THE STORY
When we heard the shocking news that Pierce Ranch Vineyards was closing their tasting room, we immediately made a plan to stop by for one last taste and to pick up our shipment. Things were chaotic on that day, as many members were doing the same thing. Supply was low and, as we tasted wines and identified what we wanted to buy, the bottles were being bought up by others. To me, it was a kind of a sad way to experience those wines perhaps for the last time.
We understand that Pierce Ranch Vineyards is going to focus on their vineyards and selling their grapes vs. making wine themselves. There is still wine in the barrels, so I expect some new vintages to appear, probably to be sold on their website.
ABOUT PIERCE RANCH VINEYARDS
“Small-batch, low intervention, estate-grown wines from lower Monterey County’s San Antonio Valley AVA”
“The story behind Pierce Ranch Vineyards is a love story of wine shared amongst friends and our beloved community. It starts in the iconic vineyards of southern Monterey County’s San Antonio Valley appellation in the year 2000. There is a depth to the terrain that exposes the remarkable quality of the region. A small, family-owned affair, we bring a sentimental spirit to viniculture, to honoring the land, and to cultivating and harvesting the grapes in the late summer and fall. The romanticism of crush and the sweeping vineyards flows into our cozy tasting room. What began as a cottage house built in 1915 has become a space where our community meets in the magical garden and rustic indoor setting to taste the ambrosial wine with a unique focus on Portuguese and Spanish varieties. It’s a love story that never ends, poetry in a bottle that starts with respect of the land and the community by never using herbicides and only using native yeasts with minimal intervention. It is a dedication to the vines and attention to the grapes so they continue to thrive with the years.”
THE WINES
I have 7 wines to present to you today. Because of the chaos in the tasting room, my notes are skimpier than usual. Winery notes come from their website or their bottle labels, unless otherwise noted.
2018 Pierce Ranch Grenache, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $30 (#1217)
Winery Notes: From the label: “Our 2018 Grenache, the first varietal bottling for us in quite a while, was grown in the granite and shale soils of an upper section of our Western Addition Vineyard. A delicious and nuanced take on the variety, it was fermented in a single small lot using only native yeasts and was then aged in primarily neutral oak for fourteen months. Only 90 cases were produced.”
“Varietal bottling with its characteristic medium-bodied red fruit and focused earthiness.”
My Review: Cranberry in the glass. Red plum on the nose. Smooth, slightly sweet, light cherry palate. November 2023
NV Pierce Ranch Tourbillon, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $18 (#1218) Grenache, Graciano, etc.
Winery Notes: “Late in the summer in the San Antonio Valley, about midway through the grape harvest, it’s not uncommon to see pale grey dust devils gather themselves and then quickly tower up over the fields and pastureland like slender pillars of cloud. Something like the local geniuses of the region, they serve as the namesake, once or twice linguistically removed, for our Tourbillon.
“While the latest release is an entirely different blend from its predecessor, it maintains a similar stylistic approach, being a well-rounded, easygoing wine that’s well suited for most foods or enjoyed alone. Medium-bodied, and with notes of black cherry coulis and florality on the nose and palate, it presents a surprisingly savory finish with hints of dried herbs, earthy woodsmoke and a touch of dusty minerality.”
My Review: Translucent garnet in color. Light palate with an acidic, tannic finish. November 2023
2017 Pierce Ranch Maçon, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $30 (#656) Petit Verdot, Graciano, Tempranillo
Winery Notes: “Something of an Ibérique Supérieur, our new Maçon brings together Tempranillo, Graciano and Petit Verdot to form a slightly idiosyncratic blend of Spanish and French varieties. Combining a hint of Iberian aromatics with the earthy, mineral palate reminiscent of a Bordeaux, this is a wine that approaches Old World character while also indulging a touch of experimentation. A floral nose balances itself against a darker midpalate and a solid tannic structure, as notes of violets and dried herbs give way to an underlying earthiness and a savory, vaguely smoky finish.”
My Review: Ruby in color. A touch of barnyard on the nose and the palate. November 2023
2019 Pierce Ranch Mal/Zin, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $30 (#658) 26% Malbec, 48% Zinfandel, 26% Alicante Bouschet
Winery Notes: I took these notes from the label, but I couldn’t read the whole thing. “Our Mal/Zin is a somewhat idiosyncratic blend of Malbec, Zinfandel, and Alicante Bouschet. It offers up a mix of sumptuous black fruit and …, leavened by a touch of Old World earth and …. Grown in various blocks in our Y Ranch and Panhandle Vineyards, it was fermented in several small lots with only native yeasts, and then was aged in a combined … of new and neutral oak. Only 175 cases were produced.
My Review: Plum and blackberry on the nose. Medium palate of delicious blackberries. Tasty. November 2023
2017 Pierce Ranch Petit Verdot, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $32 (#1219)
Winery Notes: “With its high elevation, rocky soils, and wide variation in diurnal temperature, the recently declared San Antonio Valley appellation is an area that is proving to be well suited to a number of Bordeaux varieties. Grown in our Western Addition Vineyard in a mix of decomposed granite, broken shale, and sand, the 2016 Petit Verdot is a robust yet nuanced wine with a rich, savory palate and moderate tannins. Produced on a limited scale, it was fermented in small lots and aged in French oak for 18 months. Notes of blackberry, cassis, and black cherry meet with hints of wood spice, and thyme along with a mineral, earthy undercurrent.”
My Review: Ruby in color. Dark berries and plum on the nose. Vegetal notes wrapped in fruit on the palate. November 2023
2019 Pierce Ranch Graciano, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $32 (#1220)
Winery Notes: “Traditionally used as a blending grape in the Tempranillo-based wines of the Rioja, Graciano has been one of our most cherished varieties, grown in the clay and calcareous rock of our Home Ranch Vineyard. The 2019 vintage is a slightly richer presentation of the variety, but nicely balanced on the palate with a decent weight and texture along with a lengthy finish. A nose full of red and black cherry, and blackberry, with a hint of candied fruit and fresh, herbal notes, is followed by a complex palate of blackberry, dried fruit, candied orange peel, thyme, and a characteristic minerality on the finish, with notes of shale and bramble, and the very subtle hints of vanilla and baking spice.”
My Review: The one, little sip we had was quite good. November 2023
2018 Pierce Ranch Olonde, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, $32 (#1221)
Winery Notes: “Bordeaux style blend composed of Cab. Sauv., Petit Verdot, and Malbec.”
My Review: Garnet. Slightly earthy/ash yet pleasant nose, with a tasty palate. November 2023
THE TASTING ROOM
The Pierce Ranch tasting room closed in November, but you can buy their wines on their website here.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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I had no idea they were closed! So 😢