Our wine allocations from our various memberships go through peaks and valleys. A peak was in October when suddenly it seemed we needed to pick up wine from them all at the same time! We stopped in at Bernardus and were offered a tasting. It was there that we learned about the Marinus Dinner and snatched the last seats for the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod. Marinus is the Bernardus flagship Bordeaux-style red blend. You can read more about former owner Ben Pon’s dream to make Bordeaux-style wine right in Carmel Valley here: https://decantingmonterey.com/bernardusmarinus2010/.
We attended the previous Marinus dinner in 2019 (pre-pandemic). The event was spectacular – a multi-course meal by Carmel Valley’s Chef Jerome Viel who expertly crafted dishes to paired nicely with Marinus wines of various vintages. You can read more about Jerome here: https://jeromescarmelvalleymarket.com/chef-jerome-viel/.
The recent 2022 Marinus dinner was an expanded affair. Limited to 22 Marinus club members, it took up 2 rooms in their tasting room – twice the size of the previous event. The meal was lovely from beginning to end. I felt as though it were New Year’s Eve and our anniversary dinner all rolled into one!
This is a rather lengthy writeup, so bear with me. It starts with the tasting room visit, focused on the 5 non-Marinus wines we had, followed by the Marinus dinner writeup of 6 Marinus wines and our beautiful meal, to close out 2022 in a celebratory way! A few of these wines have been presented here before and several library wines are no longer available. And we did start off the dinner with a glass of their rose from Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, their new effort to do something a little different. I previously wrote up that wine (#677) here: https://decantingmonterey.com/monterey-county-vintners-and-growers-know-how-to-celebrate-monterey-winemakers/.
Winery tasting notes come from their website, the tasting sheet, or conversations with the winemaker or tasting room staff unless otherwise indicated. You can read more about most of these wines on their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2021 Bernardus Chardonnay, Monterey County, 14.3% ABV, $30 (#884)
Winery Notes from www.wine.com: “Bernardus Monterey Chardonnay exhibits bright white fruit aromas accented by subtle oak notes. The palate is intense and beautifully focused with vibrant peach and tropical fruit flavors along with spice accents. The long finish is supported by a refreshing acidity. Another superb example of Chardonnay from Monterey County.”
My Review: Golden in the glass. Tropical on the nose and tasty on the palate. This vintage is slightly metallic on the finish. I believe the Monterey Chardonnay is representative of our region. October 2022
2021 Bernardus Ingrid’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $50 (#885)
Winery Notes: “As the vineyard matures, the wines seem to keep getting better and better. This vintage of Ingrid’s Chardonnay is possibly our finest to date! The aromas express ripe tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The palate is very rich and complex with flavors of ripe white fruits and ginger cookie spice. A beautiful expression of this special Carmel Valley vineyard!”
My Review: Very tropical palate with tasty pineapple notes – a cut above. A very fine example of what Monterey County can do with Chardonnay. October 2022
2019 Bernardus Marinus Vineyard Merlot, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $50 (#371)
Winery Notes: “In the glass you will see a wine of deep crimson red. The aromas show bright dark red fruit scents with subtle spice notes. The palate is very rich and soft, with flavors of dried cherries and cranberries, accented with hints of chocolate. The delicious flavors linger beautifully on the long, powerful finish. A superb Merlot!” 90 Points- Wine Enthusiast
My Review: Ruby in color. Sweet spice on the nose. Delicious palate of cherry and berry fruits. I like this bottling even more than the previous vintage. October 2022
2017 Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 12.8% ABV, $125 magnum, currently (as of 12/21) on sale $62.50!!! (#289)
Winery Notes: “Our 2017 Cabernet exudes spicy aromas of red berry and cranberry. The palate beautifully reflects the aromas showing juicy red fruit flavors with a subtle, refreshing acidity. Our Cabernet has been aged for six months in 28-year-old neutral French oak tanks in order to allow the fruit flavors of these grapes to shine through without any oak barrel influence. We hope you will enjoy this wonderful wine as much as we do!”
My Review: Dark ruby in color. Vibrant, fresh red and black fruits on the nose – berries, cherry, carrying over to the palate. Tasty, with a dry finish with a touch of cassis and tobacco. While seemingly light in comparison to the bigger Marinus blends, this opened up into a tongue-coating, delicious little wine. September 2022
2018 Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 12.6% ABV, $50 (#886)
Winery Notes: “In the glass you will see a wine of deep crimson red. The aromas show beautiful dark red fruit scents with subtle spice notes. The palate is very rich, expressing intense black cherry and plum flavors, supported by ripe tannins on the finish. An excellent addition to our Bernardus line-up!”
My Review: Pretty rich ruby in color. A toasty nose with nice Cabernet Sauvignon flavors on the palate. October/November 2022
1993 Bernardus Marinus Red Table Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, $30 (#887)
Winery Notes: This was the first year they produced Marinus. The grapes were planted in 1989. It was made by winemaker Don Blackburn. From K&L Wine Merchants: “According to Wine Spectator: “A new Bordeaux-style blend that’s firm and intense, if a bit on the tannic side. Currant, cherry and anise flavors are well focused and well proportioned, and finish with dry tannins. Try after 1997.” (08/1996)
My Review: Inky in the glass. Dark and tannic with a touch of ham on the nose. Drinking well – like an old Bordeaux. Balanced. November 2022
2000 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County (#888)
Winery Notes from www.wine.com: “Increasing vine maturity coupled with almost perfect growing conditions enabled us to make a wine of great concentration that still has subtlety and elegance. Even in years of great ripeness our winemaking style emphasizes the textural element of the wine, making it approachable now, with the balance of flavors to age gracefully.”
My Review: More purple in color. Leathery. A little alcohol up front with dark fruits on the palate. So smooth. Super well balanced. November 2022
2010 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County (#39) Cabernet Sauvignon 59%, Merlot 29%, Petit Verdot 7%, Cabernet Franc 5%
Winery Notes: “Our 2010 Marinus exhibits its typical deeply colored robe. The aromas express beautiful red fruits accented by classic notes of cedar. The delicious flavors are soft and full, with spicy dark cherry and plus flavors and a smooth texture of well integrated tannins. Although drinking beautifully now, this Marinus will age gracefully for many years to come.”
My Review: Cassis/prune on the nose. Very smooth on the palate. Pairs well with the duck breast. Very delicious. Chalky. Drinking well! November 2022 Marinus is aged in oak for 16 months.
2015 Bernardus Marinus Signature Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, $125 (#889)
Winery Notes: “This 2015 vintage of our highly regarded Signature Marinus exhibits a beautiful, deep robe. The aromas are redolent with dark red fruits and dried spices. On the palate we find bright ripe-red fruit flavors and notes of cedar on a long, rich finish, promising a long life to come! A wonderful example from our estate vineyard!”
My Review: Label says 14.1% ABV, but probably 14.8%. Rich, dark berry nose with licorice and cocoa notes. Delicious full palate. I gave this wine two hearts! November 2022
2017 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 13.9% ABV, $75 (pre-release) (#890)
Winery Notes: This vintage has more Merlot in the blend – more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. This was a cooler winter.
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “This is a classic taste of the Carmel Valley, starting with aromas of blackberry jam, stewed berry and oak spice on the nose. The palate combines a rich blackberry-sauce core along with peppery spices and a luxurious streak of vanilla.” Matt Kettmann, 12/2022
My Review: This vintage has more Merlot, more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. Black licorice, blackberry and toasted oak on the nose – a marshamallowy vanilla. Very jammy yummy on the palate. Be ready for this one to be released – it is terrific. November 2022
2017 Bernardus Marinus Signature Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 14.1% ABV, $125 (pre-release) (#891)
Winery Notes: N/A
My Review: Inky purple in the glass. Cocoa on the nose. Dark berry and cocoa on the palate. Really jammy. So delicious. This is going to be a great wine. November 2022
Tasting Bernardus Wines: Their tasting room, located at 5 West Carmel Valley Road, is open Tuesday-Saturday. every day! Reservations are not required. You can see more information and book a tasting here or email tastingroom@bernardus.com or call them at 831-298-8021
© Decanting Monterey 2023
Recent Comments