I know, I just wrote up Idle Hour last month after my cruise, but we finally got the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod to their “new” Carmel Valley tasting room for a proper tasting in June. This is part 2 of our visit to Big Sur Vineyards’ tasting room – Idle Hour’s tasting room is nestled inside and, when they aren’t present to pour, Big Sur is kind enough to do so!
I have written about Idle Hour wines several times – just type “Idle Hour” in the search bar to find them. I include Idle Hour in this blog due to their tasting room located in Carmel Valley Village – and their increasing menu of Monterey County wines. You can read more about their winemaking approach and history here.
We were able to taste 5 wines on this day – 3 of them had been previously presented in this blog.
My Review: Powerful nose of grilled pineapple and peaches, following through on the palate. Yummy. Bouquet outpowers the palate. This is the same wine we had on our cruise – served one night in a regular wine glass and, the next time, in a Burgundy glass. This wine’s aromas and flavors really come out in proper stemware!
Winemaker’s Notes: “The crispness and brightness of Bing Cherry followed by the earthy aromas of forest floor and the sweet and savory notes of sassafras and cola. This wine is the most Burgundian Pinot Noir I have ever made. It’s light color and silky tannins are testament to the extra year of aging on the sediment that I gave it. The wine finishes with the fine structure on your tongue of wet stones.”
You all know by now that I am not that big of a Pinot Noir fan. The way this wine was made resulted in a more complex and rich wine, one of the best Pinot Noirs I have tasted from Monterey County. I selected this wine to present at my upcoming John Marshall Chapter, Northern Virginia AWS class.
Winery Notes: “The crispness and brightness of Bing Cherry followed by the earthy aromas of forest floor and the sweet and savory notes of sassafras and cola. This wine is the most Burgundian Pinot Noir I have ever made. It’s light color and silky tannins are testament to the extra year of aging on the sediment that I gave it. The wine finishes with the fine structure on your tongue of wet stones.”
My Review: While the winery webpage has the same description for both of these Pinot Noirs, we found them vastly different. This one was lighter in color, with barnyard and cherry notes on the nose. Flavors of bright cherry and earth on the palate.
Fresnolandia Review: “Idle Hour’s 2016 Petite Sirah is bittersweet; it begins on the tongue with a thick, sweet tart dark berry, transitions to a peppy berry, and ends with a tongue drying dark chocolate/licorice. To the nose, it is of a sweet, soy aroma; and if such a thing exists, also vibes of a dark berry vinegar.” Ronan Tetsu, 09/2020 https://www.fresnolandia.com/idle-hour-petite-sirah/
My Review: Dark purple in color, rich dark plum and blackberry. Smooth cherry some bitterness on the palate, dry and licorice finish. Super delicious. Alas, this is sold out. December 2020
You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. Check out how to visit them in Oakhurst here. You can taste their wines at the Big Sur Vineyards tasting room in Carmel Valley – just ask! The Idle Hour tasting room is in the back. Check their Facebook page Idle Hour Tasting Room @IdleHourWine for the latest info!
Today marks the second anniversary of Decanting Monterey, A Central Coast Wine Blog! My main objective has remained to expose others to the depth and quality of our Monterey/Central Coast wines, often under-appreciated by wine snobs. I like to champion our vintners and their wines out of passion, not for profit.
When I started this effort 2 years ago, my operating model was a little different. Deep in the unvaccinated period of the pandemic, the blog initially was focused on wines from our own collection that we sampled at home, with or without our neighboring friends and our daughters, who quickly became known as the COVID Wine Pod – the only people we socialized with during the pandemic. It was 2 posts per week and mostly one wine at a time. Back then, some wineries had just reopened with their COVID procedures and we still weren’t venturing out much.
Our Wine Pod assisted one winery test out its COVID operating model – they changed their approach after our through test!
During Year 2, as we became fully vaccinated and boosted – and double boosted, we were able to get out to more local wineries at a more deliberate pace. I also moved to a single post per week. In Year 2, a majority of posts (28, to be precise) were based on event-driven or winery tastings and fewer individual, cellar-driven posts. As it should be! Those posts got longer and longer, with more and more wines presented, depending on the wines tasted during a single event. And the COVID Wine Pod was renamed as the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod!
Tasting Room Map Courtesy of the Monterey Vintners and Growers Association
I also doubled down on Monterey County wines, except when other Central Coast wines happened my way. With 65 tasting rooms in the county, I have not yet been to every one. And some of our local wineries don’t have a venue for sampling their wines.
During this second year, I quit writing my private Facebook blog to be able to dedicate more time to family and myself, as well as to enjoy social events without feeling like I was “working.” Combined, I have published roughly 766 wine reviews during the pandemic. Yikes! This is still the reference number you see at the end of each wine – helps me keep track and avoid duplicates.
Welcome to newcomer Larry Bell and Corral Wines!
I have some high-level stats to share with you about Year Two of Decanting Monterey!
www.decantingmonterey.com hit the 5,000 “views” mark! This statistic is important to me. If you are seeing my blog on social media, please be sure to click the link and open it!
242 wines were reviewed on Decanting Monterey for the first time (plus a handful of re-tastes/repeats)
173 red wines were presented, as well as 52 whites, 15 roses, and a couple of oranges. 6 sparkling wines and 1 fortified wine were presented.
Wines from 10 distinct California counties are represented, with 160 from Monterey, 20 from San Benito, 8 from Santa Cruz, 7 from Napa, and a sprinkling from Amador, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Ventura and Yolo counties. There was also 1 wine from New York and 2 from Chile!
49 different wineries were discussed, including 32 from Monterey County, 13 from elsewhere in the Central Coast AVA, plus 4 others out of the area.
Bunter Spring slightly edged out Odonata and Parsonage as the most wines presented from a single winery (17 vs 16 wines presented).
I went for the first time to some new or new-to-me wineries, such as Caraccioli, Corral, Kori, and Lepe. I am always happy to showcase someone new.
And I presented our local wines to one Washington DC-based wine group, where they were extremely well received.
I started the Decanting Monterey Instagram page – I’m not too adept here, but learning.
Finally, I’ve started to assist the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society with its First Friday WinedUP events.
I COULD USE YOUR HELP! While I have some posts already queued up for Year 3, let me ask my mighty readers: Where should I visit next? Please leave me a comment on this post and let me know what some of your favorite, local places are to wine taste that I should not miss in Year 3! I have a long list of not-yet-covered wine tasting rooms and other wine venues to check out – happy to add to it. I don’t know what I don’t know. And, if you have not signed up for my free, weekly blog email, I encourage you to do so – the subscription button is on the right-hand side of each page of the Decanting Monterey website. I judge how well I am doing by how many views, subscribers, and comments I receive. Please help me spread the word and please feel free to comment on my posts! And follow my Facebook (@DecantingMonterey) and Instagram (@decanting_monterey) sites.
It’s easy to subscribe to Decanting Monterey by entering your email and hitting the “subscribe” button! Be sure to validate your email to activate your subscription!!
I remain grateful to those vintners who have comped me wine tastings, given me discounts, and especially those who have comped me bottles of wine! I am forever grateful to Bernardus, Bunter Spring and Chesebro for their generosity for that tasting. I have another class I am presenting in the fall to the Northern Virginia AWS to which I would like to add a big thanks to Idle Hour and Pierce Ranch for donating their wines. Rombi is another winery I would like to call out for providing wines for us to sample and review in this blog. I welcome such gestures! Those small acts of generosity have more than compensated me for my blog expenses. Now, if I could only figure out how to cover my airfare back to DC for the classes!!
So, here we go – Year 3! This should be a big one! Thanks for your support on this crazy journey.
The Decanting Monterey Wine Pod, having picked up the wrong wines, had to make an emergency trip to the valley. Switch made, we decided to do a little tasting before heading home. At Big Sur Vineyards’ tasting room, we could taste their wines, as well as Idle Hour’s wines. It was a no brainer. Today’s post is about Big Sur Vineyards.
We have tasted their wines over the years, with owner Lenora Carey present almost every time we dropped in. I was in the tasting room shortly after the Soberanes fire, which destroyed her home and vineyards. Yet, there she was in the tasting room. I recall talking to Lenora about her COVID plans to use test tubes for the wine tastes, an approach that continues to be popular to this day. We enjoyed the approach, allowing us to taste the wines at our own pace. She wasn’t in the tasting room when we arrived; she had a graduation event for her son. But, never fear, she showed up about halfway through our visit, personable and engaged, as always. Her fortitude is impressive.
Ondine was helping out that day for both of our tastings. Thinking back to earlier vintages, I was surprised that almost all of the wines were from Arroyo Seco (one of my preferred sources in Monterey County). Ondine reminded me that, because the Big Sur Vineyards were damaged in the Soberanes fire, Lenora is sourcing grapes from elsewhere in Monterey County.
About Big Sur Vineyards: “Big Sur Vineyards is an award-winning winery with several San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition medals. Our first vintage was 2013 and we picked Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah from neighboring vineyards, and called this wine Big Sur Red. It embodies all the things we love and value about Big Sur. This wine is bold, with big flavors and a touch of mystery.
“Big Sur Vineyards is a family wine business evolving with each vintage. We invite you to come try our wines at our Carmel Valley tasting room in the sun-drenched Carmel Valley village, just 15 minutes from Carmel-by-the-Sea. Enjoy our wines while taking in the view of the Santa Lucia mountain range from our sunny patio.”
I am presenting the 6 wines we tasted that day. The winery notes come from their website. Check out their bottle labels, depicting local scenes such as the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur. Gotta love it.
2019 Big Sur Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Arroyo Seco, 13.8% ABV, $38 (#761)
Winery Notes: “The single varietal limited release 100% Grenache Blanc was aged in neutral French oak to allow rich details while preserving fruit purity and freshness. Exceptional energy and brightness lead the way with a lingering sensation of richness. The nose is captivating with orange blossoms, mineral tones and sea foam leading to a medium bodied palate of tangerine, peach, sour apple and tropical fruits that feel racy and vibrant in the mouth along with steely precision and a tangy dry crispness.”
My Review: Light in color. Ripe pear on the nose. Crisp, light and a touch sweet on the palate with cream soda, apricot, melon and pear flavors. A touch of sweet lemon curd on the finish. I really liked this wine. June 2022
2019 Big Sur Vineyards Big Sur White, Arroyo Seco, 12.5% ABV, $36 (#762)
Winery Notes: “This year’s Big Sur White – a Rhone blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier – is youthfully fresh with a delicious, vivacious personality which shows delicate floral notes, crushed rocks and saltiness with a mix of citrus and stone fruits. It’s tangy on the palate that fills out with a touch of barrel aged richness. Enjoy this wine with Lebanese 7 spice lamb, broiled lobster, garlic chicken, medium-hard nutty cheeses such as emmenthaler, comté and gruyére. This wine love spicy foods! The result is a bright, but smooth white wine with tangerine, lime blossoms, almond oil, light herbs, melon flesh and a hint of butterscotch.”
My Review: Viscous in the glass. Pear on the nose, with a complex palate of crushed rocks, citrus, and a hint of apricot. Marine salt on the finish. Not sweet. June 2022
2018 Big Sur Vineyards Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, 13.8% ABV, $36 (#763)
Winery Notes: “One of our best sellers and one of our signature wines, our Chardonnay is a classic Monterey style with a hint of tropical fruit and a light creamy mouthfeel. On the palate it shows apple, pear, white peach and lemon. This vintage has a nice array of ripe flavors and fresh acidity which makes it perfect with the local catch of the day as well as poultry dishes and Brie chesses. This clear and lightly golden Chardonnay gets fuller and more complex with air in the glass, and adds a hint of hazelnut, clove and citrus notes.”
My Review: Viscous body. A touch of barnyard on the nose. The palate is balanced, flavorful with rich flavors of citrus and oak. A very pleasant wine. June 2022
2018 Big Sur Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir, Tondré Grapefield, Santa Lucia Highlands, 14.5% ABV, $48 (#764)
Winery Notes: “The 2018 vintage or our Pinot Noir Reserve, hand-crafted by winemaker Mark Bunter is made from grapes sourced at the Tondré Grapefield in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This central California location is considered by many to be one of the preeminent producers of Pinot Noir in California.
“Our Pinot is bursting with aromas and flavors; ripe raspberry, cherry, crushed green leaves, dried orange peel with a hint of caramel and pomegranate. On the palate you discover the earthy attributes of the Pommard clone with its silky texture of black cherry, strong sweet tea with lemon and cassis. The wine is rich and elegant leaving you with a lasting impression of spice and fruit on the finish. Pair with duck breast with juniper berry sauce, grilled chicken and mushrooms and assorted creamy and semi soft cheeses.” 60 cases produced.
My Review: Garnet in the glass. Black tea on the palate. This is a tasty wine. June 2022
2018 Big Sur Vineyards Grenache Noir, Arroyo Seco, 14.2% ABV, $38 (#765)
Winery Notes: “The 2018 Grenache Noir usually makes up the dominant percentage in our signature Big Sur Red Rhone Style blend, and we are thrilled with the profound delicacy and soulful character it shows. The wine has an unbearable lightness of being with a head turning burst of fresh strawberries, rose petals and faint spiciness that is sublime. It drinks as graceful as a Pinot Noir and has wonderful sense of elegance gaining pomegranate, wild plum and fresh picked briar laced raspberry as well as subtle mineral tones, earth, faint pepper, fennel and sage. This lighter style Grenache Noir shows a fresh detail, clarity and purity of form in a balanced medium bodied wine that delivers on its potential and promise from its seductive nose to its lingering tangy finish.”
My Review: Ruby in the glass. Spicy pepper and plum on the nose. Cherry and smoke on the palate, reminiscent of a cherry Jolly Rancher on the finish. June 2022
2018 Big Sur Vineyards Syrah, Arroyo Seco, 13.8% ABV, $38 (#766)
Winery Notes: “Syrah is a big-bodied, dry red wine that tends to shine its brightest on the opening palate. Not only is Syrah flavor-packed, but it’s also one of the darkest colored inky wines you can find. Our 2018 Syrah has aromas of cherry, lavender, black pepper, and cassis wrapped in warm overtones of vanilla. The palate reveals red and black bramble fruit—currants, blackberries, raspberries. Tight grained tannins give way to a long, lingering finish of black pepper and a savory gaminess. Pairs beautifully with dry-rubbed brisket or well seasoned pork, any pizza with meat on it, grilled veggies and garlic mashed potatoes.”
My Review: A pretty, rich ruby in the glass. Menthol and dark fruit on the nose. Vanilla, plum and berries on the palate, not quite matching the powerful nose. June 2022
Want to buy or taste their wines? We were able to walk in for a tasting – but check out their website above to taste or buy their wines. Their tasting room is at 1 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley, with both indoor and outdoor tasting options:
“The Redwood Bar: Serving 6 tastes daily from Rosé to White to luscious Reds. You can also sip on a glass of your favorite and learn what makes Big Sur Vineyards so unique from our owner Lenora or our friendly staff!
“The panorama patio: No fog here! Come enjoy the sunshine in Carmel Valley while looking across at the Santa Lucia range. Share a bottle with friends and take in some rays! Sip a glass and stay a while!”
I happened to see on Facebook last week that Bunter Spring was suddenly closing its tasting room and was having a 50% off sale over the weekend. We contacted our Decanting Monterey Wine Pod partners to see if they wanted to go. It is another Senate Staffer connection which had not yet had the opportunity to taste Mark Bunter’s wines. Affirmative!
Decanting Monterey Wine Pod partners enjoy their first Bunter Spring tasting!
Mark explained that a lease issue caused him to suddenly close while he seeks another venue. For a small producer like Bunter Spring, it is vital he have an outlet for people to taste and learn about his wines. While we were there, he gave us the inside scoop on each wine and a full education on yeast (which went right over my head). He let us taste many of his wines, including an array of higher end wines from Napa. We hope he finds another venue soon.
2021 Spring Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley, 13.34% ABV, $35 (#753)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Barrel fermented. Green apple, bread dough, pineapple. Medium body, subtle butter and oak. Dry.” 50 cases produced.
My Review: Pale yellow with a slightly musty nose. A tasty palate of line and pineapple, with a touch of butter on the finish. June 2022
2020 Bunter Spring Rosé of Syrah, Coombsville, Napa Valley, 12.34%, $25 (#754)
Winemaker’s Notes: “The 2020 fires in Napa were catastrophic. We picked this early, for rosé, and avoided the smoke. Dry.” 33 cases produced.
My Review: Transluscent reddish amber in the glass. A touch of sweetness on the nose, but very tasty, a bit like a cherry cola. It is different from most rosés. We bought this wine and have now enjoyed it at home. June 2022
2017 Spring Pinot Noir, Monterey County (#755)
Winemaker’s Notes (verbal): The juice for this wine comes ½ from Chalone and 1/2 from the Palisades in Carmel Valley. Earthy, French Roast coffee.
My Review: Dark ruby in color with coffee on the nose and dark fruit on the palate. Very tasty, different. June 2022
2018 Bunter Spring Hippie Syrah, Napa 14.25% (#756)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Napa organic grapes, feral ferment. Red fruit, meaty, earthy, with a big hit of spicy American oak from new barrels. Very low (40 ppm) sulfite.” 60 cases produced.
My Review: Very dark ruby in color. A dark cherry nose. Black cherry on the rich, tasty palate, with a touch of yeastiness on the finish. This is my favorite to date of the Hippie Syrahs! June 2022
Winemaker’s Notes: “Fruit punchy jammy everyday red. It’s great with red-sauced pasta, too.” 75 cases produced.
My Review: Very dark in color. Sweet dark fruit on the nose. Jammy dark berries and a touch of alcohol on the palate. I like this wine and selected it for one of my wine classes. June 2022
2017 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, 13.38% ABV, $45 (#758)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Organic grapes. A very good example of the unique local Cabernet Sauvignon character.” 24 cases produced.
My Review: What he didn’t say is these grapes come from the Massa Estate (formerly Durney/Heller), one of the most well known, local, long time producers of high end Cabernet Sauvignon in the Carmel Valley AVA. He has masterfully made this wine, which at other wineries would sell for double the price. This was my favorite wine of the day and I wish I had bought more of it. But we didn’t want to be greedy. June 2022
2016 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga, Napa Valley, 13.76% ABV, $60 (#759)
Winemaker’s Notes: “100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Expensive fruit, but worth it. The real deal.” 24 cases produced.
My Review: Dark, heavy ruby in the glass. Plum and dark jammy fruits on the nose and palate. Wer took some of that wine home. June 2022
2012 Spring Red Wine, Napa Valley, 13.8% ABV, $90 (#760) 86% Cabernet Franc, 14% Petit Verdot
Winemaker’s Notes: “Classic Napa style, big, tannic, structured, best with food.” 37 cases produced.
My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Lively nose of violets and red fruits. A delicious palate of raspberry and cherry flavors. A bit lighter than the heavy Cabernets we had just tasted. Exceptional. June 2022
Want to buy or taste their wines? Things are in a bit of a flux at the moment. The best bet is to call Mark at (202) 744-1343. You can see some of the current releases here and contact Mark by phone or email to order. Directions are here. They ship within California and to Washington DC and Florida.
I was on the road this spring quite a bit and did not make the tasting room rounds – until late in June, when we went on a tasting streak in a single long weekend! While I was busy traveling, I sometimes sought the easy post to fulfill the weekly blog. And I have neglected some of the bigger tastings I did in the winter. As I look back, I recall I did not post my February 2022 I Brand tasting because I had another catchup post in the works. I recently attended their first release party in a couple of years – and realized there were quite a few other wines I needed to write about first. So, I am halting the presses on my more recent flurry of tastings for this catch-up post!
I distinctly remember this tasting – when we met Will for the first time in the tasting room. It was so nice to put a face with the new name and he warmly welcomed us. We tried to move quickly through the wines, as we were just in the neighborhood and had not planned a full tasting – we got one anyway!
I have 12 wines (zounds!) to present to you today from across all 3 labels of I Brand & Family, La Marea and Le P’tit Paysan and spanning 2016-2020. Most of these come from my February tasting, but others were from our private collection. Unless otherwise specified, winemaker’s notes come from the winery tech sheets or notes online.
While the wines speak for themselves, I’d like to include this quote from Ian’s Spring 2022 Winemaker Letter, which hit home why I remain a fan of Ian and his wines. He talks about his “…fascination with old vineyards and more obscure varieties.” He goes on to say, “To appropriately shepherd the local winemaking industry into its best iteration, there needs to be a semi-cohesive idea of what a region is – there should be an expected balance and flavor profile shared in the wines from the region…As we are able to realize and share our ideas of our terroir, wines from the region will become more valuable, which leads to more value in our community.” You can red more about Ian and Heather Brand and their wines here: https://www.ibrandwinery.com/.
2020 I Brand & Family Pinot Gris, Eden Rift Vineyard, Cienega Valley, San Benito County, 12.2% ABV, $30 (#741)
Winemaker’s Notes: “A fresh and delicious ‘orange wine’ from mature, terraced Pinot Gris grapes on the oldest, continually producing commercial vineyard in California.”
My Review: Pale pink in the glass – balanced acidity on the palate. February 2022
2020 I Brand & Family Old Vines White, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley, San Benito County, 13% ABV, $36 (#742)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Old Vine White field blend is a blend of 3 unusual varietals. Orange Muscat, Mission and Palamino.”
My Review: Straw in the glass and sweet muscat and honeysuckle on the nose. The palate was not as sweet as the nose predicted, with decent tartness with a light, slightly sweet finish. Quite refreshing – I kind of liked it! February 2022
2017 Le P’tit Paysan Jacks Hill Chardonnay, Monterey, 12.5% ABV, $22 (#743)
Winemaker’s Notes: “A pure, fresh, minerality driven, Chablis like Chardonnay blend from Jacks Hill on the Central Coast…Blended from a collection of five small vineyards at the base of “Jack’s Hill”, in Chualar, CA…planted on the distinct iron oxide granite that dominates the east side of Salinas Valley, directly east of Sleepy Hollow North. Bright, crisp and clean with orchard fruit giving way to an intense minerality.”
92 points – Wine Enthusiast: “This bottling by Ian Brand always packs bang for the buck, but he really nailed it in the 2017 vintage. Clean and delicate aromas of Asian pear, lemon rind and edgy chalk lead into a racy, crisp and tightly wound palate. Flavors of grapefruit, nectarine, blanched almond and sea salt are delicious.” *Editors’ Choice* Matt Kettmann (2/2019)
My Review: Pale yellow in color. Honeydew melon on the nose. Honey and gardenia on the palate, with lime notes on the finish. April 2022.
2018 Le P’tit Paysan Jacks Hill Chardonnay, Monterey, 13% ABV, $22 (#744)
90 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Tight and brisk aromas of lemon peel and sandstone come through on the nose of this always fairly priced bottling. It’s soft on the palate in texture, but a wet stone minerality and lemon juice acidity provide tension, with dried pear and orange peel flavors showing as well.” Matt Kettmann
My Review: A touch leaner than previous vintages with a little acidity on the finish. February 2022
2019 La Marea and 2017 Besson Old Vines Grenache – Side by Side!
2019 La Marea Grenache, Central Coast, 14% ABV, $30 (#745)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Fresh, medium bodied Grenache from three rocky vineyards averaging over 50 years of age.”
My Review: A muddy ruby, richer in color than othis other Grenaches – almost purple. Good cherry fruits on the palate. February 2022
2017 I Brand & Family Besson Vineyard Old Vines Grenache, Santa Clara County, $42 (#746)
94 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Sage-oil, tea-leaf and geranium notes meet with dried strawberry and rose petal on the spicy, earthy nose of this bottling. The palate is a mix of dried flowers and rocky minerality, with flavors of gravel, dried currant and more tea leaf making for a fascinating sip of century- old vines.” Matt Kettmann
My Review: Light, translucent ruby in color, but richer, more tannic flavors.February 2022
2016 I Brand & Family Besson Vineyard Old Vines Grenache, Santa Clara County, 14% ABV, $42 (#747)
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: Dark, translucent ruby in color. Dark berries and smooth tannins on the palate. IMHO, one of his best Grenache wines. March 2022
2018 I Brand & Family Grenache/Syrah, Chalone AVA, 13.8% ABV, $42 (#748) 72% Grenache, 28% Syrah
My Review: Ruby in the glass. Mandarin orange and cherry notes on the nose. Palate had more heft, complexity than usual. Hands down one of our favorite of his Grenache-Syrah blends. May 2022
2019 I Brand & Family Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc, Santa Cruz Mountains, 12.2% ABV, $42 (#749)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Bates Ranch Vineyard is a secret gem of the trinity of Bordeaux varietal sites nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Our Cabernet Franc fruit is from a small block planted atop rich red Franciscan volcanic influenced rocks in 1978. A classic example of Cabernet Franc…Medium to Full-bodied. Lush, dark red berries, with purple lavender and hidden dried herb components, envelope the nose. On the 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.” 109 cases produced.
My Review: Lean, a bit austere with musty flavors. February 2022 February 2022
2019 I Brand & Family Bayly Ranch Cabernet Franc, Paicines, San Benito County, 12.4% ABV, $30 (#750)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Reminiscent of old world wine making Bayly Ranch is an etherial expression of Cabernet Franc. Notes of bright berries and mild spices…”
My Review: Richer, rounder, chewier that the Bates, with cherry and dark berry flavors. Black pepper on the finish. I prefer this wine; my partner prefers the Bates. February 2022
2019 I Brand & Family Fellom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#751)
Winemaker’s Notes: “First planted in the 40s and abutting the classic Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain property, Fellom Ranch produces among the most sought after grapes in California…Deep dark purple. Aromas of black current, cherries, clove spice, toasted oak, and cocoa. On the palate, lush & ripe, bramble fruit, enters med-full bodied, supple tannin and acid tension structure. Lovely wine, with pleasure to fill the palate, today, and years to come.”
My Review: Ruby, purple in the glass. Some chocolate notes on the nose with smooth, rich berries on the palate. I will do my best to hold this for an appropriate drinking time frame. February 2022
2018 Le P’tit Paysan P’tit Pape Red Rhone Blend, $22 (752)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Our classic Grenache based blend. Old world balance with a California patina. A favorite.”
93 points – Wine Enthusiast: “This blend of 52% Grenache, 36% Syrah and 12% Mourvèdre speaks so strongly to the terroir of the Central Coast as it is loaded from nose to finish with dewy sagebrush, crisp freshness and peppery spice. It begins with aromas of raspberry, pomegranate and herb, then settles comfortably into a firmly textured palate of oregano, pepper, sandalwood and more red fruit.” Matt Kettmann
My Review: We tasted this wine out of order. Lovely, light, lean yet good. Always a favorite. February 2022
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.
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