Alamitos Vineyards’ new winemaker has impressive provenance

Winemaker George Troquato is a vineyard geek. Standing with proprietor Shaun Coleman at Alamitos Vineyards in New Almaden, he gestures to two rocks sitting atop a split rail fence; one is serpentine, the other looks like fossils, although it could be mistaken concrete splatter.

“When I first got here, I thought it was concrete from trying to set an end post,” Troquato  says. “And then I realized these are calcareous deposits. I got so excited: Do you know how rare it is to find both of these soil types together?”

Troquato, who was Cinnabar’s winemaker for nearly three decades until late 2021, also made the first five vintages at Testarossa wines in the 1990s. He is stoked about the prospects for this site that lies above the Almaden Reservoir, which was practically lapping at the road after the January rains. Currently planted to sauvignon blanc, Touriga Nacional and Syrah, the site shows great promise.

Alamitos Vineyards just brought home a Double Gold for the 2019 Alamitos Vineyard Estate Hawkeye Syrah and a Gold for the 2021 White Egret Sauvignon Blanc at the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Competition. Both were made by initial winemaker Peter Kirchner, who works with the Muhley brothers of Coastal Viticulture, known for farming backyard vineyards throughout the Los Altos and Los Gatos hills.

At Alamitos, Troquato went straight to work implementing farming changes to the estate vineyard in hopes of maximizing quality. As a result, yields were way down for 2022; he got enough to make a steel barrel of estate rosé. Comprised of sauvignon blanc, syrah and Touriga Nacional, it’s highly floral and redolent of sweet pineapple and guava. The wine will get a touch of red to color it up.

Sourcing from the best possible vineyards is a high priority for Troquato, who shared a barrel sample of a brilliantly hued malbec from a backyard vineyard in Coombsville, which lies in southern Napa Valley, influenced by the San Pablo Bay.

“Coombsville is the new ‘cool’ spot,” he said.

Also in barrel is merlot from Stags Leap District, grown in rocky soils in the eastern hills of Napa. “I’m going for a classic Claret style,” says Troquato.

Long a fan of the Santa Lucia Highlands, Troquato was able to source the 2021 Running Quail Pinot Noir from the Tondre Vineyard, farmed by Joe Alarid. He is currently rehabbing a cabernet sauvignon vineyard near the old Cinnabar site in Saratoga that he says has extraordinary potential; it also has some calcareous deposits. He hopes to eventually get two barrels’ worth.

Alamitos is currently pouring its award-winning Syrah and sauvignon blanc at its tasting room, as well as the 2020 Night Owl cabernet/Syrah blend, which earned a silver medal. Also available for tastings are the 2020 Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon from a backyard vineyard in Portola Valley and the 2020 Umunhum Touriga, a port style wine of which Coleman, whose ancestors hail from the Azores, is especially proud.

The Alamitos Vineyards tasting room, located at 23505 Alamitos Road in San Jose, is open for weekend tasting by advance reservation to https://www.alamitosvineyards.com/visit.