We stopped in at Shale Canyon before dinner with friends and stumbled upon a great sale of their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon for only $20/bottle! What was not to like! While we produce some fine Cabernet Sauvignons in our warmer growing regions, Monterey County isn’t really known for its Cabernet Sauvignons, but a wine like this one shows the potential for it in some of our warmer growing regions.
Winery Notes: “A very big floral bouquet of violets and dark berry. This wine is very complex and the most distinctive flavors noted are blackberry, black cherry, and pomegranate. It is very fruit forward. A lingering finish with leather, tobacco and elegant structured tannins complement the experience. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.”
My Review: Deep ruby in the glass. Cedar, plum, dark berries and cherry on the nose and palate with a currant/cassis finish. A fabulous value wine! December 2021
You can buy Shale Canyon wines on their website or at their tasting room on Paseo San Carlos Courtyard, Westside San Carlos between Ocean and 7th, Carmel-by-the-Sea. They are open Sunday through Thursday 1–5, Friday and Saturday 12-7 and suggest reservations for parties of 4 or more. You can contact them at reservations@shalecanyonwines.com.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
My neighbor was in town last month and she is always game to “help” me with my wine blog. We belong to the same winery out in Carmel Valley Village – and she was willing to check out Joyce with me. I hadn’t been to Joyce since December 2019, when I picked up a case of James Joyce Merlot for a planned (and cancelled) wine class. My DC area friends enjoyed that case of wine during the pandemic. In the hopes of finding another Merlot for my next class, we headed to Joyce.
We were warmly welcomed in the tasting room and headed outside to one of the very nice tables for the tasting. Our server was very knowledgeable and provided us tons of information, answering even my peskiest question. The menu was very much focused on Monterey wines from across the county: Carmel Valley, Monterey, and Santa Lucia Highlands sub-AVAs. While I was still on a mission to find wines for a class, the menu didn’t include their James Joyce label from San Benito County. And no Merlot to try: sold out. And no industry discount. Alas, I can’t get lucky every time!
Today I am presenting 5 wines we tasted at their Tasting Room in February, plus 1 I purchased for later consumption. Unless otherwise specified, winery notes come from their website. The map below gives a good visual on the vineyards they use for their wines.
2018 Joyce Wine Co Escolle Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, 13.3% ABV, $35 (#643*)
Winemaker Notes: “The fruit for this Chardonnay comes from Escolle Vineyard located at the Northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands. This site is impeccably farmed by the Caraccioli Family, who are incredible stewards of their land. Very low water usage translates into low yields of intense fruit full of flavor and acidity. The strong marine influence and well drained gravelly loam soils of Chular combine to deliver Chardonnay fruit that showcases both power and finesse.”
Tasting notes: “AROMA Rose hips, stone fruit, clove spice, toast/dough, river stone FLAVOR Apple, bosc pear, wild peach, steely/mineral, brioche/lees”
My Review: Pale golden in color. Tropical notes on the nose. Balanced oak on the tasty and lively palate, with a touch of lime on the finish. We liked this wine. February 2022
Winemaker’s Notes (condensed from the Tech Sheet): “The Gabilan Mountain Pinot Noir comes from a small vineyard site positioned on a soft slope located on the east side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. Soils consisting of decomposed granite and limestone allow for an ethereal expression of Pinot Noir. To highlight and preserve the purity of the wine, grapes were fermented using partial whole-cluster and native yeast. The resulting wine was then aged for 10 months in neutral French oak barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. These honest winemaking practices combined with thoughful farming allow this vineyard site to show both power and finesse.” 18 barrels produced.
My Review: Translucent bright ruby in the glass with a bright red berry nose. Smooth on the palate with light berry flavors with subtle structure on the finish. A pleasant wine. February 2022
2019 Joyce Wine Co Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $45 (#645*)
Winemaker Notes: “Tondre Grapefield captures the soul of the Santa Lucia Highlands in the glass with dark brambly fruit, spice, light earth tones and a decedent textural mouth feel that comes from the cool climate site set of the regions sandy loams. This vintage shines with a deep garnet/ruby hue and a medium/full bodied palate of blackberry, plum and of course cherry fruits along with a touch of tea spice, lavender and soft oak. This wine gains in the glass and while youthful fresh it delivers an excellent play between lush ripe fruit and savory briar notes, this is not a vintage to miss.” 18 barrels produced.
My Review: Richer and darker in color, seemingly a tiny bit cloudy in the glass, with a richer bouquet than the previous wine. Richer flavors on the palate, with some tartness in the balance. February 2022
2019 Russell Joyce Grenache Syrah, Monterey, 13.7% ABV, $38 (#646*)
Winemaker’s Notes: “The special Small Lot Collection Grenache-Syrah is a blend of 70% Grenache from Cedar Lane and 30% Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah. Mostly concrete tank fermentation and aging making for a new California expression of a Southern Rhone style red in an ode to Chateaneuf-du-Pape. The ripe and dark fruited Grenache-Syrah has an intense purple/magenta hue in the glass with an incredible bouquet of wild flowers and spices that leads to a forward palate of olallieberry, racy plum, red currant and huckleberry fruits, sprigs of lavender, pepper, minty notes and a fresh tang with some delicate floral tones, savory elements and lingering kirsch. Seriously proportioned and dense without being heavy, this very limited Grenache-Sryah release, develops nicely with air and love the studied display of fruit and stony earth that comes out.”
My Review: Berry on the nose. A nice palate of robust, smooth fruit – very appealing to my taste. February 2022
2019 Russell Joyce Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley 13.8% ABV, $60 (#647*)
Notes from the Tasting Room: The grapes for this wine come from the Joullian Vineyard in Carmel Valley. With light oak notes, it is a more fuller representation of the fruit.
My Review: Dense, dark ruby in the glass. Berry notes on the nose. A medium palate of dark berry flavors. Pretty yummy. February 2022
2019 Joyce Wine Co Tondre Grapefield Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands, 13.4% ABV, $35 (#648*)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Planted in 1997, Tondré Grapefield sits in the center of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The terroir is defined by portruding Southeast facing slopes, strong marine influences from the Monterey Bay and ancient glacial soils consisting of decomposed granite, gravel and sandy loam. To show transparency, the fruit was harvested at moderate sugars and fermented using 60% whole clusters and native yeasts. The wine was then aged for 10 months in a combination of small concrete vessels and neutral French oak barrels before being bottled infined and unfiltered. These honest winemaking practices combined with thoughtful farming allow the savory fruit and natural acidity of this cool climate Syrah to shine.” 10 barrels produced.
My Review: Fresh ruby in the glass. At first, Bing cherry on the nose. Palate of bright, tart cherry flavors a la Jolly Rancher. As it opened up over a couple of days, the flavors balanced out, revealing a little more earth and deeper flavors. March 2022
You can buy Joyce wines from their web site or tasting room. Their tasting room is located at 1 East Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley Village is open. It has a lovely outdoor setting. You can find more information and make a reservation here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
Back in the day, when I had just begun presenting wine classes to my DC group, before I was established as a wine educator, before Decanting Monterey was even something I aspired to, I occasionally had to join a wine club to get a discount. And that was the case with Donati Family Vineyard. It was also a great way for me to get a deeper exposure to their wines, especially their reserves, which I am particularly fond of to this day. I still have a few bottles left, including this 2014 Ezio Cabernet Sauvignon. If I can ever get down to Paso Robles, I definitely will plan to stop there again.
The Ezio is considered their “flagship wine, named after Ezio Donati, the first born Donati in the New World.” https://www.donatifamilyvineyard.com/
From the Label: “The Paicines AVA is located 27 miles inland from Monterey, California and is part of the greater Central Coast AVA. The warm daytime temperatures and cool evening breezes allow our grapes to mature slowly, thereby developing wines of great character, balance and complexity. Our mission is to provide our customers with wines that complement any occasion from formal to informal, with consistent quality that you can trust. Please enjoy with Family and Friends.”
Wine Enthusiast – 88 points: “Dense soil aromas, leather, olive, charred beef, roasted wood and crushed asphalt make for a very dry and savory nose on this bottling. There’s a tarry character to the palate that shadows the black fruit, allowing the black olive and black pepper to take the lead.” Matt Kettmann, April 2018
My Review: Beautiful ruby in the glass. Intense dark berries on the nose. Intense dark berry flavors continue up front and on the finish. December 2021
You can buy their wines on their website or visit their tasting room in Templeton open daily – find out more and make a reservation here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
I’ve been saving up these reviews for a single I Brand post. One of the things I really like about Ian’s wines is his boldness to expose us to varietals which we might not even have heard of – and to do them very well. The Arneis in this post is one of those – the Melon de Bourgogne was another we really enjoyed. And we tend to enjoy the Grenache wines – a varietal lighter than our normal fare, but one I Brand also does very well. His Cabernet Francs fascinate me – different in style from each other and always just a tad leaner than some of the big Cab Francs we tend to get around here. We’ve also been digging deep into our wine room and found some hidden treasures, like the 2012 Le P’tit Paysan Petite Sirah.
I have 6 wines to present to you today from across all 3 labels of I Brand & Family, La Marea and Le P’tit Paysan and spanning 2012-2020 and covering Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. Unless otherwise specified, winemaker’s notes come from the winery tech sheets or notes online.
2020 I Brand & Family Arneis, Vista Verde Vineyard, San Benito County, 12.7% ABV, $30 (#633*)
We invited our neighbor over to our sunny patio on this January day and decided to try this Arneis, a varietal I did not know!
Winemaker’s Notes: “A delightful and balanced expression of the Piedmontese white from the calcium laced gravels of the Vista Verde Vineyard in San Benito County.”
My Review: Pale golden yellow in the glass. Bosch pear with orange blossom and lime notes on the nose. Fresh and flinty, it opened up to be a lovely wine with round, flavors of grilled pineapple with a touch of olive juice and lime on the finish. An excellent summer patio wine. January 2022
2019 I. Brand & Family Pinot Gris, Eden Rift Vineyard, Cienega Valley, San Benito County, 11.5% ABV, $30 (#634*)
My Review: Light orange like a lollipop in the glass. Very smooth on the palate with a pleasant tartness on the finish. We liked this wine. October 2021
2017 La Marea Grenache, Central Coast, 13% ABV, $30 (#635*)
Winemaker’s Notes from the Wine Crush: “This Grenache is mostly sourced from Monterey; it is de-stemmed and stainless steel fermented. The color is extremely pale ruby with, clean ripe aromas of both black and red cherry. Notes of sarsaparilla and a delicate restrained earthy quality.”
Wine Enthusiast – 91 points: “Light in the glass and almost rusty in color, this bottling begins with aromas of dried cherry juice, chaparral spice and toasted sage. Lightly bodied on the palate, it’s an herbal display, showing thyme, sagebrush and toasted nuts, with touches of rosewater and red currant.” Matt Kettmann, 10/2020
My Review: A pretty, translucent ruby in the glass. Cherry, cranberry on the nose. Dances on the palate with light cherry and red currant, with a lingering intensity on the finish. December 2021
2014 La Marea Grenache, Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone AVA, 14.1% ABV, $38 (#636*)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Bing cherry, roasting lamb, clay. smoldering dry leaves, sea shells. Soaring aromatics. Palate opens with savory elements: garrigue, cigar tobacco, spearmint, overlaying the unmistakable elegant texture of vineyards planted on calcium-rich soils. Chaparral, menthol, red cherry and cranberry on the finish.”
My Review: Ruby in the glass. Fresh cherry and raspberry on the nose. This was quite yummy with fresh red fruits on the palate and darker flavors of currant and leather on the finish. September 2021
2018 I Brand & Family Cabernet Franc, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains, 12.3% ABV, $42 (#637*)
About Bates Ranch: “Bates Ranch, the least known of the holy trinity of Bordeaux varietal sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains…located in the extreme southeastern end of the appellation, on Redwood Retreat Road… We are honored to receive the fruit from half of a small block of Cabernet Franc planted in 1978 for this bottling. Soils in this section of the vineyard are the red Franciscan series of volcanic influenced sedimentary rocks that runs along the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains.”
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “Medium to Full-bodied. Lush, dark red berries, with purple lavender and hidden dried herb components on the nose. On palate, bright acidity, plays against tannic structure. Followed by a burst of dark red fruits, balsamic reduction, and the expected herbal, bay leaf, oregano, dried basil, with touches of a peppery edge on the finish.”
My Review: Dark ruby in color. Red fruits on the nose. Smooth and fresh, with a medium palate of raspberry, cherry and plum. This is a lighter, more delicate Cab Franc – a great food wine. January 2022
2012 Le P’tit Paysan Petite Sirah, Monterey County, 13.7% ABV, $22 (#638*)
Wine Enthusiast – 87 points: “Ian Brand’s stab at this grape shows a lot of black rock minerality and bloody meats on the nose, layered across blueberry syrup and sour cherry elements. The palate is much lighter than other takes on this varietal, showing menthol-laced flavors of blackberries and tobacco.” Matt Kettmann, June 2015
My Review: Inky ruby in the glass. Dark plum and blueberry on the nose. Soft blueberry and blackberry fruit on the palate, enveloped by a licorice finish. October 2021
The I Brand & Family Tasting Room is located at 19 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Thursday – Monday, 11 am – 6 pm. Reservations are recommended – more information here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
We’ve been consuming some really good, older California Cabernet Sauvignon and French Bordeaux wines lately. These wines can be incredible when one is able to demonstrate self-restraint and hold onto them. We are talking about wines are made to age vice more recent trends to make them consumable young.
Going shopping in our own collection, my husband dug out this well-aged Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Cruz Mountains. At 21 years old, it was deemed “old enough to drink” by Mr. H. This wine has sparked a whole conversation about a Decanting Monterey Wine Pod excursion to that region in the near future. What’s your favorite winery from the Santa Cruz Mountains? Where else should we go? Please leave me a comment!
About Mount Eden: “Mount Eden Vineyards is a small historic wine estate perched at 2000 feet overlooking Silicon Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Founded in 1945, it is recognized as one of the original “boutique” California winery properties, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mount Eden’s lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is the longest in California. Planted in austere, infertile Franciscan shale on a cool, exposed mountaintop, these low-yielding estate vineyards have consistently produced world-class wines for over a half-century. In 2007 Mount Eden acquired an additional 55 acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills, which was christened Domaine Eden…”
About Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: “The heritage of Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon dates back to the 1890s, when the famed viticulturist Emmett Rixford of Woodside, California, obtained selected cuttings from Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, France. Rixford planted his famous La Questa Vineyard with these selections, in the same proportions as found at Margaux.
“In the late 1940s Martin Ray planted his first Cabernet vineyard with cuttings from the La Questa Vineyard. The present-day Estate Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in the early 1980s using cuttings taken from these vines. Yields are low, typically one to two tons per acre. Soils are very thin (1-12 inches), with a dominant base of Franciscan shale. The climate is cool, especially for Cabernet, and influenced by the vineyard’s altitude and its proximity to San Francisco bay and the Pacific Ocean. The vines are trellised in a modern fashion, which allows for a more uniform ripening. The vineyard also contains small blocks of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.”
2001 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, $118 (release: $35) (#631*)
About the 2001 Vintage: “Followers of California Cabernet vintages have by now heard the good news about the 2001 vintage. Full crop levels, superb moderate weather, no rain at harvest, ideal picking, and so it was on this mountaintop.”
Wine Enthusiast – 90 points: “This ageable wine is young and tannic now, with an astringent finish. Cherry and blackberry stuffing is down there for the long haul. Best after 2010 and beyond.” 6/2005
My Review: Very dark in color. Bell pepper and mellow on the nose. Medium weight with a smooth palate. Upon opening, some bell pepper and cherry on the plate with a touch of ash on the finish. By day 2, darker berries and smoke on the palate with dark cherry flavors on the finish. February 2022
Visiting Mount Eden (from their website): “Located up a remote two-mile private road, Mount Eden is delighted to offer tasting by appointment…Seated on our veranda with beautiful views of the Santa Clara Valley, you will taste three of our highly rated wines.” Weekdays only for 6 or fewer guests – see reservation information here.
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