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Open: By appointment
Appt required? Yes
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (April 17, 2012 Itinerary)
Directions:
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Tasting:
We arrived at Lamborn and were greeted first by a four-legged welcoming committee. It turned out to be Odie, the neighbor’s dog. In tow was Terry Lamborn, wife of Mike and co-proprietor of Lamborn Family Winery. She warmly welcomed us to the property and let us know that she had to “get her husband off the tractor", adding that "he’s especially irritated with how much the grass has grown between the rows and is trying to get the mower attached”.
We followed her along the driveway where Mike Lamborn was just pulling up on, sure enough, his large farming tractor.
“Welcome to Lamborn!” Mike beamed as he eased himself down from the tractor’s perch. “I’m so happy you found your way here!”
And here’s the thing – he genuinely meant that. We’d never met the Lamborns before, but Mike greeted us like we were his favorite niece and nephew who finally came for a visit. As we walked to the house, he immediately launched into a story about how frustrated he was that the grass was growing up between his vines, not because it impacts the grapes in anyway but because it doesn’t look as beautiful as he’d like it to. Arriving at the house -- the former Lamborn residence now just used to greet guests -- we met the Lamborns’ dog, a 155-lb. Great Dane/Mastiff mix named Sriracha. She was a giant but a giant sweetheart, and us exchanging stories around our common love of dogs set the tone for our warm and friendly conversation.
We sat down at the kitchen table in the house and started chatting. Over the next hour my wife and I shared stories from work and our trips to wine country, while Mike (and occasionally Terry) talked with us about almost everything: the history of the winery, how the valley had changed, outsourcing work to China and their increasingly powerful role in the international community, Napa restaurants, their kids, and even “pot wine” (an underground trade where winemakers add marijuana to wine to allegedly produce and multi-level buzz).
Did I mention there was wine? Lamborn only makes two wines: a Zinfandel and a Cabernet (both pot-free, I might add). Winemaker Heidi Barrett (of Screaming Eagle fame) is their sole winemaker, and this was extra special because it was my first opportunity to try a “Heidi wine”. The two we sampled were the 2009 Zinfandel ("The Abundant Vintage" -- the Lamborns give a unique name to each year's Zinfandel) and 2008 Cabernet, and both were excellent while also possessing some unique qualities. The best way I can describe Heidi’s style is that she makes a wine that is multi-leveled, structured, complex, and not overly any one thing. I’ll call them “Goldilocks wines” – not too oakey, not too tannic, not too fruity...jussssst right. I’ve had some excellent and well-structured Cabs in my day, but this was certainly the first Zinfandel I’ve tried that possessed the balance and structure that I've come to associate with great mountain Cabernets. The 2008 Cabernet was among the best wines I’d tried on my entire 4-day trip. The Zinfandel retails for $45 and the Cabernet for an even $100, both fair and reasonable in my mind for the quality of the grapes, the craftsmanship, and the finished product.
The fact that the wine was outstanding is always what I most look for in a visit, and it certainly was excellent here. But the company of the Lamborns was the highlight of the visit for me. You couldn’t ask for a nicer pair of folks, and as I said to Steph, “these are the type of people I want to give my business to.” They are that rare couple who after decades of marriage still appear very much in love, and they have achieved a balance and symmetry that is enviable, just like their wines!
Obviously wine was going to leave with me, and I was pleased to see some library wines on the order sheet. Mike recommended the 2005 Cabernet, and so I picked up a bottle of that (“I promise you’ll be calling me for more as soon as you try it!”), some 2007, and some of the excellent 2008 along with some Zinfandel. Mike, Terry, and Sriracha walked us out to the car, and I’m counting down the days until the bottle shock wears off and I can break into the 2005. I have few doubts that I’ll be calling Mike up to reorder before it’s gone.
Editor's Note: Guess what appeared in my inbox a few days after our visit? A link to an article on "pot wine", sent to me by Mike. A final personal touch to our visit...
We arrived at Lamborn and were greeted first by a four-legged welcoming committee. It turned out to be Odie, the neighbor’s dog. In tow was Terry Lamborn, wife of Mike and co-proprietor of Lamborn Family Winery. She warmly welcomed us to the property and let us know that she had to “get her husband off the tractor", adding that "he’s especially irritated with how much the grass has grown between the rows and is trying to get the mower attached”.
We followed her along the driveway where Mike Lamborn was just pulling up on, sure enough, his large farming tractor.
“Welcome to Lamborn!” Mike beamed as he eased himself down from the tractor’s perch. “I’m so happy you found your way here!”
And here’s the thing – he genuinely meant that. We’d never met the Lamborns before, but Mike greeted us like we were his favorite niece and nephew who finally came for a visit. As we walked to the house, he immediately launched into a story about how frustrated he was that the grass was growing up between his vines, not because it impacts the grapes in anyway but because it doesn’t look as beautiful as he’d like it to. Arriving at the house -- the former Lamborn residence now just used to greet guests -- we met the Lamborns’ dog, a 155-lb. Great Dane/Mastiff mix named Sriracha. She was a giant but a giant sweetheart, and us exchanging stories around our common love of dogs set the tone for our warm and friendly conversation.
Did I mention there was wine? Lamborn only makes two wines: a Zinfandel and a Cabernet (both pot-free, I might add). Winemaker Heidi Barrett (of Screaming Eagle fame) is their sole winemaker, and this was extra special because it was my first opportunity to try a “Heidi wine”. The two we sampled were the 2009 Zinfandel ("The Abundant Vintage" -- the Lamborns give a unique name to each year's Zinfandel) and 2008 Cabernet, and both were excellent while also possessing some unique qualities. The best way I can describe Heidi’s style is that she makes a wine that is multi-leveled, structured, complex, and not overly any one thing. I’ll call them “Goldilocks wines” – not too oakey, not too tannic, not too fruity...jussssst right. I’ve had some excellent and well-structured Cabs in my day, but this was certainly the first Zinfandel I’ve tried that possessed the balance and structure that I've come to associate with great mountain Cabernets. The 2008 Cabernet was among the best wines I’d tried on my entire 4-day trip. The Zinfandel retails for $45 and the Cabernet for an even $100, both fair and reasonable in my mind for the quality of the grapes, the craftsmanship, and the finished product.
The fact that the wine was outstanding is always what I most look for in a visit, and it certainly was excellent here. But the company of the Lamborns was the highlight of the visit for me. You couldn’t ask for a nicer pair of folks, and as I said to Steph, “these are the type of people I want to give my business to.” They are that rare couple who after decades of marriage still appear very much in love, and they have achieved a balance and symmetry that is enviable, just like their wines!
Obviously wine was going to leave with me, and I was pleased to see some library wines on the order sheet. Mike recommended the 2005 Cabernet, and so I picked up a bottle of that (“I promise you’ll be calling me for more as soon as you try it!”), some 2007, and some of the excellent 2008 along with some Zinfandel. Mike, Terry, and Sriracha walked us out to the car, and I’m counting down the days until the bottle shock wears off and I can break into the 2005. I have few doubts that I’ll be calling Mike up to reorder before it’s gone.
Editor's Note: Guess what appeared in my inbox a few days after our visit? A link to an article on "pot wine", sent to me by Mike. A final personal touch to our visit...
Recommended wine: There are two wines and they are both great.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 5.00 |  TASTING ROOM | 4.75 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 5.00+ |  VALUE | 4.75 |
 OVERALL | 4.88 | ||
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