Optio Vineyards – The “Little Winery That Can”
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Met with winery owners Troy and Michelle LaMar last weekend on their 14 acre vineyard. Nine acres are currently under vine. The vineyard is located at the tail end of the Templeton district within the Geneseo District appellation. Their production is around 500 cases a year with the balance of the fruit being sold off. Their goal is to increase the production steadily with club membership and getting the word out on their quality wines. They already have won many awards including for their 2022 Chardonnay, Las Vegas Global Platinum Medal with 96 points and their 2021 Estate Tempranillo, Las Vegas Global Platinum Medal also with 96 points! This is the little winery that not only could, but has!!
Troy is a general surgeon in Los Angeles and met his wife Michelle as she was a floor nurse at the same hospital. She is now in nurse educator. Today with their son LT, they spend as much time as possible on the estate. Their winemaker is Aaron Jackson from Tin City with 23 years making gorgeous wines. Aaron’s background includes Four Vines, ONX and Saxum wineries. He earned his Wine & Viticulture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and spent a year in Australia where he earned a Master’s degree in Oenology.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery today produces Chardonnay, Inmesceo (meaning blend together of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Syrah and Petite Sirah), Grenache, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah. Had the opportunity to taste each one (a few with different vintages) and uniquely different was that each one was a solid and exceptional wine. Not a so-so or average wine in their offering. Rare and very much appreciated and I am sure by their customers.
The name Optio comes from the Latin word meaning “choice” which has paid off for the LaMar family. Troy while in medical school his first day heard a professor quote William Jennings Bryan “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” Literally and physically, the little vineyard on top of the hill, has climbed up it to achieve many excellent wines.
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While tasting their full offering, three wines very much received my attention. The first shown in the picture is their Immesceo. Soft, warm and cuddly would best describe this smooth wine. Dusty with an Old World sense of place with spices of cinnamon and cloves with mild tannins. This retails for $58/bottle and only 45 cases produced. The second wine was their Estate Tempranillo resonating the flavors of Spain with dark cherry and cocoa. Various “Christmas spices” abounded, with an alluring and complex finish. The third wine was their sensational Grenache with a great boutique of aromatics, followed with spicy blueberries and plum notes. On the palate bright cherry and chocolate stole the show. Grippy tannins provided a beautiful elongated finish. Aged 17 months in 100% neutral Oak barrels and lists for $58/bottle. Left Optio Vineyards purchasing several Grenache bottles. By the way, this was not the order in which the wines were tasted.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While we did not have a meal with these wines, I look forward to doing so with the Grenache wines we left with that evening. We were able to enjoy a gorgeous charcuterie board that was offered with cheeses, meats, nuts, fruits and crackers. Each wine was paired explicitly with a cheese or meat offering for example the Petite Sirah with three year aged Gouda and the Tempranillo with Manchego cheeses.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The evening concluded far too soon as the conversations, not just about wine and food, but family, children, the wine industry, etc., left me ready for more conversations. I look forward to our ongoing dialogues.
Sláinte,
Michael