THE STORY
On a whim, we stopped by the I Brand & Family @ibrandwinery tasting room last month to discover their spring releases were available to try! Angie walked us through them all. I like to see what Ian Brand is making, as you never know what surprises might be revealed – a rare varietal or an unusual source. It is wine education in a bottle! Today’s offerings were new vintages of mostly familiar (by now) sources, some still young in the bottle – ones to cellar a bit before opening. Again, I refer to the lost vintage of 2020 reds.
ABOUT I BRAND & FAMILY
I’ve written about I Brand & Family many times in Decanting Monterey. The most recent full post was here: I Brand & Family Presents a Stunning Collection of Petite Sirah! The rest you can easily find by typing I Brand in the search bar on www.decantingmonterey.com.
THE WINES – The 2025 Spring Releases
Today I am presenting 6 wines we tasted in mid-February. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet, their website, or from tasting room staff. This was our last stop of the afternoon. Any errors are mine and mine alone!
2024 La Marea Albariño, Kristy Vineyard, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 12.3% ABV, $25 (#1535)
Winery Notes: “Aromas of white nectarine and honeysuckle abound. Bright acidity leads on the palate framed by a redolence of underripe pineapple and stone fruit, which persist and blend with wet river rock on the finish.”
My Review:Light in the glass. Sweet floral and bubble gum (banana) nose, with a slightly sweet palate, missing some of the acidity and minerality we’ve come to expect. Worthy of a retaste, as this is usually one of our favorite wines year over year. February 2025
2024 Paysan Rosé, Central Coast AVA, 12.9% ABV, $19 (#1536) 72% Mourvèdre, 15% Cinsault, 14% Grenache
Winery Notes: “Initial aromas of watermelon and cantaloupe are inescapable, transitioning to trailside strawberry with a touch of air. Melons and strawberries persist on the palate, and bright red fruits continue into the finish transforming into a pleasing strawberry-basil herbaceous salinity.”
My Review: Pretty light pink in the glass. Magnolia and wet hay on the nose. Good acidity on the bright palate. Young but good. February 2025
2021 La Marea Grenache, Central Coast AVA, 14.4% ABV, $30 (#1537)
Winery Notes: “Black Plum, currants and herbaceous notes like bay laurel abound on the nose framed by subtle hints of graphite. Tree-ripened plum leads on the palate quickly revealing more subtle red fruit characteristics, including Bing cherry and strawberry with thyme. The palate transitions into more river rock and broken stone characteristics and hint toward Tellicherry peppercorn. Violets fill the mid palate and are wrapped neatly in dusty tannins.”
My Review: Bright, translucent ruby in the glass. Tobacco on the nose. Earth and light cherry on palate. Some sediment. February 2025
2023 I Brand & Family Mourvèdre, Graff Family Vineyard, Chalone AVA, Monterey County, 12.5% ABV, $45 (#1538)
Winery Notes: “Telicherry peppercorn and carraway seed lead the bouquet, evolving into spiced black plum notes. The peppery and spiced plum carries over to the palate attack and the exquisitely spicy finish for a light-to-medium-bodied and chillable red. Pronounced yet balanced tannins. Finishes with notes of California garrigue; think sagebrush, manzanita, and mugwort.”
My Review: Almost purple in color. Bing cherry on the nose. Some violet and light cherry notes with a dark finish. A lighter palate than a typical Mourvèdre. February 2025
2022 I Brand & Family Pinot Noir, Flint Vineyard, Cienega Valley AVA, San Benito County, 13.2% ABV, $36 (#1539)
Winery Notes: “The Flint Vineyard is at the base of Mount Harlan, home to Calera, and because the cold air sinks off the mountain onto the property, it buds out late and picks about a month later than Enz and a couple of weeks later than the ‘cool climate’ Santa Lucia Highlands. The Flint Vineyard bears the signature of the special mixed granitic and calcareous soils of the Cienega combined with the darker red fruits and cherry compote character of a cool climate Pinot Noir…
“Berries were tiny in 2022 and the crop was light. Fermented uninocultated on 50% whole cluster with the balance whole berries for two and a half weeks. Aged in used French oak barrels on lees for 20 months. Our 2022 Flint Pinot Noir shows the tension of the vintage quelled by a long rest in barrique.”
My Review: Sweet fruit on the nose. Cherry and chocolate. Very smooth and drinkable. This wine makes me appreciate what Pinot Noir can be. We took some home. February 2025.
2022 I Brand & Family Syrah, Graff Family Vineyard, Chalone AVA, Monterey County, 12.8% ABV, $48 (#1539)
Winery Notes: “Earthy, meaty notes of peppered beef jerky. Graphite and clay transition into a savory mix of fire-roasted tomato confit and guajillo chili, which evolve into dark fruit reminiscent of a spiced blueberry compote ending with cumin and cardamom on the finish.”
My Review: This was our last wine of the day, so the notes are a little skimpy and don’t do service to the wine – will need to try this one again. Cherry flavors on a lean palate. A tad acidic. February 2025
THE TASTING ROOM
The I Brand & Family Tasting Room, located at 19 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Thursday – Monday, 11 am – 5 pm. Reservations are recommended – more information here.
© Decanting Monterey 2025
*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon
Recent Comments