Category: Wine Blog/Reviews

Where the Heck Is Paicines and Why Should You Care?

There I was, happily enjoying getting to know well my Monterey County wines when an interloper started showing up on the labels in “my” tasting rooms – Paicines.  “Where the heck is Paicines?” and “How do you pronounce that?” were my early questions.  First, I saw it on the label of one of Ian Brand’s wines.  Then I saw it in Pessagno and Puma Road tasting rooms in Salinas Valley.  In April 2019, I took a hiking trip to the Pinnacles National Park and we drove through acre after acre of grape vines.  I knew then that something was up – I had to find out.  I challenged myself to create a class of exceptional wines from Paicines.  This wasn’t easy, as there really aren’t that many wineries which call out Paicines specifically on their labels.  But I pulled it off and presented 5 delicious wines to the Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar in the Fall of 2019 – eh…during the Nationals’ final playoff game.  Lesson learned.

Some of the Paicines-designated wines from my wine room.

Paicines AVA – A Prelude

The Paicines AVA is a sub-AVA in San Benito County about 10 miles from Hollister, about an hour south of San Jose and just east of Monterey County.  Today it is rolling vineyards.  What else is there?  It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, so not much.  The quaint town of Paicines, population 204, and the tiny town of Tres Pinos (population 500).  If you blink, you will miss them.  And I learned it is pronounced “Pie-See-Ness.” 

I did a lot of research on Paicines back in 2019.  Much of this information likely came originally from Donati Family Vineyards website, but their website has changed, so I cannot properly source it.  I still give credit to Donati for the information!

Once known as a hideout for bandit Tiburcio Vásquez and later a bulk brand growing region by Almaden and others, Paicines is now being reclaimed – this time as a high-end grape growing region.  The Paicines AVA covers an area inside a valley, separated from Monterey by the Galiban Mountain range, which is home to the Chalone AVA further south. It is about 17 miles north of Pinnacles National Monument and Park and consists of about 4,500 acres of grape-growing area.

Paicines is in the southeastern corner of the map above (courtesy of Geology Cafe link below)

Warm daytime temperatures and afternoon, cooling breezes that comes in off the ocean, across the Salinas Valley, allowing grapes to mature more slowly, resulting in wines of great character, balance and complexity. Elevation ranges from 500-1,200 feet above sea level and it gets about 12-15 inches of rain annually.

Predominantly sandy soils with gravel and limestone provide good drainage, and deep root systems to access the water in the ground. Combined, the dry heat and the abundance of quartz in the soil creates big, bold wines with hints of spice and minerality.

My next few blog posts will be wines specifically from the Paicines AVA, before I move on to Cienega Valley and the greater San Benito County.

There is a cool (albeit somewhat dated) “San Andreas Fault in the Cienega Valley Wine Tour Route in San Benito County, California” article and map by the Geology Café here:  https://geologycafe.com/fieldtrips/cienega_valley.html.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Parsonage: Onward to Monterey County and Beyond!

I first introduced you to Parsonage and its reserve wines here: https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-reserve-wines-my-kind-of-big-reds/ and its non-reserve estate wines here: https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-back-to-the-estate-with-2017-releases/. 

Now we are going to get outside of Parsonage’s sweet spots of Carmel Valley and Arroyo Seco AVAs by presenting wines labeled “Monterey County” – and even “Central Coast”!  This post represents the beginning of our transition outside of Monterey County wines and into San Benito County, specifically to Paicines, which I will describe more in the next blog. 

I have 3 red blends for you today.  Sadly, two of them are already sold out – we will need to wait for the next vintage to be released! 

2017 Parsonage The Aussie Red Wine, 15% ABV, $38 (#15*) 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Syrah

2017 The Aussie was so delicious, I had to go back and buy more.

From the Winemaker: “Our popular, magical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. We like to pair it with rack of lamb or duck. This is a big red wine.”

My Review: Blueberry, blackberry and earthy, with silky-smooth yet full tannins.  An elegantly balanced extended finish.  This wine is my kind of wine – I went back and picked up more!  Now it appears to be sold out.  April 2020

2017 Parsonage Wild Card Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $38 (#85*)

“The Wild Card is a Complexity Bomb.”

From the Winemaker: “This is the tenth iteration of Frank’s wild and crazy idea to make an experimental blend from all of the varietals in our barrels. Forgive my failure to curb my enthusiasm but this 2017 Wild Card red wine is the best one yet!

“Each and every vintage has been fascinating and delicious, but 2017 wins by a landslide. This is the biggest, richest, most fascinating of all of them. As full-bodied as it is, it is still elegantly balanced. The Wild Card is a complexity bomb. Those six components of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Grenache, and Pinot Noir have fused in synergistic harmony to create some serious magic…

“The nose opens with a burst of floral and spice notes, star anise prominent, followed by hints of the full spectrum of red, blue, and black fruit and berries. The mouthfeel is full of texture with fine, ripe, silky tannins. All of the fruit reappears on the palate including red currant, pomegranate, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, and blackberry.

“By patient, vigilant mindfulness I can identify the constituent varietals one by one. Merlot with its foundation of cherry and red currant, Cabernet Sauvignon by its cassis and tannic backbone, Syrah from its savory hint of umami, Petit Verdot with its blueberry and drier finishing tannins, Grenache for its floral and spice notes, and finally, Pinot Noir for its bing cherry, cola and subtle Earl Grey black tea notes.”

My Review:  We tasted this wine along with all of the current releases back in June. We found this mélange of both Rhône and Bordeaux varietals to be refreshing.  With so many different grapes and flavors, we, however, couldn’t align it to distinct flavors as well as Parsonage could.  I was able to re-taste this wine with a friend in October.  Ruby in color, raspberry and currant on the nose, cherry and currant on the palate with a nice, lingering finish.  My friend enjoyed it so much she took two bottles home!

2017 Parsonage The BDL, Central Coast, 15% ABV, $42 (#173*)

The BDL sold out quickly – by fans who remembered its predecessor!

Winemaker’s Notes: “BDL is shorthand for Bordelais, a wildly popular (but illegally named) wine we produced years ago. This exquisite Bordeaux blend is 52 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 percent Merlot, and 8 percent each Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cab Franc. It has all the bells and whistles Bordeaux lovers expect from an elegantly balanced and much more expensive bottle that crosses the Atlantic to get here.” (This wine has some juice from Paicines AVA – I’m guessing the Malbec.) This wine sold out very quickly.

My Review: Very dense dark red in color.  Bodacious dark nose – sweet dark cherry and caramel.  Rich dark fruit on the palate, with some sweeter bright cherry fruit on the finish, bordering on a port-like finish.  Slightly vegetal with a little leather.  August 2020

You can obtain the Wild Card and other Parsonage wines directly from the winery here and pick them up at the tasting room or have them shipped to you.  Join their wine club for 20% off.  You can also visit their tasting room by appointment only in Carmel Valley Village (“the village”) Monday-Friday 12-5  and weekends 11-5. Make a reservation in advance here.

The Parsonage wine tasting parklet is spacious and the staff, very attentive to CDC protocols.

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Integrity: “honest, real, and one of a kind” wines “made for people by people”

Back in June, my DC wine friends decided the theme for our weekly class would be rosé – a perfect wine for a warm end-of-Spring day.  I dropped into Bottles N’ Bins in Monterey and asked what they had from local wineries.  I found a well-known wine on the shelves right away, but I wanted to explore something different.  The clerk wasn’t sure, so he made a call – we found 3 more options in their refrigerator, ready to drink.  I lined them all up, looked at their colors and selected the darkest one. I didn’t know about “orange wines” when I selected this wine – turns out that was what I had.

From Cal Wine Jaunt:  “Integrity Wines offers flights of wine on Aviation Way (Watsonville, CA). The Integrity tasting room and production site is just steps from the Watsonville airport. Owner, Mark Hoover, recently opened the doors to his “urban winery.” Mark prefers to travel around and choose the grapes that he likes for his wines. He decided to skip the land and vineyards, source the grapes he wants, and focus on producing wines. It always helps to know your own goals and strengths. And Mark knows he would rather make wine than grow wine…

“Mark has been making wine since the ’80s with 2018 marking his third year of production. For some time his friends kept encouraging him and his talent for making wines…To his credit, Mark’s wines are holding their own. His 2016 Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay won a Silver Metal in the Monterey National Wine Competition. Sip Integrity wines made with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands, Sonoma, Napa, and of course, local Bay Area vineyards. Integrity wines are made for people, by people.

“When pouring a bottle, you’ll notice the thumbprint logo was placed directly where one grabs the bottle. I think of the thumbprint as a nod towards the tech industry, one’s unique identity and authenticity. For my tasting friend, the thumbprint brought to mind being honest, real, and one of a kind. The thumbprint evokes images and meaning to each of us. But in the end, what we put our hand to is very significant. Mark Hoover has put his hand to making wines.”

2017 Integrity Rosé, Monterey County, 13.4% ABV, $16 (#82*) 90% Pinot Gris (Monterey County) 10% Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)

This rosé is really more of an orange wine than a classic rosé.

Winemaker’s Notes: 2017 Rosé of Pinots Monterey County. 90% Pinot Grigio (Monterey County) and 10% Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains.) On the nose: strawberry, chalk, and graham cracker. On the palate: soft watermelon. Serve with fresh feta, mint, and watermelon, along with grilled chicken skewers. https://www.calwinejaunt.com/sip-and-tell-blog/integrity-wines-watsonville-wine-flights-plane-flights )

My Review: A bold pink, almost orange in color from the Pinot Gris, which naturally has an orange hue.  Powerful floral nose of honeysuckle and lemongrass.  Refreshing, bold palate with bright acidity and a lingering finish.  This wine did not disappoint.

You can obtain this wine directly from the winery or locally at Bottles N’ Bins Liquors on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.  I have not checked their inventory lately.

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Windy Oaks Estate: “premium wines grown in unique terroirs…”

We discovered Windy Oaks when they opened a tasting room in Carmel Valley (yes, you’ve heard this before).  The winery is located in Corralitos in the Santa Cruz Mountains, overlooking the Monterey Bay.  While most of their wines are from their 30-acres of vineyards, where they produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah, they also source grapes from Monterey County.  We found them interesting for what they have done with clones, making even a non-Pinot Noir lover stop to enjoy their wines.  But I digress.

From Windy Oaks: “Windy Oaks was founded in 1996 by Jim and Judy Schultze, when they returned to California after living overseas for 7 years in Australia and Europe. On a windy ridge in Corralitos, overlooking Monterey Bay, they planted their first three acres and produced their first vintage of Pinot Noir in 1999. Today, they farm almost 30 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah.”

Windy Oaks was named “Winery of the Year 2018 by Rusty Gaffney, PinotFile, one of the most knowledgeable wine writers in the industry.”

Windy Oaks 2015 Night Owl Red GSM, Monterey County, 13.8% ABV, $28? (#8*)

The 2015 Night Owl Red has all the fruit and complexity expected of a GSM.

Today’s wine, the 2015 Night Owl Red, is a Rhône blend – a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre (GSM) blended from 3 different Monterey County AVAs:  Arroyo Seco, Chalone, and Santa Lucia Highlands.  We would expect a GSM to be a bold wine, a bit leathery with dark fruits. 

My Review: A beautiful ruby red in color, this wine has bright fruit notes on the nose and palate, with a darker fruit finish and a bit of that bitterness or leather one might expect.  I found the brighter fruits made it very drinkable and enjoyable, while the finish would stand up to a good meal and leave you wanting more.  I don’t have notes on the exact blend for this wine, but I would expect it to be 40-45% Grenache, 25-30% Syrah, and 30% Mourvèdre.  There is not much publicly available information on this vintage; 2016 is the current release. 

Windy Oaks Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village!

All of Windy Oaks tasting rooms are open:  at the winery, in Carmel-By-The-Sea, and in Carmel Valley Village.  Check here for the details: http://www.windyoaksestate.com/.  Please call 831-724-9562 for reservations and other pertinent info.

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

P’tit Paysan Delights Guests with its 2019 Sauvignon Blanc!

Warm Labor Day weekend called for opening a white wine none of us had yet tried.  One of the things I admire about I. Brand wines is his reach in sourcing his grapes.  In the case of this wine, he chose a vineyard that is one of my very favorites from the Arroyo Seco AVA. 

I have presented Ian Brand’s wines to you in a couple of posts:  P’tit Paysan and La Marea lines here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/ian-brand-discovering-great-vineyards-at-the-edge-of-sensible-farming/  and I. Brand & Family here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/i-brand-family-what-we-do-is-simple-without-artifice-and-we-enjoy-it/.

Today I am bringing you one of their wines from the Arroyo Seco AVA, an AVA I previously introduced you to here: https://decantingmonterey.com/pierce-ranch-eclectic-varietals-from-the-san-antonio-ava/.

2019 P’tit Paysan Sauvignon Blanc Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 12.9% ABV, $22 (#165*) 

The 2019 Le P’tit Paysan Sauvignon Blanc

About the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc: “Certified Organic. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Zabala Vineyards is located on a large holding on the Arroyo Seco floodplains that was part of land granted to the Zabala family before California’s statehood. It was first planted in the 1970s and has grown to encompass over 1000 acres. Zabala Vineyards is one of the rockiest vineyards Ian Brand works with, full of what is locally known as ‘Greenfield Potatoes’, which are the rather inedible round river stones that dominate the soil and have been collected into piles and walls at every property in the basin. This vineyard is located directly in the path of the daily Salinas Valley winds, which control sugar development and retain natural acidity. Picked around 22.5 brix with bright acidity. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in 1/3 stainless, 2/3 neutral barrel for 7 months. Arrested malic. 120 cases produced.”

My Review: Bright yellow – pretty golden color.  Grassy and citrus on the nose.  All that plus a touch of pineapple on the palate.  Delicious. September 2020

I Brand is open for outside porch tastings by reservation only – email them at HELLO@IBRANDWINERY.COM to order wines or reserve a tasting. 

The I. Brand Tasting Room is open by appointment!

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Chesebro Coferments Syrah and Viognier to Create La Mariposa!

I introduced you to Chesebro wines here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/chesebro-artisan-wines-lovingly-farmed-and-made-by-hand/.  When I saw they had a Syrah and other wines on sale last month, I snapped  up a few to try.  I was not familiar with the La Mariposa Syrah and knew nothing about Côte-Rôtie wines.  Time for a little research!

About Côte-Rôtie Wines (from Wikipedia*):

“Côte-Rôtie is a French wine Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The vineyards are located just south of Vienne in the communes of Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône, Ampuis, and Tupin-et-Semons.[1] The vineyards are unique because of the steep slopes facing the river and their stone walls. Côte-Rôtie can be rendered in English as “the roasted slope” and refers to the long hours of sunlight that these steep slopes receive.[2]

“The wines are red, made with Syrah grapes and up to 20% Viognier, a white grape used for its aroma. According to appellation rules, Syrah and Viognier must be fermented at the same time, a process known as cofermentation. Because of this combination, Côte-Rôtie wine typically exhibits an almost paradoxical pairing of meat aromas (including bacon) and floral aromas. [2]”

Chesebro 2014 La Mariposa, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 12.4% ABV, $30 ($22.50 sale price) (#163**)

Chesebro La Mariposa: A Côte-Rôtie- inspired wine.

Winemaker’s Notes: “This cofermented blend of Syrah (95%) and Viognier (5%) is inspired by the dense but vibrant wines of Cote Rotie in the northern Rhone Valley. The tannic structure of the cool climate Syrah is focused by the Viognier which also elevates the aromatics. Profound aromatics, deep color and a long finish. Not for the faint at heart but still elegant. Only 79 cases produced.”  grapelive rated this wine 91 points.

My Review: Beautiful dense ruby red in color.  Robust dark fruit on the nose.  Big palate, more like an Old World Côtes du Rhône, meaty and tobacco. Surprisingly low alcohol, yet slightly port-like.  The cofermenttion with the Viogner differentiates it from most Monterey County Syrahs.  September 2020

Chesebro’s Tasting room in Carmel Valley Village is now open by appointment!

Buying Chesebro Wines: This wine, normally $30,  is currently on sale for $22.50 at the Winemaker’s Notes link above in very limited quantities.  Updated information on its tasting room hours and reservation link is here.  They are open Thursday through Sunday from noon until 6:00 PM by reservation. Chesebro has curbside pickup and has always been great about shipping wines to the East Coast for me. 

*Primary sources used by Wikipedia for this excerpt:  1. Inter Rhône: Côte-Rôtie Retrieved 19 January 2010 2. E. McCarthy & M. Ewing-Mulligan “French Wine for Dummies” pg 127-128 Wiley Publishing 2001 ISBN 0-7645-5354-2

**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.

Mercy: A “Front Porch-worthy” Chardonnay

It’s rarely warm enough to sit out on our front porch, yet we have experienced many enjoyable afternoons in 2020 to do so.  I was pleased to come home one September day to the sight of my husband and our dogs, enjoying one of those warm, sunny afternoons.  He was drinking a golden glass of wine.  I fetched one immediately.  Ahhh! I love to come home to Mercy Chardonnay on the front porch, followed by Mercy Syrah after dinner. A perfect day. 

We last brought you Mercy Wines in August in this blog post:  https://decantingmonterey.com/have-mercy-amazing-wines-from-the-arroyo-seco-ancient-river-channel/.  You already know how sad I am that this winery closed its doors.

We truly miss being able to stop at Mercy’s tasting room in Carmel Valley Village.

One of the last purchases we made was this 2015 Mercy Chardonnay Riverbed from the Arroyo Seco AVA.  We wish we had purchased more!  It is also sad that their webpage has been taken down – it was loaded with a wealth of historical wine tech sheets.  I will need to rely on information on the label!

2017 Mercy Chardonnay Riverbed, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.1 ABV, $28 (161*)

A full-bodied Chardonnay on a warm September afternoon.

From the Label: “In the cool, maritime-influenced Arroyo Seco AVA lies a small portion of terrain encompassing an ancient, dry riverbed.  The Mercy “Riverbed” Chardonnay is the composition of contiguous vineyards in this area, all of which share shallow, rocky topsoils over hardpan subsoil.  Aged in French oak, orchard and tropical fruit aromas, as well as vanilla, spice and mineral notes exude from the glass.”

My Review: Golden in color, with a floral nose, like gardenia.  A little buttery, creamy, this is a rich Chardonnay. Honey, floral and a little sweet. We really enjoyed this wine and, as I indicated above, wished we had purchased more of it.  September 2020

*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.

Parsonage: Back to the Estate with 2017 Releases!

While Parsonage ingeniously sourced fruit from elsewhere in the aftermath of the 2016 Soberanes Fire, we are glad their 2017 vintages are being released! We tasted these wines at a soft-opening test of their COVID-19 social-distancing procedures back in June 2020. 

Parsonage learned a lot from our dry run of their pandemic tasting procedures. Heh.

Parsonage was the winery that showed us Carmel Valley could make the kinds of big reds I love and is the reason I am a Syrah fan these days.  In addition to the big Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines and blends, Parsonage makes some delicious, big Pinot Noirs – their Estate Pinot Noir (below) and their reserve “Hawk” Pinot Noir (reviewed here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-reserve-wines-my-kind-of-big-reds/).

2017 Parsonage Estate Pinot Noir, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $42 (#77*)

The Parsonage Estate Pinot Noir – their lightest red – is still a BIG wine!

Winemaker’s Notes: “While this is the lightest red we make, it’s still bigger than your average Pinot Noir. An easy drinker, this wine does not need to be paired with food. But we like it with roast chicken, salmon or even some cheese and crackers. We get ripe cranberry and a hint of Earl Grey tea. Mouth-watering acidity and elegance on the luscious vibrant finish.” This wine spent ~8 months in neutral oak. 

My Review: I’m not a big Pinot Noir fan, yet I really enjoy the richer style of Parsonage’s Pinots. Less complex than the “Hawk,” this is a wonderful, enjoyable wine – smooth and delicious fruit on the bouquet and palate, with a little lingering bitterness.  June 2020

2017 Parsonage Estate Syrah, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $42 (#87*)

So happy to have the estate wines back – the 2017 Syrah!

Winemaker’s Notes:  “Big and rich is a great way to describe our 2017 Estate Syrah. Perfect balance and fully ripened tannins allow for a big, beautiful finish without dissonance. The bouquet is a swirl of toasted French oak vanillins that perform an olfactory fakeout with the very ripe Syrah skins that together say caramel mocha. Right behind that is a ripe black raspberry/black currant fusion. All of these aromatics manifest on the palate creating a melange of bittersweet chocolate caramel accented with sea salt (derived from the umami flavor of Parsonage terroir).”

My Review: Deep purple in color.  Black cherry on the nose. Palate bursting with black fruit, spice and bay leaves. June 2020

You can obtain these wines directly from Parsonage here and pick them up at the tasting room onr have them shipped to you.  Join their wine club for 20% off.  You can also visit their tasting room by appointment only in Carmel Valley Village (“the village”) Monday-Friday 12-5  and weekends 11-5. Make a reservation in advance here.

Estate Vines at Parsonage.

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Bernardus: Creating “wines that flatter the palate and stimulate the imagination”

Bernardus has one of the nicest tasting rooms in the valley – we would always stop in to taste their wines and see what was on sale.  They kept telling us we should join their club, but we are very specific in the wines we like to buy.  One day, I realized they had a “Marinus only” club and we joined immediately.  In addition to lovely allocations of Marinus wines, we have reaped many benefits from private tastings to winemaker dinners since we joined.  I exposed you to their wines back in July: Bernardus 2010 Marinus and Parrot Ranch 2005.  Let’s dig a little deeper into the Marinus wines, among the very finest wine from Carmel Valley.

We love being members of the Bernardus Marinus-Only Club!

About Bernardus Vineyards & Winery: “The focus of Bernardus is to create wines that flatter the palate and stimulate the imagination. Founder Ben Pon appreciated wine as an art – a form of art that transcends the ordinary. His dream with Bernardus was to make a red wine equal to the finest from Bordeaux.” 

From Bernardus: “Carmel Valley is surrounded by the ridges of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Cachagua Valley is a sun-trap, a “bowl” in a high elevation that is shielded from the coastal fog and ideal for growing Bordeaux-style grapes. The daily temperatures vary from over 100° F. during the day to 50° F. during the night…Marinus vineyard soils are varied. They range from clay loam to sandy loam…Each vintage of Marinus represents the artistic interpretation of the vineyard cultivation along with the flavor elaboration in the winemaking process. A blend of Bordeaux varitetais, Marinus is the signature Bernardus wine from the Carmel Valley estate vineyard…”

2011 Bernardus Marinus, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.1% ABV, $75 (#156*)  Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 23%, Petit Verdot 7%, Cabernet Franc 5%

The 2011 Bernardus Marinus is a Cabernet-Sauvignon-driven Bordeaux blend.

Winemaker Notes: “The robe of our 2011 Marinus is a very deeply-colored ruby-red. The aromas express beautiful red fruits accented by classic notes of cedar and spices. The delicious flavors are very dense and full, with spicy black cherry and ripe plum flavors. The finish is very well structured, promising a long life for this superb bottle, similar to a fine Bordeaux.”

Wine Enthusiast Review: “Black and white pepper, boysenberries and roasting pork notes show on the fresh and vibrant nose of this blend of the five red Bordeaux varietals. Light and lively on the palate, it offers lots of boysenberry energy, with more pepper, thyme, cardamom and tea elements. It’s a refreshing change of pace from a cool vintage.” 90 points. Matt Kettmann, April 2016

My Review: Dense, dark red, garnet in color.  Black fruits on the nose with deep blackberry and leather. A mouthful of dark, dense fruit.  Leather, pepper and licorice on the finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wine is best enjoyed decanted.    August 2020

2013 Bernardus Marinus, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.5% ABV, $75 (#157*) Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 30%, Petit Verdot 25%, Cabernet Franc 2%:

The 2013 Marinus is a rich, smooth, and complex blend of deliciousness!

Winemaker Notes: “The robe of our 2013 Marinus is a very deep crimson. On the nose we find dried cranberry aromas accented by subtle spice notes. The palate is intensely flavored with impressions of bright red cherry and plum. The finish shows excellent tannic structure promising a long life for this vintage of Marinus, much like that of a fine Bordeaux.”

My Review: Inky deep, dense garnet in color, this wine has a bouquet of blackberry, plum and cedar. It is rich, smooth and complex in cherry and cassis flavors, with balanced tannins revealing licorice and a touch of leather on the finish.  This wine is so delicious, I forgot to stop to taste it and simply began to enjoy it. One of the best wines we have opened lately – and perhaps my favorite Marinus vintage to date (don’t tell 2010!). September 2020

Ooh, ooh – Bernardus is reopening its Tasting Room for outdoor tastings for Wine Club Members only beginning October 8th!  By appointment only – read more HERE.

We’ve missed being able to drop in here to see what they are pouring and what’s on sale!

*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.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Decant Those Rombi Wines: Release Your Full Cachaguan Experience!

Rombi: Distinctive wines demand distinctive labels!

We’ve been trying to get our new friends and COVID wine buddies out to Rombi to taste his incredibly huge and complex Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines.  And to have that special experience which Sal Rombi provides everyone who comes in to taste his wines.  Not only is Sal an expert in winemaking, but also in hospitality.  While we haven’t been able to meet up there, we did take our friends a bottle of the 2014 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, which we were able to compare side by side with a Napa Cab!  Rombi did not disappoint!

In October, my wine class decided to pay homage to the California wineries besieged by fire and smoke damage. I chose the 2016 Rombi Merlot, as that is a full representation of how the Soberanes Fire affected the Carmel Valley wines. My hat is off to those vintners brave enough to bottle their wines from that vintage – Sal is among the very few.

Damage from the 2020 Carmel Fire provided by Kathy Baker of Rombi Wine.

I wrote about Rombi Wine, reviewed earlier vintages, and a bit about Cachagua in this post: Rombi: Bold, Distinctive Fruit Wrapped in Elegance.  His home, winery and estate vineyard, The Carmel Valley Vineyard, are in the heart of Cachagua, where the Carmel Fire recently inflicted damage to so many of our favorite wineries and vineyards.  I had the chance to drive way out to Cachagua in late September:  a narrow, winding road with lots of blind curves, scorched by the fire.  The damage incurred is the kind no one wants to experience.  From what I have heard, most of the wineries out there are “OK.”  I’ll leave it at OK.  Let’s not talk about the 2020 crop. 

There was almost a 40-degree difference in temperature from way out there and my little coastal town. The Carmel Valley’s terrain and climate is ideal for creating rich, full bodied wines; the Bordeaux varietals are favorites here, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot comprising more than 70% of the grapes grown in the district.  Much of those grapes are grown in Cachagua.   

2014 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (153*)**

This was his 8th year of production.  His fruit from this vineyard is so flavorful, creating wines with up-front berry and cherry flavors. Rombi’s wines are very big and complex – highly recommend decanting to get the full fruit flavors. 

The Rombi 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon stood up to a Napa Cab, in our August tasting.

My Review: Purple in color, chives/wild garlic and raspberry on the nose. Nice legs. Fruit-forward and full-bodied, brimming with delicious brighter fresh fruit. Sour cherries on first sip. Ripe cherry on the palate, with a hint of mint. And a smooth, pleasant lingering cherry and chocolate finish. Good, my Napa Cab fan says. We went back and forth between this wine and one of his favorite Napa cabs – we liked them equally, yet they were so different in flavors.  I’m a huge fan of the Carmel Valley Vineyard’s fruit and think I like this one second best of all his vintages so far (2015 is slightly my favorite with even more jammy, up-front fruit).  August 2020

2016 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (154*)**

The Rombi 2016 Merlot has intense fruit flavors enveloped in smoke from the Soberanes Fire.

My better half remembers discussing this vintage – Rombi’s 10th vintage of Merlot – with Sal in the tasting room. They discussed how this would have been his best Merlot yet had it not been for the smoke. As I mentioned in this post https://decantingmonterey.com/where-theres-fire-theres-more-than-smoke-taint/, wines produced from a vintage of fire and smoke can be appreciated in the context of what they are.

There is a good review of this wine here on Vivino.com which highlights this is a big, meaty Merlot. Not sure I am allowed to reproduce it here.

My Review: Thick, dense garnet in the glass. Intense berry and deep smokey plum on the nose.  A huge wine of intense dark cherry and cassis enveloped in smoke on the palate and finish.  Imagine you are grilling ribs over wood chips, inhaling the smoke from the grill while enjoying a glass of a big Merlot. We decanted this wine, as one always should with a Rombi wine.

The lineup at Rombi’s tasting room.

You can learn more about and purchase his wines online at Rombi Wines.  You can also contact Kathy and Sal at kathy@rombiwines.com  or sal@rombiwines.com for more information about buying wine.  In the aftermath of the Carmel Fire, the tasting room remains closed. 

*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 have a standing offer from Sal Rombi to replenish my cellar with any of his wines I review. That’s not why I review his wines. I’ve only “cashed in” that offer once…so far.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

SIGN UP HERE TO GET Decanting Monterey DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL!!

Don't miss a single exciting post about our Central Coast/Monterey wines! Enter your email address below for a free subscription to Decanting Monterey. Be sure to open the confirmation email and validate your subscription! See you soon!!

Verified by MonsterInsights