We discovered Bunter Spring while wine tasting in Carmel Valley Village. The tasting room was a bit mysterious – rarely open. We finally caught them open and had an engaging conversation with Mark Bunter. An older couple was in the tasting room – through them, we learned the “Spring” in Bunter Spring was a former Washington DC colleague of my husband! We occasionally catch both Bunter and Spring in the tasting room. One of our favorite Bunter Spring wine is the “Hippie Red” – 100% Syrah from Napa. We opened this 2016 Cabernet Franc for Labor Day. After a few emails with Mark, I discovered this wine is actually from the San Antonio AVA!
From Bunter Spring Winery: “Bunter Spring Winery is a family operated “garage” winery in the Coombsville AVA in the southeast corner of Napa Valley. We make small-lot wines for sale to friends on our mailing list and to a few restaurants and wine shops. Bunter Spring was licensed in 2008, by Mark Bunter, after a brief (thirty years) internship in the wine cellars of people with names like Sebastiani and Mondavi. It all started in 1977 at Bill Cadman’s Tulocay Winery, just up the hill from Bunter Spring, where Mark took on a volunteer bottling line position. Mark got interested in winemaking and started making small batches of wine for fun in the family garage, with free grapes. After helping pick scrounged “second crop” grapes from nearby vineyards for a few vintages, Dad Arnold (Arnie) helped plant a small vineyard on his own property (evidently, owning a vineyard was deemed the lesser of two evils). Within fifteen short years, Arnie was ready to let Mark start selling the family Syrah instead of just giving it away. We don’t rush things at Bunter Spring.”
Bunter Spring 2016 Spring Cabernet Franc, Monterey County, 13% ABV, $25 (#145*) 87% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot
Winemaker’s Notes from the Back Label: “These grapes come from the warmer, southern end of Monterey County. Aged for eleven months in once used French oak barrels. Smells and tastes of ripe red cherries, fresh spearmint, green tea, hardwood, and dark chocolate. We bottled this early to capture its fresh fruit and lively tannins.”
My Review: Garnet with purple edges in the glass. Warm nose of blackberry and dark plum. Tart red fruit on the palate, with a lingering blackberry and cassis finish. I like this wine, but I think I am going to really like his 2017 Cabernet Franc from Carmel Valley (86% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon), skipping the Petit Verdot! September 2020
To buy their wines, check out their current releases and contact Mark by phone or email to order. They ship within California and to Washington DC and Florida. Last I checked, their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village had not reopened. In better times, it is open on the weekends or by appointment.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – includes non-Central Coast wines.
© Decanting Monterey 2020
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