THE STORY
Last August, I had the chance to meet Miguel Lepe of Lepe Cellars and his assistant Thyra Roth at the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association Trade and Media Tasting in Carmel-by-the-Sea. There, I asked him if he would be interested in hosting the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society for one of their First Friday events – and he said yes! We finally held that event in early December and it became our chapter’s holiday party at his tasting room inside the Winfield Art Gallery. He was a gracious host, educating our group on his wines and sharing about his winemaking journey.
I previously presented Lepe Cellars Wines in 2 posts: And Now: The Final Post on the Monterey Wines Trade and Media Event!and Lepe Cellars: A New Face on the Carmel-by-the-Sea Wine Circuit!
ABOUT LEPE CELLARS (from their website)
About the winemaker
“Miguel Lepe studied enology and viticulture at California Polytechnic State University – SLO. He began his career working for various well respected wineries across California’s Central Coast and South America. Passionate about his craft, Miguel’s hard work and dedication has led him on a new journey – creating Lepe Cellars to showcase the best of Monterey County wines.”
Our Mission
“We take great pride in blending the best of Old World and New World techniques, enabling the wine to develop naturally over time and allowing the journey to be kept as pure as possible, highlighting the regions true terroir.”
THE WINES
I have 7 Lepe Cellars wines to present to you today representing 5 distinct AVAs within Monterey County! You can read more about Monterey’s AVAs here. Winery notes come from their website unless otherwise noted. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2021 Lepe Cellars Chardonnay, River Ranch Vineyards, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 13.3% ABV, $38 (#1234)
Winery Notes: “Citrus and white flower aromas lead into a bright profile with green apples, lemon, and honeysuckle with a touch of minerality on the palate.”
My Review: Pineapple and butter notes on the nose. Crisp and flavorful on the palate with a slightly acidic finish. I took one home. December 2023
2022 Lepe Cellars Sangiovese Rose, Merit Vineyards, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, 12.5% ABV, $30 (#1109)
Winery Notes: “This bright, stone fruit focused dry Rosé starts out with a burst of peach and apricot leading into hints of tangerine. Pairs well with seared salmon, lobster and tuna tartare.”
My Review: A light, pretty pink hue in the glass. Caramel and fruit notes on the nose. Really delicious palate of peach – great balance of sweet and dry. I’d enjoy this in the microclimate. December 2023
2022 Lepe Cellars Pinot Noir, San Saba Vineyard, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 13.7% ABV , $40 (#1236)
Winery Notes: (Description of the 2021 vintage) “Fresh and soft in style, unleashing notes of cherries and raspberries on the palate with hints of hibiscus and rose petals on the nose.”
My Review Powered by Terravenos: Cherry on the nose. Smooth, young. In a year, it will be glorious. Perfumed with cherry, berry and savory notes – very good with the white cheddar. December 2023
2021 Lepe Cellars Pinot Noir, McIntyre Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $55 (#1237)
Winery Notes: “Bright and lush in style, unleashing fresh juicy cherries and raspberries with hints of hibiscus on the finish. Light to medium body spectrum achieving a fresh fruit forward profile.”
My Review: This Pinot Noir comes from one of my favorite vineyards for Pinot in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This was a much richer, darker wine with more tobacco and tannin on the palate and finish – a very different wine from the first Pinot Noir. December 2023.
2021 Lepe Cellars Zinfandel, Wellong Vineyards, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, 13% ABV, $42 (#1238)
Winery Notes: “This single-vineyard expression from southern Monterey County begins with a floral hit on the nose before diving into cherry-compote and crushed rock aromas. There is red-plum on the palate with hibiscus and cinnamon tones, finishing with a spicy kick of white pepper.”
My Review: Smokey caramel on the nose. Rich dark berries, a little sweet on the palate. This is one of the best examples of Zinfandel in Monterey County. December 2023
2021 Lepe Cellars Syrah, Zabala Vineyards, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $55 (#1239)
Winery Notes: “Intriguing aromas of fresh blueberry and violets with hints of dark plum, black pepper and milk chocolate on the palate tied together with soft lush tannins.”
My Review: Very dark in the glass. A warm nose with black berries. Rich palate of dark fruit. Tastes more high alcohol than it is. I’d like to put this up against a Halter Ranch. I’m always on the hunt for a Syrah made from Zabala Vineyards fruit. I like this wine and took one home. December 2023
2020 Lepe Cellars Petit Verdot, Merit Vineyards, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.4% ABV, $49 (#1110)
Winery Notes: “Elegant aromas of wild strawberry, savory soy and light licorice show on the nose of this pure varietal. Dark plum and cherries show on the first sip, with a bit of earthy forest floor woven with pepper, oak and tannin creating a velvety, rich texture.”
My Review: I’ve had this wine before and described it like this: “Plummy and jammy on the nose. Tobacco and dark fruits on the palate. Very nice.” But today, my palate said it was smokey, baby. This is a 2020 wine, after all. I’ll need to try it again. December 2023
THE TASTING ROOM
The Lepe Cellars tasting room is open daily from 12-7 p.m. inside the Winfield Art Gallery on Doloresbetween Ocean & 7th, Carmel-By-The-Sea.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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