2015 Blair Estate Pinot Gris, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14% ABV, 175 cases produced, List Price: $26, 216 cases produced
We have a fondness for Blair and stop into their tasting room in Carmel Plaza from time to time. We mostly go because it bears the maiden name of a good friend. And, about half the time, we’ve found Jeffrey Blair behind the counter. If you like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it’s a good place to try. Its wines are getting favorable marks in various competitions, with the 2016 vintage of their Pinot Gris scoring 91 points by Wine Enthusiast.
In general, we really like Arroyo Seco wines, with sandy loam and cobblestones in the dry river beds. Here, cold winds off nearby Monterey Bay (the Blue Grand Canyon™) can make it “wind-blown and numbingly cold” as Mercy Wines describes it, yet somehow perfect growing conditions. We like Arroyo Seco Chardonnay (did I really say that?), Grenache, and Syrah. You will hear more about them as I continue my trek through the Arroyo Seco AVA.
Matt Kettmann wrote an excellent article, The Hidden Treasures of Monterey in Wine Enthusiast which includes a nice writeup about Blair.
The 2015 Blair Estate Pinot Gris was Blair’s third Pinot Gris release from the Arroyo Seco AVA. Unfortunately, winemaking notes not readily available, since this is not the current release. Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast, describes it like this: “Lemon cream, honeydew, honeysuckle and toast aromas show on the nose of this bottling. There is a citrusy boost to the palate, where orange-sorbet and lemon-spritz flavors arise.”
My Review: We tasted this wine before I was brave enough to do my own tasting notes. I asked my resident wine expert what he thought about the 2015 Blair Estate Pinot Gris. His response, “I opened the Chardonnay for cooking – it was fine!” Hm. Yes, well, it was a delicious Pinot Gris, always a pleasant change from Chardonnay. We did see it should have been consumed by 2018, yet it was perfectly delicious. March 2020
Check out Blair Wines for their current releases. They have a very nice tasting room in Carmel Plaza (Carmel-By-The-Sea). Their website suggests the tasting room is open every day, but always best to call ahead and confirm: (831) 625-WINE, especially during the fire emergency, much less the pandemic.
© Decanting Monterey 2020
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