I wanted to take a moment on this crisp and sunny coastal Thanksgiving weekend to give a warm Thanksgiving thanks to you!
To Our Monterey Wineries and Winemakers: I write this blog from my heart for you. You work hard to create delicious, impressive wines from our unique earth and climate, sometimes challenging. I am so hopeful for our very promising 2023 vintage. I thank you in return for the consideration you give me in terms of industry discounts and even sometimes donated wine for my nonprofit classes.
To My Readers: I write this blog to you – to help share our Monterey and Central Coast wines that sometimes don’t get seen outside of our local area. We’ve got good stuff here and I want you to know about it. Wine tasting here is so much fun – good wine, friendly staff, low key and affordable. I love it when you will go to the actual website and leave me a comment or two. I hope to see more of that. And thank you so much for nominating Decanting Monterey as Best Local Blog. While I didn’t win, I am so grateful for your efforts to get this website seen and heard.
To theDecanting Monterey Wine Pod: My husband and our friends, including our daughters who were trapped on the Monterey Peninsula with us during the pandemic. They were with me when this all started as a Facebook pandemic pastime and watched it grow into a real website and blog. I rely on the Wine Pod for tasting notes and opinions so you don’t always get just mine. Oh, and fun. We have had a number of fun adventures together exploring wineries and tasting wines.
To My Donors: I am so grateful to the people who have donated to Decanting Monterey. This is a self-funded wine blog with real operating expenses. I am proud that my handful of donors have come from our local wine industry, our local wine organizations, and from my readers. Thank you for your support.
WHAT WINES DID YOU SERVE FOR THANKSGIVING?
Now, to the most important question of the day: What local wines did you serve on Thanksgiving? We took a magnum of 2015 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, my favorite vintage of his Cabs. I previously wrote about it here.
MAKE A COMMENT TODAY!
I encourage you to make a comment on today’s post sharing the local wines that you enjoyed on Thanksgiving or over the weekend! I raise a toast to all of you in gratitude.
Last week I brought you Part 1 of my coverage of the August 12thArroyo Seco Winegrowers celebration here: Let’s Have a Big Party to Celebrate Arroyo Seco Winegrowers. Please take a look at that write-up for more information about the Arroyo Seco AVA and the event. Today’s post brings you the rest of the wineries and their wines: Martin Ranch Winery, Chesebro, Bernardus, Blair, J Lohr and Joyce Wine Co. I am grateful to have been able to attend this festive occasion, surrounded by the vineyards we were there to celebrate.
THE WINES
As I indicated last week, despite the small nature of the event, there are always more wines than we can possibly taste and my own note taking was minimal. I am relying on the wineries’ websites for their notes, unless otherwise stated. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
This was the first time I had encountered Martin Ranch Winery at one of our local wine events – and I was glad I did. Looking at the range of wines they make, I see a road trip to their Gilroy winery and tasting room in my future!
From their website: “For nearly three decades, winemakers Thérèse and Dan Martin have crafted wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The rich history of this husband and wife team is reflected in each bottle of wine, and everything they do…
“In 1993, Thérèse and Dan Martin began planting rows of Cabernet Sauvignon along their 17 acre property, with the intent of selling their fruit to local wineries. Four years later, Thérèse and Dan got the itch to give winemaking a go, and by 2002 they released their first commercial crush of 625 cases.
“That same year, the Martins decided it was time to turn their dream of building a community around a winery into a reality. They embarked on the monumental task of building a commercial winery, including a garden area, pond dock, tasting rooms, barrel room, and production facilities.
“Today our vineyard has rows of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Noir, in addition to the original Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Each year we produce wine under our three award-winning labels: J.D. Hurley, Soulmate, and Thérèse Vineyards.”
2020 Martin Ranch Thérèse Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.2% ABV, $35 (#1135)
88 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Soft nectarine, peach and toasted-oak aromas are cut by Meyer lemon on the nose of this bottling. Ripe apricot and pineapple flavors show on the juicy palate, with oak adding spice.” Matt Kettmann, November 2022
My Notes: My only notes were that this was a little sweet – and spicy!
2018 Martin Ranch Thérèse Vineyards Pinot Noir, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.6% ABV, $45 (#1136)
91 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Toasty oak aromas meet with dark-cherry compote on the nose of this bottling. The oak is also strong on the palate, but in pleasant ways, warming up the cherry-compote, anise and clove flavors, as vanilla lingers into the finish.” Matt Kettmann
My Notes: Someone told us we should go back and try this wine right as we were heading out for the day. It was quite good and made in a style I prefer – a richer Pinot Noir.
I’ve been presenting Chesebro Wines in my DC-area wine classes since my very first one, long before we moved here. I admire Chesebro for their quality and affordability – they are easy to fit into the wine class budgets and are a big hit with the class attendees. I’ve been quoting Mark Chesebro in my presentations for years, yet I had never met the man until this Arroyo Seco celebration! It was great to spend a few minutes with him at long last. Alex Lallos, has been a great supporter of my wine education efforts over the years.
We tasted several new releases at their table, some of which I already covered in this recent post, so I only have one of their wines in this article.
2022 Chesebro Grenache Rosé, Cedar Lane, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $23 (#1137)
Winery Notes: “For lovers of our Grenache rosé, you are in for a real treat. Provençal in style, beautiful light pink in color and bright profile. Aromas of fresh picked strawberry, grapefruit skin and raspberry essence. Perfect for a warm poolside or beach afternoon.”
My Notes: I presented the 2020 vintage of this wine in one of my DC-area classes and I like this new release even better!
2022 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $28 (#1138)
Winery Notes: “Our 2022 Signature Griva bottling has aromas of lime zest and grapefruit, accented by mineral nuances. The palate exhibits rich, crisp, tropical fruit flavors with notes of guava, lime peel, blue agave and grapefruit, supported by a refreshing acidity.” 90 points – Wine Enthusiast
We rarely catch Jeffrey Blair himself in his Carmel Plaza tasting room anymore, so it was great to see him here. I’ve written about Blair’s award-winning wines before, with my most recent post here: Blair: It’s All About Delfina’s Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco!I enjoyed trying some of his new releases.
90 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Hints of orange blossom, kumquat and jasmine show on the nose of this bottling. The palate keeps the wine quite dry, offering wet stone balance to the plumeria and Tuscan melon flavors.” Matt Kettmann
My Review: Sweet Grilled pineapple palate carried over the pineapple with a raw pineapple acidity/bitterness on finish. I liked this wine. August 2023
2018 Blair Estate Chardonnay, Roger Rose Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $40 (#1140)
91 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Hints of butter, toasted Marcona almond, crushed rock and light truffle show on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. Lemon-butter-glazed-toast flavors meet with sea salt and nuts on the palate, where a rocky edge adds complexity.” Matt Kettmann, April 2022
2021 Blair Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.1% ABV, $25 (#1141)
Winery Notes: “…This Blair Rosé of Pinot Noir is a serious “pink” wine. Our goal was an Old World style that would be bright and refreshing. But also one that would be a versatile companion to a wide variety of foods. The nose and palate is full of ripe strawberry, cherry and watermelon. It finishes crisp and dry. Serve well chilled with a Salade Nicoise or an herbed salmon steak fresh off the grill.” 88 points – Wine Enthusiast
My Notes: Hey this is good tasting wine! Time to get back to Blair for a full tasting!
We had the chance at the Monterey Trade event the previous week (see this post) to meet J. Lohr’s Kristen Barnhisel, their winemaker for white wines. She wrote the winery notes below. While they produce a million cases of wine every year, we won’t see most of these wines from Arroyo Seco in the supermarkets. 30% of their production is Arroyo Seco whites. 70% of their production comes from Paso Robles. They have tasting rooms in San Jose and Paso Robles. Check out their website for more information.
2022 J. Lohr Pinot Blanc, F&G Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $35 (#1142)
Winery Notes: “The 2022 F&G Vineyard Pinot Blanc displays aromas of yellow rose, apple, and pear. Complex flavors of ripe melon and Meyer lemon emerge, with a creamy texture and a long finish from fermentation and aging in the large vessels.”
My Notes: I liked this wine.
2022 J. Lohr Sauvignon Blanc, F&G Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $25 (#1143)
Winery Notes: “The 2022 F&G Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc presents aromas of honeysuckle, grapefruit, and a hint of fig. Bright flavors of ripe key lime, vanilla, Meyer lemon, and tarragon take center stage, with a rich palate texture and long finish.”
My Notes: I found this wine a bit tart.
J. Lohr Bay Mist White Riesling, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $13 (#1144)
Winery Notes: “Fun and casual. Unoaked and just slightly sweet. My goes-with-anything, toes-in-the-sand wine.”
My Notes: What a pretty bottling for this wine – reflecting the Monterey Bay and the idea this would be a great beach wine. This off-dry Riesling was a tad sweet for my preferences.
We finally make it to our host for the event – Joyce Wine Co.They have a beautiful property in the heart of Arroyo Seco, surrounded by vineyards. Way too many wines to taste for the end of our day, but we did our best. I look forward to going back there to taste again – after the fall winemaking season calms down. We have been to their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village several times. I last wrote them up here: Joyce: Exploring the Endless Potential of Monterey’s Coastal Terroir.
Winery Notes: “Vibrant and pronounced, a nose of peach and gooseberry open up to a palate of citrus and spring time earthiness.”
2022 Joyce Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $25 (#1146)
Winery Notes: “A savory-leaning nose of tomato water and oyster shell sets the tone for a lightly-fruited, pale pink thirst quencher with minerality that will make you drool.”
My Notes: Perfume on the nose and a tartness on the palate.
2022 Joyce Albariño, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $28 (#1147)
Winery Notes: “Warm-weather, tropical fruits lead the nose followed by white flowers on an ocean breeze. Bright and refreshing, supple texture and minerality on the palate.”
Winery Notes: “This Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend yields concentrated flavor, high acidity and strong tannins–all elements that suggest this wine can be cellared for many years.”
My Notes: I detected some of that “Central Coast funk” on the nose – that funky aroma or flavor I often get with Central Coast Syrahs. The plate was spicy and quite tasty! August 2023
2021 Joyce Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $30 (#1149)
Winery Notes: “A classic representation of the varietal with noticeable, dusty tannin, dark fruits and earthy, smoky, woody notes hitting throughout.”
The fruit comes from Joyce vineyards, plus Zabala plus Cedar Lane – sounds like a winning combo!
My Notes: Dark ruby in glass. Grass on the nose. Relatively light on palate. August 2023
THE TASTING ROOMS
Because there were so many wineries present at this event, I recommend checking their individual websites for information on where and when to taste their wines. You can taste Martin Ranch wines at their winery in Gilroy. Chesebro, Bernardus and Joyce tasting rooms are all located in Carmel Valley Village. Blair’s is in Carmel-by-the-Sea. J Lohr has two tasting locations: San Jose and Paso Robles.
On August 12th, the Arroyo Seco Winegrowers celebrated their 40th Anniversary at the Joyce Winery in Soledad. This was mostly the vineyard owners and the wineries celebrating their great partnership in making terrific wines, putting the Arroyo Seco AVA on the map. I asked my friends at Chesebro Wines if they could get us in – thank you, Alex Lallos! This post is Part 1 – be sure to read next week’s post for Part 2!
For us coastal dwellers, it was a pretty long drive to get down to Soledad, but well worth it! It was a beautiful, warm day. The event was relatively small, with about 20 wineries offering tastes along with gourmet appetizers by Michael Jones and others. We had to be very careful with our tastes due to the drive home. We stuck to our practice of sharing tastes and dumping the rest.
The setting was a wine lover’s dream. Joyce has a beautiful facility nestled in the heart of the Arroyo Seco AVA, surrounded by vineyards. The event took place inside its barrel room, keeping us cool from the sun and heat outside. It was a casual, low-key event with happy vintners and farmers celebrating what they together have created. During the event, I met some wineries I had never heard of like Scott Family Estate, OCNAUTIC and Martin Ranch Winery, and got to talk to vineyard growers like Luis Zabala and vintners including Mark Chesebro (finally!)! I am looking forward to visiting Zabala Vineyards sometime after harvest, when things calm way back down.
ABOUT THE ARROYO SECO AVA
The Arroyo Seco AVA was established in 1983. That was fairly early in Monterey County’s AVA development. (Read about all of Monterey County’s AVA’s on the Monterey Vintners & Growers Association website.) We became fans of the Arroyo Seco AVA many years ago through the wines of Chesebro and Mercy, the latter, sadly, no longer in operation. Now, when I see a winery offering wines from Arroyo Seco, I jump at the opportunity to try them – from delicate and flavorful whites from vineyards including Cedar Lane, Griva and Zabala to the big reds found at Shale Canyon.
A wine I really miss from the region is Mercy’s Syrah from Zabala Vineyards. I have yet to figure out who is making Syrah out of those grapes today (in addition to Luis Zabala himself!)
“The Arroyo Seco AVA encompasses portions of two towns; Soledad and Greenfield in California’s Monterey County. In the rural, western extremes of these townships the Santa Lucia Mountains rise dramatically, creating the western boundary of the Salinas Valley, and provide the unique setting for one of California’s earliest recognized viticultural area. It is in this landscape that a transverse waterway from the mountains carved the distinct geography and geology, and ultimately converges with the maritime influences of the deep, cold waters of the Pacific Ocean found 40 miles north at Monterey Bay. Ultimately, the confluences of so many distinct geographic factors unite to form this small, finite growing region.
“Granted federal AVA status on April 15, 1983, the Arroyo Seco appellation is steeped in winegrowing history and rooted in the geographic features of a waterway named “Arroyo Seco”. This seasonal creek brings rain water and snowmelt from the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Los Padres National Forrest to the Salinas Valley. Over the millenniums the pressure of this natural water-release created a diverse geography; carving landscape, dumping rocks and filling a deep subteranian aquifer with clean, pure water. Ultimately, the esteemed authors of the appellation cited the unique terrain formed by the Arroyo Seco as the foundation of AVA’s boundaries. Within the AVA’s boundaries the first commercial vineyard, Mission Ranch, was propogated by the Mirassou family in 1961, over two decades before the region received its AVA status.
“Consisting of 18,240 acres the Arroyo Seco AVA is one of the smallest AVAs in California (by contrast the largest California AVA is 3,008,000 acres, while other coastal appellations dwarf the Arroyo Seco AVA; the Santa Cruz Mountains is 408,000 acres, the Russian River Valley is 96,000 acres, the Santa Maria Valley is over 80,000 acres, the Sta Rita Hills AVA is 30,720 acres, and the Santa Lucia Highlands is 22,000 acres). It is a finite piece of terrain that has always been considered, by virtue of the definition of an AVA, one of most the “distinguished” places to grow grapes in Califorina. In fact, of the over 100 California AVAs the Arroyo Seco was one of the earliest to be recognized – the 15th AVA (tied for no. 15 with two other AVAs) to be granted such distinction.”
I like to use the description of the AVA from Mercy’s former website in my classes:
“Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco AVA is many things: windblown, numbingly cold, fog laden, semi-arid, rock strewn, austerely beautiful. In essence, the perfect grape source for Mercy wines…the wines are sourced from three contiguous vineyards, all located in a specific part of the appellation – The Ancient River Channel…Found along the banks of a now seasonal creek, this unique riverbed corridor features ideal maritime climate with rocky, meager surface soil and hardpan just feet below ground. Low yields, unique soil attributes and meticulous farming combine to produce flavorful and distinct grapes. Grown in such a dramatic setting, the wines truly are at the Mercy of Mother Nature.”
THE WINES
Today I am presenting wines we tasted at that event from four wineries: Scott Family Estate, OCNAUTIC, Muirwood, and Luli Wines. I’ll write up the rest of the wineries next week. Despite the small nature of the event, there are always more wines than we can possibly taste and my own note taking was minimal. I am relying on the wineries’ websites for their notes, unless otherwise stated. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
Scott Family Estate is part of the Rutherford Wine Company focused on Arroyo Seco wines. It produces high volumes of wine (on Monterey standards) and distributed nationally. This was the first time I had seen Scott Family Estate wines at our local wine events. I’m always excited to “discover” wineries right in our own backyard. According to its webpage:
“Witness the exquisite harmony achieved through the meticulous fusion of cool-climate varietals and the pristine terroir they call home. This union is a symphony orchestrated by the interplay of specific soil compositions, judicious clonal choices, elevated vineyard sites, and the microclimate’s gentle caress.
“The outcome is a tapestry of flavors that pay homage to their origins. Our Burgundian style Chardonnays and Pinot Noir showcase this enchanting connection, inviting you to savor the fruit of unparalleled quality, each sips an eloquent ode to its unique growing enclave.”
2021 Scott Family Estate Chardonnay, Dijon Clone, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County,14.5% ABV, $36 (#1129)
Winery Notes: “The 2021 harvest in Monterey County was condensed following a long, cool growing season. The extended cool conditions and lack of hot summer days resulted in high acids and low sugars. The season’s long hang times resulted in refined development, as well as wines with great depth and exceptionally concentrated fruit flavors and density.”
My Notes: My only note was that I liked this Chardonnay. Well balanced and tasty.
2021 Scott Family Estate Pinot Noir, Dijon Clone, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $45 (#1130)
Winery Notes: “A soft and decadent 100% Pinot Noir with aromas and flavors of cherry, sage, ripe raspberries and earthy notes. Richly textured and medium-bodied with balanced acidity creating a smooth, lingering finish. Enjoy this elegant Pinot Noir now or save for up to seven years.”
My Notes: My only note on this wine was that it was typical for the region.
“Embark on Your Next Wine Adventure with Ocnautic”
OCNAUTIC is part of the ASV family of wines with vineyards in Arroyo Seco and Paso Robles. Muirwood is also part of this group. OCNAUTIC is located in Paso Robles and focus on Paso Robles and Monterey wines.
From their website: “If you believe the legend, a three-masted schooner named the Ocnautic sailed the seas in the early 1800s. It was renowned for many wonderous voyages and inspired many to take to the seas in the spirit of discovery.
“Thus, we named our adventurous, boldly styled wines from the California Central Coast OCNAUTIC. Great wine takes you on an enchanting journey of discovery. We invite you to join us.”
2022 OCNAUTIC Grenache Blanc, Wiley Vineyard, Monterey County (#1131)
Winery Notes from ASVwines.com: “Soft aromas of white flower, honeysuckle, and citrus peel are followed by flavors of rich pineapple, stone fruit, and refreshing acidity on the finish.” 96% Grenache Blanc, 4% Viognier.
My Notes: This wine has a very cool, octagonal and nautical label. I detected some grass on the nose and otherwise have no tasting notes.
“WINES CRAFTED WITH CARE FROM MONTEREY COUNTY’S RENOWNED ARROYO SECO VINEYARDS”
I have presented a Muirwood wine before from a tasting I did at A Taste of Monterey in Cannery Row. Muirwood is located in the Greenfield area. I found this description on their website:
“Our approach is grounded in the belief that the best wines come from the best grapes. This translates into attention to detail at every step of the grape growing and winemaking process; from the inspection of soil profiles and climate conditions, to determining which root stocks and clonal varieties are best suited to the growing site, to the selection and blending of individual lots.”
2022 Muirwood Unoaked Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County (#1132)
Winery Notes: “Citrus bouquet, mango and guava on palate, elegant and complex.”
My Notes: This Chardonnay was quite heavy, rich and flavorful on the palate. August 2023
2021 Muirwood Cabernet SauvignonArroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County (#1133)
Winery Notes: “Black currant and cassis, toasty notes, complex finish.”
My Notes: Very dark ruby. Oak on the nose, followed by a nice palate of dark fruit. August 2023
I first wrote about Luli Wineshere. A snippet from their website tells their story:
“Wine offers expression of people-in-relation rather than selves apart. Luli, the result of a partnership between a master sommelier, a distinguished vineyard manager and an expert winemaker, provides a particularly happy example of the way in which wine creates community, because Luli is itself a collective enterprise. Sommelier, grape-grower, and winemaker, we three approach wine from different angles, but work synergistically to craft exceptional hand-crafted vintages at comfortable prices. We thrive together—and have fun doing so. And why not? The pleasure of wine supplies us with a way to enjoy life. So open a bottle, pour the swirling liquid into a glass, and celebrate, as we do, the bonds between family and friends…” This is a joint effort by sommelier Sara Floyd and Mark and Jeff Pisoni.
Winery Notes: “Fresh, vibrant, and lifted in all regards, the 2022 Luli Sauvignon Blanc packs a youthful punch from start to finish. A pale straw hue intermixes with tinges of green as this wine shimmers in the glass. Notes of lime zest, lemongrass, and juicy grapefruit are more pronounced, as wet stone and a hint of fresh herbs offer unexpected complexity. While the palate may first show the crisp acidity, citrus driven flavors soon dominate before giving way to additional layers of volume and texture earned with three months of aging on the lees in all neutral French oak barrels. This delicious Sauvignon Blanc is best enjoyed cold, young, and often.
My Notes: Grassy, crisp, and tasty.
THE TASTING ROOMS
To my knowledge, Scott Family Estate, OCNAUTIC, Muirwood, and Luli Wines do not have tasting rooms. You can taste Muirwood wines at A Taste of Monterey. Check their websites for more information.
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