The Decanting Monterey COVID Wine Pod had been talking about going to Caraccioli’s tasting room in Carmel-By-The-Sea for a long time. A plankholder of the wine pod is an expert on French champagnes. I wasn’t going to go there without her. With the holidays quickly approaching and visitors in town, we finally made it happen in mid-December.
I almost walked right by their tasting room, on the same block as Lepe Cellars – on Dolores between Ocean and 7th. It looked more like an upscale bar than what we are used to finding in a basic tasting room – there is nothing basic about this venue! We had reserved our tasting in advance (highly recommended) and were placed in a quiet corner. Perfect.
Everything about this venue was upscale – the nice ambiance heightened by quality, professional presentations by staff who didn’t flinch at my peskiest question. We felt very well treated as consumers and would highly recommend a visit if you are a sparkling wine lover or celebrating a special event. We walked away with various vintages of the Brut Cuvée and the latest Brut Rosé!
The first thing I learned was that the estate vineyard for Caraccioli Cellars is the highly esteemed Escolle Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. We have long been enjoying some of our region’s very best Chardonnays by various local producers using grapes sourced from this vineyard. Now we know the winery that owns the vineyard!
When we decided to have the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod to our house to celebrate New Year’s Eve, we were very pleasantly surprised to see that our French Champagne lovers brought the 2013 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuvée! And we had already planned to serve our sole bottle of the 2015 Brut Rosé! Starting our evening with Caraccioli sparkling wines was an amazing way to kick off our celebration of the new year! We then moved directly into our big reds, our true wheelhouse!
About Caraccioli Cellars : “A family run winery, Caraccioli Cellars takes pride in developing wines that deliver an expression true to vintage and site. Founded in 2006, Caraccioli Cellars’ commitment starts in the vineyard through our utilizing solely Santa Lucia Highlands’ grapes. We aim to highlight the quality of our local Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes by producing fruit centric still wines, and Brut and Brut Rosé in our sparkling wine program. Michel Salgues, previously head winemaker at Roderer Estate, is our head winemaker and through his techniques and expertise the family vision is precisely executed.
“Through light handed winemaking we aim to achieve elegance through rigorous control. Looking to showcase vintage variation our wines receive minimal manipulation, and in 2015 all wines produced will be 100% estate coming from Escolle. Elimination of outside grape sources only supports our efforts to heighten control in every way possible. The maturation of Escolle gives us the oppertunity to fully control every decision that will be made at the vineyard.”
Today, I am presenting 6 Caraccioli Cellars wines – 5 from our wine tasting on December 10th – and one more from New Year’s Eve.
Winery notes come from their website and tasting sheet (I confess to correcting any typos…).
2013 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuvée, Santa Lucia Highlands, 12% ABV, $75 (#575*)
Winery Notes: “Translucent yellow. Persistent and vigorous pinpoint bubbles; generous mousse. Rich red and citrus fruits highlighting juicy honey crisp apple and fresh lemon. Yeasty glazed donut; brioche toast balanced with soft florals and chalky minerality. Racy lime, sugared lemon wedge, pineapple and kumquat fruit notes backed by hints of integrated yeastiness throughout. Very bright and fruit forward, salivating crisp finish.” 93 points Vinous.
My Review: Light golden in the glass. Yeast, pineapple and a touch of perfume on the nose. Apricot on the palate with a grapefruit twist on the finish. Nice, bright acidity – we liked this sparkling wine! December 2021
2015 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuvée, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 12% ABV, $52 (#576*)
Winery Notes: “Pale golden color, miniscule bubbles coming from the core with a pronounced yet fine mousse. Nuanced fruit aromas including Macintosh apple, ripe apricot and lemon zest. Underpinning floral notes enhanced with rich vanilla, creamy lemon and honeycomb. Opens with crisp savory acidity on the front palate. Well structured mouth feel, delivers tastes of citrus and stone fruit with hints of oyster shell minerality. Finishing with a soft creamy, well integrated lingering acidity.” 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
My Review: Mellow on the nose. Light lemon on the palate, Less acidic than the 2013. Light and bubbly with a touch of minerality. I preferred this one to the 2013. December 2021
2015 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Rosé, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 12% ABV, $60 (#577*)
Winery Notes: “Translucent salmon with radiant peach undertones. Fine, energetic and pronounced mousse. Aromas of raspberry sorbet, strawberry, watermelon and tangerine zest. Hints of jasmine and honeycomb. Bright and complex acidity on the front palate wrapped in elements of citrus. Bursts of juicy raspberry and stone fruit balanced with subtle, crisp finish.
My Review: Beautiful peach in color. This was crisp with the very pleasant flavors including strawberry – very balanced acidity. I highly recommend this wine if you can get it! My favorite of all the sparklings! December 2021
2018 Caraccioli Cellars Chardonnay, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 13.9% ABV, $35 (#578*)
Winery Notes: “Pale straw, light golden hue. Lemon meringue, honey dew melon along with tropical pineapple, kiwi, lychee and guava. A flirty balance of fruit, delicate white jasmine flower and salty sea. Creamy mouthfeel coupled with structural integrated fruit throughout the sip. Fruit notes reminiscent of green apple, pear, pineapple, candied peach and nectarine. Soft florals balanced with a brined mid palate acidity, mouthwatering finish that showcases the bright fruit.” 94 points, Wine Enthusiast.
My Review: Pale in the glass. Touch of soft pineapple, a little butter and woodiness on the nose “like the Lone Cypress” or a cut shrub. Clean, nice, some minerality. December 2021
2020 Caraccioli Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 12.88% ABV, $25 (#579*)
Winery Notes: “Vibrant pale pink. Pure and expressive bouquet of melon particularly sweet watermelon and ripe honeydew. Secondary notes of lychee, mandarin and an overall pleasing citrus. Elegant and refreshing while also soft and bright. Flavors of melon, ripe kiwi and an assortment of tropical fruit. Highly quaffable with crisp and lengthy mouthwatering finish.” 94 points, Wine Enthusiast.
My Review: Pale pink in the glass. Watermelon on the nose. Mellow and refreshing. Low acidity. Would pair well with a watermelon feta salad with some sea salt. December 2021
2018 Caraccioli Cellars Pinot Noir, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 13.3% ABV, $50 (#580*)
Winery Notes: “Deep ruby red. Rich luscious nose. Balanced hints of spice, earth and fruit. Cherry cola, plum, dried cranberry, black pepper, cinnamon and notes of savory chaparral throughout. Big and bold in the mouth. Luxardo, Bing and black cherry cola along with raspberry and fig. Complex soft tannin on the front palate, structured acidity through the lengthy, strong finish.” 95 points, Wine Enthusiast.
My Review: Cherry cola and burnt grape (wire) on the nose. Earthy in the cheeks. Munchy mid-palate with a bitter aftertaste. A “perfect expression of a Central Coast Pinot.” December 2021
Caraccioli Cellars’ Tasting Room is located at 7393 Dolores St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, on Dolores between Ocean and 7th. It is open for indoor tastings daily from 12-6, opening at 11 on the weekends. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended – call 831-622-7722 or email your specifics to Samantha@caracciolicellars.com. You can obtain their wines directly from the winery’s website or at their tasting room.
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