Many wineries source grapes from other vineyards and regions. Some don’t even have their own vineyards and produce amazing wines through innovative sourcing. Parsonage grows Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot on its 7-acre estate vineyard. So where does this Carmel Valley winery get its other varietals – or grapes to supplement in the 2016 Soberanes Fire vintage? From Chesebro’s Cedar Lane Vineyard in Arroyo Seco – a great alternative!
From Parsonage Wine: “Parsonage is a boutique, family-run vineyard and winery located in the heart of Carmel Valley. We produce big, bold, red wines at a small scale. We named our wine Parsonage because the Parsonage is where the Parson and his family live. We’d love to meet you on your next Carmel Valley wine tasting and are open Thursdays through Mondays by appointment.”
I’m presenting three wines which Parsonage sources from the Arroyo Seco AVA: the 2018 Grenache Rosé, the 2016 Grenache-Syrah, and their 2016 Cyrano Red Wine. We tasted these wines with friends as we helped Parsonage test out their reopening operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parsonage says they learned a lot from our trial run. 😊
2018 Parsonage Grenache Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $29
From Parsonage Wine: “A perennial warm weather favorite. And a surprise to everyone who thinks they don’t like Rosé! Made with Grenache grapes. Refreshing and dry. We get raspberry and strawberry with back notes of spice and stone fruit. These elements play out on the palate with a delightful fullness and a crisp finish.”
My Review: The grapes for this wine comes from Mark Chesebro’s Cedar Lane vineyard in Arroyo Seco. Very light in color, almost golden. Peach and apricot – a very light and refreshing Rosé. June 2020
2016 Grenache-Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $34. 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
The Parsonage Grenache-Syrah has frequently been a favorite. The Parsonage Village Vineyard is quite small yet powerful. They grow no Grenache and, with the Soberanes fire in the summer of 2016, their Syrah also needed to be sourced from another AVA. Fortunately for us, their long-standing relationship with Mark Chesebro’s Cedar Lane Vineyard in Arroyo Seco provided them the capability to produce this vintage from a year that was extremely hard for Carmel Valley wineries. This wine is on their Premium Tasting list – a big wine to start with right off the bat.
This is a classic Southern Rhone wine from Parsonage Wines: “This easy drinker pairs nicely with cheese & crackers. We joke that we should re-name it the “universal donor” even though that isn’t the perfect analogy. But you get the gist of it – this wine seems to be universally loved, no matter what your favorite varietal is. 70 percent Grenache and 30 percent Syrah. Fully dry. Medium-bodied but rich. Notes of black, red and blue fruit with a hint of spice on the finish..”
My Review: Dark fruit and a bit of alcohol on the nose. Black tea, chai, white pepper and cinnamon on the palate. A bit brash, but we liked it. For a medium-bodied wine, it is a big one. Must be that 15% alcohol on top of the fruit. I re-tasted this wine in August and detected no brashness right out of the bottle – it was just a yummy wine. I need to get more of this vintage, if possible!! June 2020 and August 2020
2016 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Arroyo Seco, 15% ABV, $26. 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah
Another Parsonage – this time an everyday wine and a favorite. For a long time, this wine was called “Snosrap” (Parsons spelled backwards). The label was a beautiful Mary Ellen Parsons quilt of Cyrano smelling a glass of wine. A marketing expert suggested they simply call this red blend “Cyrano.” Thus, the current naming of this wine.
From Parsonage Wine: “Our versatile red table wine easily pairs with a variety of different foods. We think it goes especially well with pizza and spaghetti with red sauce. This vintage is full bodied. A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Syrah. Rich, ripe and voluptous. The Cyrano is one of our best sellers.”
My Review: Slight brownish tint, inky and “Camembert” on the nose. The palate is smooth with bold, intense fruit, with herbal notes. This vintage is particularly delicious. Recommending snapping up some – great wine at a value price.
Once we are on the other side of this fire emergency, you can obtain these wines directly from the winery: They offer flat rate ground shipping for $14.99. Join their wine club for 20% off. You can also visit their tasting room by appointment only in Carmel Valley Village (“the village”) Thursdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. You can make a reservation from their home page: Parsonage Wine.
© Decanting Monterey 2020
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