Back in the day, when I had just begun presenting wine classes to my DC group, before I was established as a wine educator, before Decanting Monterey was even something I aspired to, I occasionally had to join a wine club to get a discount. And that was the case with Donati Family Vineyard. It was also a great way for me to get a deeper exposure to their wines, especially their reserves, which I am particularly fond of to this day. I still have a few bottles left, including this 2014 Ezio Cabernet Sauvignon. If I can ever get down to Paso Robles, I definitely will plan to stop there again.
I previously introduced you to Donati here: https://decantingmonterey.com/donati-family-vineyard-good-grapes-make-great-wine/ and presented their 2015 The Immigrant here: https://decantingmonterey.com/2021-wrap-up-1-from-contra-costa-to-santa-maria/. And I am obsessed with the Paicines AVA in San Benito County. Check out these posts here: https://decantingmonterey.com/where-the-heck-is-paicines-and-why-should-you-care/.
2014 Donati Ezio Cabernet Sauvignon, Paicines, 14.4% ABV, $35 (639*)
The Ezio is considered their “flagship wine, named after Ezio Donati, the first born Donati in the New World.” https://www.donatifamilyvineyard.com/
From the Label: “The Paicines AVA is located 27 miles inland from Monterey, California and is part of the greater Central Coast AVA. The warm daytime temperatures and cool evening breezes allow our grapes to mature slowly, thereby developing wines of great character, balance and complexity. Our mission is to provide our customers with wines that complement any occasion from formal to informal, with consistent quality that you can trust. Please enjoy with Family and Friends.”
Wine Enthusiast – 88 points: “Dense soil aromas, leather, olive, charred beef, roasted wood and crushed asphalt make for a very dry and savory nose on this bottling. There’s a tarry character to the palate that shadows the black fruit, allowing the black olive and black pepper to take the lead.” Matt Kettmann, April 2018
My Review: Beautiful ruby in the glass. Intense dark berries on the nose. Intense dark berry flavors continue up front and on the finish. December 2021
You can buy their wines on their website or visit their tasting room in Templeton open daily – find out more and make a reservation here.
*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 2023
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