.
Ali, our tasting room associate, was an absolute gem—knowledgeable, fun, and she even surprised us with a ‘Welcome to Santa Cruz’ loaf of local bread! Such a sweet touch. We lucked out when we arrived, having the tasting room to ourselves. A few other folks stopped by during our visit, but it never felt crowded, which was perfect for soaking it all in. Ali opened a couple extra bottles that weren’t on the tasting menu which was a nice surprise.
Our Santa Cruz wine journey is off to a great start so far.! We have gotten a few more recommendations so we have a solid plan of attack to make it through the myriad of producers in the region. If anyone else has recommendations on places we should head to next, please reach out.
Our Favorites:
2023 Chardonnay (Ascona Vineyard): This was right up my alley—bright lemon/lime notes, lovely salinity, and vibrant acidity. We’ve enjoyed other great wines from Ascona, and this one didn’t disappoint!
2024 Gamay: Delicious! Coming from Santa Rita Hills, an area we know really well, it offered lovely black tea and plum notes, earthy undertones, and a touch of greenness, likely from whole cluster fermentation.
2022 Ascona Vineyard Syrah: Though young, this was already fantastic. Bursting with blackberry, blueberry, subtle herbaceous notes, and a hint of pepper. Interested to see how this one develops with time.
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