Lo-Fi Wines Cinsault 2014 Santa Barbara County, California

california cinsault

Lo-Fi Wines Cinsault 2014 Santa Barbara County, California

Lo fi wines cinsault

I was really taken by this. And especially by the label. It’s from Mike Roth, who was winemaker with Martian Ranch until 2014, and then launched his own label, Lo-Fi. I really like Mike’s mission statement, particularly about making wines that aren’t too expensive, so normal people can drink them. Some of the wines from the natural movement are lovely but are just really expensive, which kind of jars when they are made in a drinkable style. We want drinkable wines that we can actually afford to drink.

We believe in neutral barrels, native yeasts, little to no sulfur additions, and no adjustment of pH. We love whole cluster fermentation. We adore carbonic maceration . We embrace a nothing added, nothing taken away philosophy that gives birth to wines that are young, vibrant and alive. But in all reality Lo-Fi is less about what it is and more about what it is not. It is not over manipulated. It is not over extracted. It is not over ripe and it is not over priced.

There’s a lovely interview with Mike on Elaine Brown’s website here. This wine is a Cinsault from the Demetria Estate Vineyard in Santa Ynez. It’s at 1300 feet and is planted to Rhone varieties, all biodynamically farmed.

Lo-Fi Wines Cinsault 2014 Santa Barbara County, California
Cloudy. Vivid, bright and focused with nice spicy, grainy cherry and plum fruit, with a distinctive meaty, earthy, slightly natural edge. This is edgy and quite savoury and has a distinctive ‘natural’ personality. It’s amazingly drinkable and pleasurable wine, as long as you don’t want things super pure and fruit-driven – but this is not meant as a criticism at all, because I love drinking this sort of wine. 92/100 (UK agents Les Caves de Pyrene)

2 Comments on Lo-Fi Wines Cinsault 2014 Santa Barbara County, CaliforniaTagged ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

2 thoughts on “Lo-Fi Wines Cinsault 2014 Santa Barbara County, California

  1. “Normal” person here..really love this place. Bravo Jamie, I sing your praises whenever I can.
    Opening one of your faves from Baudry tonite.. the 2005 Les Grezeaux Chinon.

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