Tagged: Cabernet Sauvignon

Best Winery Tour Ever at Bernardus!

THE STORY

In July, the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod experienced the best winery tour ever at Bernardus! Last November, at the Marinus dinner, Jim McCabe, assistant winemaker at Bernardus, invited us to come up to the winery in Cachagua for a tour. We finally made it there in July! And I would say the fun wine education aspects of the tour were what made it so special.

Winery notes for this post come from conversations with the winemaker unless otherwise indicated. You can read more about Bernardus on their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

Also, with all the wine events and special tastings we have done, I will be posting twice weekly for a bit to get caught up! My, we have been busy!!

Jim McCabe met us outside where he explained what happens to the grapes from the moment they arrive at the facility. He indicated that harvest is looking 2-3 weeks late this year due to the winter and spring rains. Veraison is a little late, but every really hot, sunny day we get speeds it up. Chemistry and appearance will tell them when to harvest the grapes.

In response to our questions about white grapes, they expect 2-3 tons per acre. They gently press the white grapes to avoid any off flavors. They shoot for 150-170 gallons of juice per ton.

We grabbed our glasses as we moved inside.

THE WINES

We started out tasting some Monterey Chardonnay at the filtration stage, followed by a Pinot Noir at the cold fermentation stage. We then went deep into the barrel room to do more wine education.  We examined how different barrel ages affect the wine, how different yeasts influence the flavor profile, and how to recognize and resolve reduction! What fun!

2022 Bernardus Chardonnay, Monterey County (#1065)

We tasted this sample at the filtration stage.

My Review: Light golden. Nice delicious tropical nose. Pineapple and butter. Rich and sweet on the palate with a bright finish, some bitter notes yet nice. July 2023

2022 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Gary’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highland AVA, Monterey County (#1066)

This sample was at the cold fermentation stage.

My Notes: Garnet. Cold. Plum and perfume. Tasty palate. Smooth. July 2023

2022 Bernardus Chardonnay, Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highland AVA, Monterey County (#1067)

We compared 2 samples from different aged barrels.

My Notes:

New oak barrels: Buttery, tropical nose with some sulfur dioxide. Rich and viscous on palate with pineapple flavors on the finish. Wow. Big. Delicious. July 2023

3-year-old oak barrels: Faint tropical notes on nose and more sophisticated palate. Leaner yet tasty with more subtle flavors and more acidity. July 2023

2022 Bernardus Chardonnay, Sierra Mar Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highland AVA, Monterey County (#1068)

We compared 2 samples made with different yeasts – and then a combined sample! Wow – we made some wine!!

Winery Notes: Every 2 weeks, they top off the barrels and perform battonage. They expect to bottle 19 barrels of Sierra Mar Chardonnay.  

My Notes:

D47 yeast: More acidic on the nose. Citrus notes. Mouthfilling, completely different flavor profile. Explodes on front end. Crushed pineapple a hidden bitterness on the finish. More acidic overall to me.

Montrachet yeast: Totally different. Pale in glass. Butter and mild pineapple on nose. More vanilla and tartness on the palate. Rounder flavors.

Blended samples: Crushed pineapple on the nose. Balanced palate. Burnt caramel on the finish. Very nice.

2022 Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon, Marinus Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County (#1069)

Winery Notes: A little Hungarian oak. Intended for Marinus red blend.

My Notes: Intense dark ruby in color. Tart jam on nose. Juicy on the palate.

2022 Bernardus Merlot, Marinus Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County (#1070)

Jim had just talked to us about reduction a few moments before we tasted this wine. One of our members identified it right away, so we got to see first hand how to mitigate reduction. 

Barrel sample: Rubbery notes. Reduction is starting! Bright and dark raspberry on the palate. Dark and bitter on finish.

Post-copper treatment: Immediately changed flavor: lots of jammy, berry fruit and no reductive flavors. Tasted amazing.

Other fun facts (any of which I could have captured wrong):

  • They have a small, full-time staff of 8 people, plus contract support for busy times.
  • In their winemaking, they use French oak barrels for a period of 3 years. 

  • They have some huge, 2000-gallon oak tanks which they can use for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, taking the place of stainless tanks.
  • Grapes from Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards that don’t make the vineyard designate bottlings can then become part of their Santa Lucia Highlands program.
  • They are elevating their Marinus vineyard. Doing more hand work and replacing some of the old vines.
  • The label: They are dropping the “B” label and going to a cleaned-up version (see the one on the right below) of the old one for brand recognition.

  • They also switched cork sources to improve the reliability of their corks. Their “Monterey” line has screw tops.
  • He showed us a brand new barrel and even let us sniff inside!

  • They produce 45,000-61,000 cases in an average harvest year.
  • And, finally, examine your spit after drinking Cabernet Sauvignon – it might surprise you. (But none of us can remember why…)

Tasting Bernardus Wines: Their tasting room, located at 5 West Carmel Valley Road, is open every day! Reservations are not required. You can see more information and book a tasting here or email tastingroom@bernardus.com or call them at 831-298-8021.

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Last Minute Switchup Leads to Scratch!

When the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society lost the planned location for their December gathering, the Scratch Tasting Room offered an excellent alternative! We are indebted to Scratch’s staff for accommodating us on very short notice.  It allowed us to have an exceptional social and wine education event.  I knew from photos announcing its opening that this tasting room was designed to the nines.  But I didn’t realize how spacious it was!  It would be a great location to have a quiet tasting with a girlfriend or a larger event like a bachelorette party or a reception. Really lovely. And the wines matched the setting.

Sabrine Rodems is Monterey County’s most renowned female winemakers. Not only is she the winemaker for the highly respected Wrath Winery (where I first learned of her), but also has her own label – Scratch – and serves as the winemaker for Kori Wines.  While I enjoyed a bottle of Scratch’s Blanc de Blanc earlier in the pandemic, and have written up one or two of her wines, I had not had the opportunity to stop by for a wine tasting or write up a review.

About Scratch from its Website: “Scratch is a project of Winemaker Sabrine Rodems producing small-lot Chardonnay Sparkling, Riesling, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Cabernet from Monterey, Arroyo Seco, Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Cruz Mountains AVA’s.

“Sabrine received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Theatre, Film and Television and worked in the film and theatre industry for many years before deciding to go back to school to earn her Master’s of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. For the past twenty years Sabrine has been making highly acclaimed wines from some of the best vineyards in California.

“Working in the Central Coast and Monterey area has given her access to some of the best cool climate grapes in the world.” 

I’m also intrigued by her edgy labels. I asked the winery about the message behind them and got this response: “Mr. Cola was once a photographer for the New York Times then eventually found his calling in producing art. Sabrine was originally drawn to Mr. Colla due to his edgy nature as well as powerful message. As we do not have a lot of female wine makers today, we really wanted to showcase strong independent “bad ass” women on our labels to celebrate the change in the industry but also in hopes of inspiring the next generation of female wine makers.” They suggested we check out the artist’s website here: https://www.eddiecolla.com/.

On Eddie’s website he says this: ” There is a visual conversation that takes place on the streets of urban environments. This conversation is dominated primarily by advertising and utilitarian signage and assumes passive participation. Whether invited or not I am going to participate in this conversation. Public spaces were never intended to be coated from top to bottom with photos of consumer products. These spaces should, in some manner, reflect the culture that thrives in that space.”

Erin O of Terravenos and me!

I have 7 Scratch wines to present to you today from this event. I was assisted in my tasting notes by Erin O of Terravinos. I’ll write more abut her in the coming weeks. Therefore, today my notes are a little more in-depth and descriptive. Erin has a much more sophisticated and trained palate than I. I’ve added “assisted by Erin” to those reviews. Winery notes come from their tasting sheet or website: https://www.scratchwines.com/. Any errors are mine and mine alone. 

Our Monterey AWS Chapter Leadership!

2020 Scratch Blanc de Blanc, Monterey AVA, 12% ABV, $49 (#905)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Extra Brut Chardonnay sparkling wine with brisk acidity and refreshing bubbles. Citrus with some tropical flair of lychee, guava and white flowers.”

My Review, assisted by Erin: Light cream soda in the glass. Pear and honeysuckle on the yeasty nose. Very crisp palate with notes of lemon zest and green apple – very balanced flavors and a creamy mousse. Super youthful. Nice. December 2022

2020 Scratch Brut Rose, Monterey AVA, 12.1% ABV, $49 (#906)

Winemaker’s Notes: “The touch of 828 Clone Pinot Noir to the Clone 96 Chardonnay base synergistically add a juiciness to the mid-palate that makes you want to take another sip!  Clone 96 Chardonnay has a round honey-dew melon mouth feel and with the addition of pinot makes you think you are biting into a fresh Fuji apple.  This sparkling wine is make using the classic Methode Champenoise, fermented in the bottle.”

My Review, assisted by Erin:  Dusty rose/pale pink in color.  Strawberry jam with a little biscuit and red apple on the nose. Strawberry and rose petals on the palate, amplified by crisp red fruits and ruby grapefruit.  A soft mousse. Fills the palate with bubbles. Youthful. December 2022

2019 Scratch Riesling, Monterey AVA, 13.7% ABV, $28 (#907)   

Winemaker’s Notes: “This Riesling is on fire! Big acid, bright minerality, grapefruit and lemon with a hint of flowers.   There is no residual sugar in this wine so it is not sweet at all, it is completely dry.  From the rocky, loamy Kristy’s Vineyard.  ”

My Review, assisted by Erin: Medium lemon in color. Some lees on the creamy, biscuity nose – reminiscent of a sauterne! Nectarine, peach and minerality on the palate. Muted acidity and brightness. Drink now. December 2022

2021 Scratch Boekenoogen Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, 14.4% ABV, $49 (#908)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Bright energetic palate of Cranberries, pomegranate seeds, sour cherries and berries. This juicy Pinot from the near top of the Santa Lucia Highlands bench shows the classic fruit of this AVA along with nutmeg, cinnamon and hints of white pepper.”

My Review, assisted by Erin: Pale ruby in color.  Bouquet of cranberry, raspberry, red plum, and warm baking spices, followed by a touch of garrigue. Raspberry and cranberry on the palate with medium minus tannins and medium acid, leading to a slightly bitter finish. Not cherry at all. The intensity of the fruit is not matched by the alcohol. December 2022

2018 Scratch KW Ranch Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, 14.5% ABV, $49 (#909) 

Winemaker’s Notes: “A rich and lush Pinot Noir with black cherries, plum, nutmeg, clove and hints of anise. Produced using 30% whole clusters fermentation creates a structured wine with balanced tannins and complexity.”

My Review assisted by Erin:  Pale garnet in color. Dried cranberry and Bing cherry on the nose – potpourri. Medium-bodied palate presents a little jammy with medium plus grippy tannins and a touch of caramel with cherry notes on the finish. High alcohol.

2018 Scratch Grenache, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.5% ABV, $49 (#910)

Winemaker’s Notes: “This wine with nutmeg, clove, anise and black cherries will make your meal sing!  This is a sneak-peek at this yet-to-be-released-wine.”

My Review, assisted by Erin: A perfume of rose petal, lavender, raspberry, black cherry and red fruits like cranberry and a tiny bit of chocolate, tobacco.  Perfume carries over to palate with cranberry and raspberry flavors. This is a big wine with medium grippy tannins. December 2022

2017 Scratch Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, 14.4% ABV, $75 (#911)           

Winemaker’s Notes: “From the steep hillside of the JANACA Vineyard on Mt. Madonna. Rich flavors of plum and blackberries with juniper, nutmeg, clove. Classic Cabernet!”  

My Review, assisted by Erin: Inky in the glass. Brambly, blackberry nose with baking spice, mint and sage notes. Full bodied and rich with chalky tannins. This is a lovely wine that represents well one of the top Cabernet Sauvignon growing regions in California. December 2022

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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The Scratch Tasting Room is located at 1 East Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Sunday – Thursday: 12 PM – 7 PM; Friday – Saturday: 12 PM – 8 PM.  You can find more information here.

Bernardus Marinus Dinner: What a Way to Close out 2022!

Our wine allocations from our various memberships go through peaks and valleys.  A peak was in October when suddenly it seemed we needed to pick up wine from them all at the same time! We stopped in at Bernardus and were offered a tasting. It was there that we learned about the Marinus Dinner and snatched the last seats for the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod.  Marinus is the Bernardus flagship Bordeaux-style red blend. You can read more about former owner Ben Pon’s dream to make Bordeaux-style wine right in Carmel Valley here: https://decantingmonterey.com/bernardusmarinus2010/.

We attended the previous Marinus dinner in 2019 (pre-pandemic). The event was spectacular – a multi-course meal by Carmel Valley’s Chef Jerome Viel who expertly crafted dishes to paired nicely with Marinus wines of various vintages.  You can read more about Jerome here: https://jeromescarmelvalleymarket.com/chef-jerome-viel/.

The recent 2022 Marinus dinner was an expanded affair.  Limited to 22 Marinus club members, it took up 2 rooms in their tasting room – twice the size of the previous event.  The meal was lovely from beginning to end.  I felt as though it were New Year’s Eve and our anniversary dinner all rolled into one!

The Pon Family Crest
Winemaker Dean describes the wines.

This is a rather lengthy writeup, so bear with me.  It starts with the tasting room visit, focused on the 5 non-Marinus wines we had, followed by the Marinus dinner writeup of 6 Marinus wines and our beautiful meal, to close out 2022 in a celebratory way! A few of these wines have been presented here before and several library wines are no longer available. And we did start off the dinner with a glass of their rose from Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, their new effort to do something a little different.  I previously wrote up that wine (#677) here: https://decantingmonterey.com/monterey-county-vintners-and-growers-know-how-to-celebrate-monterey-winemakers/.

Winery tasting notes come from their website, the tasting sheet, or conversations with the winemaker or tasting room staff unless otherwise indicated. You can read more about most of these wines on their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2021 Bernardus Chardonnay, Monterey County, 14.3% ABV, $30 (#884)

Winery Notes from www.wine.com: “Bernardus Monterey Chardonnay exhibits bright white fruit aromas accented by subtle oak notes. The palate is intense and beautifully focused with vibrant peach and tropical fruit flavors along with spice accents. The long finish is supported by a refreshing acidity. Another superb example of Chardonnay from Monterey County.”

My Review: Golden in the glass. Tropical on the nose and tasty on the palate. This vintage is slightly metallic on the finish. I believe the Monterey Chardonnay is representative of our region. October 2022

2021 Bernardus Ingrid’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $50 (#885)

Winery Notes: “As the vineyard matures, the wines seem to keep getting better and better. This vintage of Ingrid’s Chardonnay is possibly our finest to date! The aromas express ripe tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The palate is very rich and complex with flavors of ripe white fruits and ginger cookie spice. A beautiful expression of this special Carmel Valley vineyard!”

My Review: Very tropical palate with tasty pineapple notes – a cut above. A very fine example of what Monterey County can do with Chardonnay. October 2022

2019 Bernardus Marinus Vineyard Merlot, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $50 (#371)

Winery Notes: “In the glass you will see a wine of deep crimson red. The aromas show bright dark red fruit scents with subtle spice notes. The palate is very rich and soft, with flavors of dried cherries and cranberries, accented with hints of chocolate. The delicious flavors linger beautifully on the long, powerful finish. A superb Merlot!” 90 Points- Wine Enthusiast

My Review: Ruby in color. Sweet spice on the nose.  Delicious palate of cherry and berry fruits. I like this bottling even more than the previous vintage. October 2022

2017 Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 12.8% ABV, $125 magnum, currently (as of 12/21) on sale $62.50!!! (#289)

Winery Notes: “Our 2017 Cabernet exudes spicy aromas of red berry and cranberry. The palate beautifully reflects the aromas showing juicy red fruit flavors with a subtle, refreshing acidity. Our Cabernet has been aged for six months in 28-year-old neutral French oak tanks in order to allow the fruit flavors of these grapes to shine through without any oak barrel influence. We hope you will enjoy this wonderful wine as much as we do!”

My Review: Dark ruby in color. Vibrant, fresh red and black fruits on the nose – berries, cherry, carrying over to the palate. Tasty, with a dry finish with a touch of cassis and tobacco. While seemingly light in comparison to the bigger Marinus blends, this opened up into a tongue-coating, delicious little wine. September 2022

2018 Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 12.6% ABV, $50 (#886)

Winery Notes: “In the glass you will see a wine of deep crimson red. The aromas show beautiful dark red fruit scents with subtle spice notes. The palate is very rich, expressing intense black cherry and plum flavors, supported by ripe tannins on the finish. An excellent addition to our Bernardus line-up!”

My Review: Pretty rich ruby in color. A toasty nose with nice Cabernet Sauvignon flavors on the palate. October/November 2022

1993 Bernardus Marinus Red Table Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, $30 (#887)

Winery Notes: This was the first year they produced Marinus. The grapes were planted in 1989. It was made by winemaker Don Blackburn. From K&L Wine Merchants: “According to Wine Spectator: “A new Bordeaux-style blend that’s firm and intense, if a bit on the tannic side. Currant, cherry and anise flavors are well focused and well proportioned, and finish with dry tannins. Try after 1997.” (08/1996)

My Review: Inky in the glass. Dark and tannic with a touch of ham on the nose. Drinking well – like an old Bordeaux. Balanced. November 2022

2000 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County (#888)

Winery Notes from www.wine.com: “Increasing vine maturity coupled with almost perfect growing conditions enabled us to make a wine of great concentration that still has subtlety and elegance. Even in years of great ripeness our winemaking style emphasizes the textural element of the wine, making it approachable now, with the balance of flavors to age gracefully.”

Raviole de Boeuf

My Review: More purple in color. Leathery. A little alcohol up front with dark fruits on the palate. So smooth. Super well balanced. November 2022

2010 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County (#39) Cabernet Sauvignon 59%, Merlot 29%, Petit Verdot 7%, Cabernet Franc 5%           

Winery Notes: “Our 2010 Marinus exhibits its typical deeply colored robe.  The aromas express beautiful red fruits accented by classic notes of cedar.  The delicious flavors are soft and full, with spicy dark cherry and plus flavors and a smooth texture of well integrated tannins.  Although drinking beautifully now, this Marinus will age gracefully for many years to come.”

Roasted Duck Breast

My Review: Cassis/prune on the nose. Very smooth on the palate. Pairs well with the duck breast. Very delicious. Chalky. Drinking well! November 2022 Marinus is aged in oak for 16 months.

2015 Bernardus Marinus Signature Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, $125 (#889)

Winery Notes: “This 2015 vintage of our highly regarded Signature Marinus exhibits a beautiful, deep robe. The aromas are redolent with dark red fruits and dried spices. On the palate we find bright ripe-red fruit flavors and notes of cedar on a long, rich finish, promising a long life to come! A wonderful example from our estate vineyard!”

My Review: Label says 14.1% ABV, but probably 14.8%. Rich, dark berry nose with licorice and cocoa notes. Delicious full palate. I gave this wine two hearts! November 2022

2017 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 13.9% ABV, $75 (pre-release) (#890)

Winery Notes: This vintage has more Merlot in the blend – more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. This was a cooler winter.

Assiette de Fromage

Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “This is a classic taste of the Carmel Valley, starting with aromas of blackberry jam, stewed berry and oak spice on the nose. The palate combines a rich blackberry-sauce core along with peppery spices and a luxurious streak of vanilla.” Matt Kettmann, 12/2022

My Review: This vintage has more Merlot, more like a Right Bank Bordeaux. Black licorice, blackberry and toasted oak on the nose – a marshamallowy vanilla. Very jammy yummy on the palate. Be ready for this one to be released – it is terrific. November 2022

2017 Bernardus Marinus Signature Red Wine, Carmel Valley, Monterey County 14.1% ABV, $125 (pre-release) (#891)

Winery Notes: N/A

Chocolate Decadence

My Review: Inky purple in the glass. Cocoa on the nose. Dark berry and cocoa on the palate. Really jammy. So delicious. This is going to be a great wine. November 2022

Tasting Bernardus Wines: Their tasting room, located at 5 West Carmel Valley Road, is open Tuesday-Saturday.  every day! Reservations are not required. You can see more information and book a tasting here or email tastingroom@bernardus.com or call them at 831-298-8021

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Parsonage Library Wine: The Last of the Carmelstone!

We learned the hard way that, when your winery allocation includes a library wine, then you really should drink it.  With that in mind, we have been combing our stock for must-drink wines and found a bunch of Parsonage that needed to be opened.  My last post about Parsonage wines was in August here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-showcases-its-powerful-wines-to-the-monterey-aws/.  Since then, we have been to their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village to taste new releases and also sampled quite a few library wines from our own collection.

Years ago, Parsonage bottles a Syrah from the Carmelstone section of their vineyard.  I believe they told me that they no longer get enough fruit from the Carmelstone lot to bottle it separately. It was some of the finest Syrah I had ever tasted.  We found 2 bottles of the 2014 vintage in our private collection – they were enjoyed greatly and are sadly gone. That might be the end of Carmelstone for us. I do notice on their website that they have a couple of vintages of this wine in 5 liter bottles – a bit out of my size and price range, but it is tempting…

Today, I am presenting 9 Parsonage wines – a few new releases and a lot of Library wines. Only two are a repeat – the 2019 Parsonage Cyrano  and the 2016 Rocco Reserve Syrah.  I walked into the tasting room in September and found Bill Parsons and the staff engaged in an interesting exercise: how does aeration affect the Cyrano.  I got to play! So I am sharing that with you.  And the smoke-tainted Rocco is still an intriguing bottling – one I recognized immediately when playing mystery wine – worthy of an update.

I’ve presented Parsonage to you in several prior posts and won’t repeat about them here (just type “Parsonage” in the search bar to see them all). You can check out their website here:  https://www.parsonagewine.com/. Winery notes come from their tasting sheet or website, or from the winery direct to me, as usual. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2019 Parsonage Cyrano Red Blend, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $28 (#796) 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah   

Winery Notes: “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: Stumbled into a side by side tasting of aerated and un-aerated Cyrano.  Un: Plum and spice on the finish. Aerated: Slightly more ruby color (call me crazy), much richer palate and smoother finish, less spice. Aeration amplified the flavors! September 2022

2019 Parsonage BDL, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $44 (#877)          

Winery Notes: “The BDL (originally named the Bordelais) is our Bordeaux-style blend with a rapturous bouquet of wildflowers, exotic spice, and a broad spectrum of ripe red, blue and dark berries. A lot of complexity and beauty here. The round, vibrant palate shows off the rich berry fruit of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot blend. The fruit and the spice join together at the finish to force me to cry out, DELICIOUS!!!.”

My Review: Pretty ruby in color.  Coca cola on the nose. This is a very tasty vintage of the BDL, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. October 2022

2019 Parsonage Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast AVA, 15% ABV, $48 (#878) 

Winery Notes: “The nose is marked dramatically by the scent of violets and spice wrapped in black cherry compote. The palate flavors are blackberry, black cherry, black currant, and dark plum with just a hint of cassis. This medium-plus-body beauty is harmoniously balanced with ripe and supple tannins showing off on the delightfully lengthy finish.”

My Review: This wine was a very pleasant surprise. It comes from Russell Joyce’s vineyard in Paicines.  Very smooth, juicy and tasty. We took a couple of bottles home!  October 2022

2012 Parsonage Tanner Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $125 (#879)

Winery Notes: “Our biggest cab has a broad nose of huckleberry, horehound licorice, black cherry, cassis and a hint of pepper.  The palate is fully structured (but not stridently so like a big tannicky Napa cab) with fully ripened tannins that lead to a smooth, rounded finish.”

My Review:   Rich dark ruby in the glass. Blackberry, dark cherry and chocolate on the nose. Smooth dark berries and cedar on the palate. Super delicious. Excellent! August 2022

2012 Parsonage Dario Reserve Merlot, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $125 (#880)

My Review: Inky in the glass. Bouquet of rich, dark jammy fruit, sharp licorice, alternating with sulfur. The fruit and sulfur continue to alternate onto the heavy palate with a tart cherry and tobacco finish.  We had a long discussion about this wine and think we should have decanted it and opened it way earlier! August 2022

2008 Parsonage Dario Reserve Merlot, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $125 (#881)

My Review: Dark in the glass.  Beautiful nose of dark fruit – like cassis. Palate has notes of plum, prune, and cassis with a hint of sulphur. November 2022

2016 Parsonage Rocco Reserve Syrah, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $80 (#89)

Winery Notes: “This is our flagship wine and what we’re known for. It’s what our dinner guests ask for when they come to visit.  The Rocco is a big red wine to pair with steak or anything grilled or barbecued. We get brambleberry, grilled game, mocha, umami and spice. This wine is delicious now but could be aged for years and years.” 150 cases were produced. All neutral oak was used to mitigate smokiness – brilliant.

My Review: Inky. Big nose of dark fruit, alcohol, sweet tobacco and licorice (a bit of barnyard). Tons of rich, jammy, dark fruit cloaked in smoke on the finish. I recognized it right away as a Rocco. Still delicious despite the smoke taint. Probably one of the best 2016 Monterey smoke-tainted wines out there. September 2022

2014 Parsonage Carmelstone Syrah, Carmel Valley AVA, 15% ABV, $125 (#882)

My Review: Cinnamon and berry on the nose. Juicy, smooth, rich palate of intense berries and cinnamon spice. I am so sad we opened both bottles and it is gone. November 2022

2015 Parsonage Xandro Reserve, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (#883) Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass.  Dark berries on the nose. Very delicious warm fruit. Scrumptious! May 2022

Parsonage is open for tastings by reservation only every day – click here for the details.  You can obtain their wines directly from the winery here or at their tasting room located at19 E Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. 

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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At Rombi, It is More than Just the Exceptional Wine!

A visit to Rombi Wines in Carmel Valley is always a good time.  Sal Rombi treats everyone like a best friend – he is full of stories and such a gracious host while we enjoy some of the biggest wines made in all of Monterey County.  And our visit with him in July was no different.  We were fortunate to have him all to ourselves.  We were able to catch up, hear some stories, and taste his current releases, most of which I have had the fortune to taste before.

 In May of 2021, I gave you a preview of Rombi wines to come here: https://decantingmonterey.com/rombi-a-preview-of-wines-to-come/.  Back in the tasting room in July 2022, I am happy to find these wines are now available for everyone to try!  I’ll be re-presenting those wines here, but also adding a few others – including some wines which would now be considered “library” wines from my own collection. 

The fruit from Sal’s Carmel Valley Vineyard is so flavorful, creating wines with up-front intense flavors. Rombi’s wines are very big and complex – highly recommend decanting to get the full fruit flavors.  Actually, we have been double-decanting and double-aerating them for best results…unless you really want to wait a day after opening. Who can wait? I mean, it is not like we decide at noon that we will have one of his big Cabernet Sauvignons after dinner.  It is usually an in-the-moment decision.

I exchanged a few dog-related texts with Sal in September. The last time we visited him in July, our dog messed up the extremely difficult dancing dog puzzle we had been working on. Separation issues. While we knew almost immediately he had eaten a few blue pieces, we didn’t know until we competed this now even more difficult puzzle that he had eaten 68 pieces. 68!!

But what I learned in our brief exchange of texts is the concern of our local vintners regarding this heat wave we’ve been having throughout the west. Harvesting at 115 degrees is not good. I found this informative article about Central Valley grapes from 2020. Fresno State Winemaker Tom Montgomery is quoted in that article as saying this: “Above about 90 degrees …the vines — the metabolism — starts to shut down. And that’s a protective measure for self-preservation. So they’re conserving water and not transpiring and not ripening fruit. Sometimes we see them stall in very hot weather.” We are all hoping for the best outcomes for the 2022 vintage. Sal did tell me later that everything is looking good for his grapes! I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground from our other local vintners as we make the rounds.

In today’s post I will present 8 wines past and present! These include what he is currently pouring in the tasting room plus some wines from our home collection. I think we started collecting Rombi Wine with the 2010 vintage. I’ve presented Rombi Wines to you several times before – just type “Rombi” in the search bar!

Sal has always been generous to Decanting Monterey, whether it is replenishing my home stock or giving me new wines to try.  I will always let you know when a winery has comped me the wine – which a few have done.  Since this is an all-volunteer effort, it is small gestures like these that make operating my blog affordable – in an indirect way! One example is that I now possess the 2019 Merlot, which is not yet released – we’ll wait for the right occasion to open this one for a review. Another donation is noted below. These gifts don’t change my reviews – they are opportunities to taste unreleased wines, share with me more of a wine I really like, replenish my stock, or in some cases wines to present in my all-volunteer classes.

2018 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#326) (Tasting Room)

This was his 12th year of production.

My Review: Beautiful dark ruby, raspberry swirling in color. Intense berry and a little must on the nose. Mouthfilling tart dark berries on the dry palate. Very good and well balanced. If the 2012 is any indicator, I’ll try to put this away for years to come! March 2021/July 2022

2012 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $65 (#836) (Home Library)

We shared this wine with our wine pod partners in early August. I have to say, these “library” Merlots are drinking incredibly well. I think we all were extremely impressed. Just proving that it pays to hold onto these wines!

My Review: Super dark and beautiful in the glass. Nice bouquet of dark plum, cherry, sagebrush and graphite on the nose. Rich palate of dark cherry, dark black raspberry, olive tapenade, tarragon and some tannin. Drinking great, but could last another 10 years. July 2022

2017 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#328) (Tasting Room)

My Review: Deep ruby in color. Distinctive, intense berry, Cassis and caramel and vanilla on the nose. A classic Cabernet nose. Intense flavors on the palate. Graphite, lean “St Estèphe-like.” Dark, intense fruit on the palate. That’s pretty good. Tongue-coating. March 2021/July 2022

2016 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.1% ABV, $ (837) (Tasting Room)

My Review: This was the first time we had tasted this new release, affected by the Soberanes Fire. Dark ruby in the glass, tastes a bit like BBQ ribs with some ash on the finish.  I like BBQ ribs…just sayin’.

2013 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, $65 (#838) (Home Library)

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Rich dark raspberry on the nose. Pretty rich and smooth dark berries on the palate with a very dry finish. While I retain a special spot for the 2015 vintage, the 2013 is one of his best we have tasted. We double decanted and double aerated this wine before tasting. January/May 2022

2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#100) (Home Library)

Sometime back, I asked Sal about the 2011 growing season.  He indicated it was a good season – one in which “nothing weird” happened.  This was also his 5th year of production, so he felt he was really hitting his stride.  I told him we really had to let this wine open up before we experienced the delicious, distinctive fruit we remembered from his 2015 vintage.  He reminded me that one must always, always decant his wines. 

My Review: Beautiful deep ruby color. After it opened up, plum and cassis backed by complex tannins on the nose.  Cherry and some tartness on the palate, with the acidity balanced out by lovely round, dark berry fruit flavors. It finishes dry, dotted with spearmint and tobacco notes. For our recent September tasting, we only single decanted and aerated this wine, but it would have benefited from being double decanted and double aerated. We should know better by now!  After it fully opened up and also on day 2, this was still drinking deliciously. July 2020/September 2022

2014 Rombi Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#260) (Tasting Room)

My Review: Deep purple-red in the glass. A very different nose with a touch of barnyard. Delicious, chalky, deep plum and cherry on the palate with a leathery finish. Drinking well. August 2020/July 2022

2018 Rombi Petit Verdot, Napa Valley, 14.4% ABV, $75 (#329) (Tasting Room)

This is Rombi’s first Petit Verdot! He shared with us the small fact that Petit Verdot is the last fruit to ripen. I likely had commented that I used to think Petit Verdot was a touch vegetal.  Perhaps others aren’t patient enough for the fruit to ripen fully!

My Review: Inky ruby/purple. Great nose of mocha and blackberries. Full bodied, with rich, dark berries and so smooth on the palate. Blackberry and blueberry with a touch of menthol tobacco mid-palate. Licorice dry long finish. Still the best Petit Verdot I’ve ever had! I like this wine. Sal gave me one to take home. March 2021/July 2022

Visit the Rombi Tasting Room: If you have not yet had the opportunity to taste Sal’s wines, I highly recommend visiting him on a Saturday or Sunday, 12-5 at One Center Street, Carmel Valley Village. You can learn more about his wines online at Rombi Wines.  You can also contact Kathy and Sal at kathy@rombiwines.com  or sal@rombiwines.com for more information about buying their wines. 

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Wrapping Up our “Sideways” Tour with Beckmen Vineyards!

This is the final post in my “Sideways” tour in Los Olivos.  I wanted to visit a couple of tasting rooms at their wineries for the true Ballard Canyon experience, but our time was extremely limited. And we had to drive to Buellton (yes, Buellton!) to spend the night. Luckily, Beckmen was kind of on the way! We drove from downtown Los Olivos along back roads and a long driveway to beautiful Beckmen Vineyards and their tasting room. I was grateful to them for being flexible on our arrival time (I probably changed it 3 times!).  We felt like total tourists, bumbling around the property trying to find the entrance to the tasting room. 

The tasting room has such a picturesque setting – with the outdoor seating area overlooking a pond. By the time we got there, it was extremely hot outside. We decided to taste indoors in the air conditioning, rather than outside, enjoying the view.  We were met by Tasting Room Associate Dannika, who was extremely knowledgeable about all the wines, the owner, and the history. She was very engaging and professional. I’d love to go back on a not-so-hot day and enjoy more of their wines – and the view from the deck. 

About Beckmen: “Beckmen Vineyards began after Tom and Judy Beckmen left their innovative electronic music company Roland Corp, US to become pioneers of California wine. With youngest son Steve as Winemaker, and oldest son Jeff joining as Director of Sales later on, Beckmen Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery. Since 1994, we’ve established ourselves as a benchmark Santa Barbara County grower and producer. Our consistent quality vintage after vintage keeps us a favorite of critics, tastemakers, and collectors. Our wines have filled the cellars and tables of the country’s finest restaurants and houses (including the White House).

“Beckmen wines are crafted almost exclusively from our two vineyards, the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard in Los Olivos District AVA and Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Ballard Canyon AVA. Farming over 150 acres of vines, we view every vintage as another opportunity to grow our legacy as a world-class winery by creating wines that future generations will enjoy. Currently, we’re proud to be hosting wine lovers seven days a week, providing unforgettable experiences at our beautiful winery and tasting room in the Santa Ynez Valley.”

I learned some notable things about the Beckmens, part of the original Rhône Rangers. Dannika shared that the Beckmens were the first to make a Rosé and the first to bottle Grenache as a single varietal in Santa Barbara County, paving the way for many others who have followed. You can read more about the Beckmens in this Forbes article from 2019.

We recently received a newsletter from Steve Beckmen in honor of International Grenache Day. He was offering a special on 3 of his highly rated Grenache bottlings and said this:

“…For many vintages, our Block Eight Grenache was one of the most intense and exotic Grenache wines that we produced. That is not surprising given the smaller berries and clusters that this old head trained block produces. Sadly, the 2019 Block Eight Grenache might be one of the last bottlings of this wine as intense heat and drought have had an effect on these vines. If you’re a fan of Block Eight, you’ll want to take advantage of this opportunity.
 
“The 2020 Grenache Libre is the first vintage of this wine, produced from a new head trained block of Grenache combined with fruit from Block Eight with 35% whole cluster. In his 94 point rating, Jeb Dunnuck described the wine as having ” Châteauneuf-like notes of ripe red and black fruits, dried herbs, graphite, and loamy earth all emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, fine yet present tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. 
 
“The Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache has been a fixture in our portfolio since the beginning. 2020 also garnered 94 points from Dunnuck. It’s a truly great vintage that he describes as “wonderfully balanced, with ripe, sweet tannins and the rare quality of Grenache that brings richness yet with no sensation of weight or heaviness…”

I also want to share this quote about why the Ballard Canyon AVA is so special for Syrah from a 2014 interview with Steve Beckmen in The Wine Write: “Ballard Canyon is a special place, and we’re extremely excited about the AVA designation.  We really enjoy working with the great group of producers and growers in Ballard Canyon.  We all believe that having California’s first dedicated Rhone (Syrah) focused AVA will help in the promotions of our wines.  Some of the most respected wineries and vineyards in Santa Ynez are within our Ballard Canyon group.  We have a few newly released wines with the new AVA on the label, and one of our new Syrahs uses the new Ballard Canyon bottle…response to those has been really positive.”

They also have a line of natural wines – 1NGREDIENT – which are single ingredient and aged in clay pots.  The only other place I have experienced this in the U.S. is with Wrath’s Falanghina.

I don’t want to leave our “Sideways” tour without mentioning our dinner at The Hitching Post 2. The menu was as expected, heavy on the steaks. Two of us meat eaters enjoyed delicious steaks (I have the smallest filet mignon) with all the fixings. It was quite a delicious meal. My steak was prepared perfectly. I would definitely eat there again. The restaurant is run quite efficiently and it was packed, which I found a bit surprising for a weeknight. We stopped to check out the bar on our way in and out, just to refresh movie scenes in our minds. 

Today I am presenting 7 Beckmen Vineyards wines. Winery notes come from their website, unless otherwise noted.

I’ll also add an 8th wine from dinner here – The Hitching Post Syrah (#835). I am not sure of the vintage or even that it was “BIG CIRCLE”. It might be fun to do a tasting of Hitching Post wines on a future visit. According to the winery’s website, “”BIG CIRCLE” is our Santa Barbara Syrah that features the fruitiness and acidity of our cool climate, combined with the body and broad flavors brought on by warm days during the ripening season, creating a full bodied and lively wine.” While our food at The Hitching Post 2 was out of this world, the house Syrah just could not compare to all the great wines we tasted all day. I don’t think I could even finish it – and that is all I will say. I’m sure they make some good ones – that glass just wasn’t it. 

2021 Beckmen Vineyards Purisma Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rosé, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, 13.4% ABV, $29 (#828)

Winery Notes: “Bright lifted aromas and flavors of watermelon, cranberry, strawberry and citrus highlight the 2021 PMV Grenache Rosé. The cooler vintage provided great acidity that carries the impressive flavors on the very long finish. Our trademark creamy texture and the wines’ impeccable balance make this an epic vintage of our Rosé. Drink this now and over the next 2-3 years. Crafted from 100% certified biodynamic grapes.”

My Review: Brownish rose in the glass. A perfumed nose of gardenia and watermelon. Crisp, cold, refreshing.  An excellent rosé. Very enjoyable. August 2022

2020 Beckmen Vineyards Purisma Mountain Vineyard Viognier, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#829)

Winery Notes: “One of our favorite vintages ever for this wine, the 2020 is fantastic and everything we expect out of our Viognier. Outgoing aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, jasmine, white flowers, and a touch of white pepper show the full array of Viognier aromatics. The mouth balances richness and elegance, creaminess with a touch of acid, showing how truly great our Viognier can be. The flavors glide over the palate with stone fruits, apricot, white flower, and a mineral note that finishes incredibly long.

We cannot express how excited we are to release the 2020 PMV Viognier! It should continue to drink beautifully for the next 5-7 years or more. Crafted from 100% certified biodynamic viognier.”

My Review: Light golden in color. Nice perfume on the nose. A very tasty palate of honeysuckle and citrus.  Crisp and delicious. August 2022

2019 Beckmen Vineyards Estate Block Eight Grenache, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, 15.2% ABV, $65 (#830)

Winery Notes: “There is always an exotic side to the Block 8 Grenache that separates it from our other bottlings. It is one of our most intense Grenache wines we produce, which is not surprising based on the smaller berries and clusters that this old, head trained, own rooted vineyard delivers. Complex aromas of candied orange, violets, white pepper, and red fruits are lifted and expressive. The mouth shows its usual richness and structure with red and black fruits, dried flowers, and spices that are deep and concentrated. A terrific vintage of Block 8 Grenache that should age for the next 12-15 years or more.” See the box above for more info – now is the time to snap this wine up!

My Review: Transparent ruby in the glass. ripe and bright due to the long growing season. Heavier than most Grenache. Pretty darn delicious. A cut above most Central Coast Grenache wines.  As it should be since Steve Beckmen was the first to bottle it as a single varietal. August 2022

2019 Beckmen Vineyards Purisma Mountain Vineyard Block Six Syrah, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, 14.8% ABV, $75 (#831)

Winery Notes: “Block Six was the first section of Purisima Mountain Vineyard to be farmed biodynamically starting in 2002 and is the highest elevation block in the vineyard featuring significant deposits of chalky limestone. These factors contribute to a wine that has consistently been our finest Syrah bottling.

“Classic Block Six Syrah aromas of game, pepper, blackberry, chocolate, and mineral highlight the 2019 vintage. Another stellar year for this wine, the palate is packed with more spice, dark fruits, chocolate, and plum with amazing texture, fine tannins, and balanced acidity. Delicious as usual, the 2019 should age beautifully for the next 25-30 years. Crafted from 100% certified biodynamic grapes.” Vinous – 93 points

My Review: By now, it is getting late in our day. Rich berry and smooth – one of the top Syrahs I have tasted today. Very elegant and impressive. I took one home! August 2022

2019 Beckmen Vineyards Purisma Mountain Vineyard Syrah, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, $39 (#832)

Winery Notes: “The cool 2019 growing season produced a very savory vintage of PMV Syrah. Cured meats, game, roasted earth, pepper, blackberry, and coco highlight the aromas of the 2019. Elegant and rounded on the palate (reminiscent of the very successful 2015 vintage), the mouth shows off sweet black fruits, dark chocolate, game, mocha, and pepper with fine tannins that carry the flavor through the very long, savory finish. A bit young and tight upon release, the 2019 should be decanted or aged for the short term and will age beautifully for the next 15-18 years or longer. Crafted from 100% certified biodynamic syrah grapes.” Vinous – 94 points

My Review: This Syrah was good, but, to my overused palate, at first it tasted more like a Côte-Rôtie-style Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier. Palate of berries and a touch of ash with a tart finish. It really isn’t fair to taste this at the end of a day of tasting and side by side with the Block Six. I’ll have to do a retaste of this 94-point wine. August 2022

2020 Beckmen Vineyards 1NGREDIENT Sauvignon Blanc, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, $50 (#833)

Winery Notes: “A natural wine, fermented and aged on the skins for 10 months in amphora, then hand bottled and hand labelled. Learn more about this wine and our natural 1NGREDIENT label.

Big and intense upon opening with candied lemon, mineral and citrus aromas, this thought-provoking wine fills the mouth with citrus fruits and saline flavors. The extended skin contact brings youthful tannins and juicy acidity that provide the wine with ample structure creating an edgy mouthfeel which supports the intense flavors. The wine opens up with some air or decanting to show citrus fruits, saline, green apple, and Asian pear flavors and aromas with a broad more rounded mouthfeel as the tannins integrate into the wine. The wine’s amazing acidity carries the flavors on the long, complex finish. Surprisingly full and rich for its moderate alcohol, the 2020 1NGREDIENT Sauvignon Blanc is a step up in quality from the successful inaugural release from the 2018 vintage. It should evolve beautifully for the next decade or more. Crafted from 100% certified biodynamic grapes.”

Wine Enthusiast – 92 points: “Only one ingredient—Sauvignon Blanc grapes—went into this 63-case bottling, which was aged in clay pots. The intriguing result is a slightly cloudy, yellow wine, loaded with preserved Meyer lemon, crushed clay and baked orange aromas on the nose. The palate shows melon and nectarine as well as tangerine and grapefruit pith flavors. Unique.” Matt Kettmann 9/2022

My Review: Cloudy in the glass with a kind of yeasty weirdness.  I admire a winery that plays with clay pot fermentation and aging.  Would have been fun to try the others.  Another time! August 2022

2019 Beckmen Vineyards SYV Cabernet Sauvignon, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, $39 (#834)

Winery Notes: “It is always tough to follow a great vintage, but the 2019 SYV Cabernet Sauvignon is a great follow up to the outstanding 2018 vintage. More focused on our estate fruit from the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Vineyard, the 2019 shows classic aromas and flavors of cherry, black currant, vanilla, tobacco, and earth. The mouthfeel is smooth, round, and elegant, with great acidity from the cooler vintage in 2019 that carries the fruit on the very long finish. Approachable and ready to drink now, the wine will age wonderfully over the next 12-15 years.” Vinous – 93 points

My Review: With a splash of Merlot, this wine was spicy and juicy. Dark plum and cassis on the finish. A very nice wine to finish our day of wine tasting! August 2022

Come Visit Us at the Winery: I highly recommend adding Beckmen Vineyards to your Los Olivos wine tasting adventure if you want to drive a tiny bit out of town. “Enjoy a flight of six pre­mier wines or pic­nic at one of our gaze­bos over­look­ing our pond.” 2670 Ontiveros Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441  Open dai­ly from 11am — 5pm, reser­va­tions recommended.

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Parsonage Showcases Its Powerful Wines to the Monterey AWS!

The Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) asked if I had any ideas or connections for one of their First Friday WinedUP.  I recommended Parsonage and reached out to Summer.  After some consultation (due to the potential size of our group and the after-hours time we wanted to visit), they agreed to have us. And I think everyone is glad they did!

Parsonage’s exceptional tasting room staff, Summer and Linda, welcomed the Monterey AWS with their big smiles and expertise!

While we planned to use their outside seating, the wind had kicked up – and they accommodated us indoors instead.  It was perfect.  We got to choose between the regular tasting and the reserve tasting.  We, of course, did both since we are wine club members.  And Parsonage showcased some “extra” wines, as well – their rarely-made Chardonnay and reserve Petit Verdot.  Lucky us!

But before we get to those, I have another story.  In December 2019, I was in the Parsonage tasting room when they informed me that they were having a big sale on their large format wines, specifically a 3-litre bottle of the 2005 Carmelstone Syrah from their estate.  This is one of my all time favorite wines (please don’t tell Rocco).  Normally $500, this large bottle was on sale for $265. We had a family reunion slated for Easter of 2020 and, after many texts back and forth with my husband, we decided to buy it for that event. And then COVID happened, meaning no reunion.

The 2005 3L bottle compared to the 2006 750 ml bottle!
We opened this bottle with a Durand Corkscrew – just in case the cork was tricky – but it was in perfect condition!

I wondered how this bottle would hold up – and whether we would ever get to serve it.  With no reunion in sight, what we would do with it? Fortunately, we were able to have the reunion in Spring of 2022. We had this wine the first night and it was spectacular. We all agreed it was the best wine of the weekend.  No offense to all those other great wines we had.  And we had no problem finishing off the bottle in one night – it was a lot of people and we do love our big reds!

Today, I am presenting 12 Parsonage wines – mostly from that July 1 event, but also a few others we served at our family reunion back in April.  Winery notes come from the Parsonage website, as usual.

I’ve presented Parsonage to you in several prior posts and won’t repeat about them here (just type “Parsonage” in the search bar to see them all). You can check out their website here:  https://www.parsonagewine.com/.

2021 Parsonage Chardonnay, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $36 (793)

Winery Notes: “A true outlier! No oak bombing. Never been a Chardonnay quite like this one. A white flower melange of jasmine and elderflower with tropical fruit hints of perfectly ripe kiwi, pineapple, and guava, followed by subtle lemon zest. The opulent mouthfeel suggest a presence of honey owing to the wine’s slow passage across the palate which creates a lengthy and dramatic finish.”

My Review: Full malolactic fermentation, all stainless steel. Very tropical nose with melon notes.  Rich on the palate – a touch sweet, full of ripe tropical flavors. July 2022 (No buttery, no oak)

2021 Parsonage Grenache Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $29 (794)

Winery Notes: “A perennial warm weather favorite. And a surprise to everyone who thinks they don’t like Rosé! Made with Grenache grapes. Owner Bill Parsons’ tasting notes: Another spectacular bouquet of candied violets, star anise, bubble gum, and your favorite perfume. Delicious mouthful of ripe strawberry, mulberry, red currant with a hint of orange zest in this off-dry marvel!”

My Review: Brownish tint to the pink juice. Tropical nose. A little sweet on the palate with a slight metallic taste on the finish. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Estate Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $42 (795)

Winery Notes: “A vibrant nose of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate and wildflowers. The gorgeous red fruit is full, round and rich on the palate with a hint of Darjeeling on the long, lovely finish.”

My Review: Ruby in color.  Jammy nose of berries and cherries. A lot of fruit on the palate and a touch tart – like a dark cherry Jolly Rancher – in a good way.  Black tea on the finish.  I like this wine. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $28 (796) 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah

Winery Notes: “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:   Pretty ruby in the glass. Yummy dark fruit on the palate and a lot of oak on the dry, slightly minty  finish. New release – perhaps young still.This was left extra time in the barrels thanks to COVID (2.5 years). Let this one sit a bit more in the bottle. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Hawk Reserve Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $90 (797)

Winery Notes: “Exemplary of our house style of making wine from grapes at the pinnacle of perfect ripeness, this Pinot has brilliant notes of black cherry with dried rose petals, cola, and English breakfast tea. The rich, round, elegant palate adds raspberry and currant to the dominant black cherry compote with the tea tannins driving the vibrant finish.”

My Review: Ruby in the glass. Very lean and sophisticated, more like a Burgundy. This reserve wine was lighter than the 2 previous wines – I’d like to taste it again in a different order. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Wild Card Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $38 (533)

Winery Notes: “As wild and crazy as they come, Frank’s seven varietal blend is to winemaking what a crazy quilt is to sewing. The magical blend, in no particular order, is Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. It’s an intriguing mélange of perfumed raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, plum and cranberry on a medium palate with a lively finish.”

My Review: This review is a complete rewrite from the tasting I did in October 2021.  Rich, dark ruby in the glass.  A jammy nose. Complex tannins and layered, jammy fruit.  The 7 varietals have melded very nicely together in this vintage – this is a winner! July 2022

2018 Parsonage Syrah, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $48 (535)

Winery Notes: “Big and rich, our flagship varietal. Pairs well with anything grilled or barbequed. The 18th iteration of our signature wine is deep, rich and savory with dark berries, mocha and umami that synergistically form the delicious Parsonage terroir. This vintage has a little something different that is thought-provoking and downright cerebral. There’s a fascinating component that asks you to take a moment and attempt to identify its nature. Then you can’t resist reflecting on just what is that mysterious essence? It’s quite compelling. If you figure it out, please let me know.”

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass.  Sophisticated nose of berries, followed by huge palate of berries, with menthol and black pepper on the finish. Grapes sourced from their estate, Cedar Lane, and Coastview vineyards. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Rocco Reserve  Syrah, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $90 (536)

Winery Notes: “In a single word – MAGNIFICENT!  The Rocco Estate Reserve Syrah is our flagship wine, the wine that put us on the map. All of the Rocco vintages have been big, opulent, and complex world class Syrahs. The 2018 has these attributes and more. This Rocco possesses a mysterious nature that calls out for a moment of palate reflection. It’s something about the interface of perfectly ripe fruit and savory flavor. There’s all that beautiful dark fruit colliding with grilled tenderloin and exotic spices/herbs backgrounded with mocha and hints of umami. A wine for the ages, simply MAGNIFICENT!!!”

My Review: If I were stranded on a desert island and could only take one wine, this would be it. Dark, rich ruby in the glass. Cassis and dark berries on the nose.  Super huge palate of dark fruit, very smooth. Lots of oak on the finish. My all time favorite. July 2022

2017 Parsonage Rocco Reserve  Syrah, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (222)

Winery Notes: “Our flagship wine, this vintage is opulent. The ripe black, blue, and red fruit are immense in the nose and the mouth. The palate explodes in an essence of summer savory with exotic Asian spices wrapped in umami. The fullness and concentrated richness of the finish are suggestive of a high end Amarone.”

My Review: Hot buttered rum on the nose. Dark fruit and a touch of cedar as it opened up.  buttery bone marrow, leather, rosemary and figs on the palate.  Asphalt, pencil shavings and caramel on the finish. April 2022

2005 Parsonage Carmelstone Reserve Syrah, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, 3L Bottle: $500.00 (798)

One big, hefty 3L bottle!

Winery Notes: N/A

My Review: Very dark ruby in the glass.  Raisin and cassis on the nose.  Rich blackberry with bubblegum notes mid-palate with a touch of smoke/tobacco on the finish.  Our favorite wine of the reunion weekend. April 2022

2018 Parsonage Xandro Reserve Red Wine, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (799) 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Syrah

Winery Notes: “A nose of ripe dark berries and wild flowers that creates its own unique perfume for this remarkable marriage of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested at the peak of ripeness.

All of the beautiful dark fruit of the nose is joined by mocha and a bit of umami to create glorious hedonistic delights on the palate with uncommon continuity from beginning to end.”

My Review: Such a rich, dark ruby!  Lovely nose of dark fruit and carmel.  Super dark fruit on the palate.  A la Penfolds Grange. We liked this wine and took some home. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Bixby Reserve Petit Verdot, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (544)

Winery Notes: “The Bixby has always had a distinctly floral nose but the 2018 sets a new record for perfumed bouquet. We’re talking Chanel No. 5 here. And, no, we didn’t add any wildflowers to the fermenter. Honest! There’s delicious dark fruit on the nose and palate, mostly currant, black cherry, and huckleberry with a hint of mulberry. This is a very complex and age worthy wine that finishes with satisfyingly bracing tannins.”

My Review: Caramel on the nose and palate, mixed with bright fruit. Very tasty – not at all vegetal (which is how I used to think of Petit Verdot). July 2022

Parsonage is open for tastings by reservation only every day – click here for the details.  You can obtain their wines directly from the winery here or at their tasting room located at19 E Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. 

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Bunter Spring Suddenly Closes Tasting Room – Wine Pod Jumps on Chance to Taste His Wines!

I happened to see on Facebook last week that Bunter Spring was suddenly closing its tasting room and was having a 50% off sale over the weekend.  We contacted our Decanting Monterey Wine Pod partners to see if they wanted to go.  It is another Senate Staffer connection which had not yet had the opportunity to taste Mark Bunter’s wines.  Affirmative! 

Decanting Monterey Wine Pod partners enjoy their first Bunter Spring tasting!

Mark explained that a lease issue caused him to suddenly close while he seeks another venue.  For a small producer like Bunter Spring, it is vital he have an outlet for people to taste and learn about his wines.  While we were there, he gave us the inside scoop on each wine and a full education on yeast (which went right over my head).  He let us taste many of his wines, including an array of higher end wines from Napa. We hope he finds another venue soon.

I am presenting 8 of the wines we tasted that day – some others were presented in previous posts, such as this one: https://decantingmonterey.com/bunter-spring-how-many-former-senate-staffers-does-it-take-to-find-great-wines/. Winery notes come from their tasting sheet or website.There is more information on the back labels: I’ve included photos where I can. You can find more information on their website here. 

2021 Spring Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley, 13.34% ABV, $35 (#753)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Barrel fermented. Green apple, bread dough, pineapple. Medium body, subtle butter and oak. Dry.” 50 cases produced.

My Review:  Pale yellow with a slightly musty nose.  A tasty palate of line and pineapple, with a touch of butter on the finish. June 2022

2020 Bunter Spring Rosé of Syrah, Coombsville, Napa Valley, 12.34%, $25 (#754)

Winemaker’s Notes: “The 2020 fires in Napa were catastrophic. We picked this early, for rosé, and avoided the smoke. Dry.” 33 cases produced.

My Review:  Transluscent reddish amber in the glass. A touch of sweetness on the nose, but very tasty, a bit like a cherry cola.  It is different from most rosés. We bought this wine and have now enjoyed it at home. June 2022

2017 Spring Pinot Noir, Monterey County (#755)             

Winemaker’s Notes (verbal): The juice for this wine comes ½ from Chalone and 1/2 from the Palisades in Carmel Valley. Earthy, French Roast coffee.

My Review:  Dark ruby in color with coffee on the nose and dark fruit on the palate.  Very tasty, different. June 2022

2018 Bunter Spring Hippie Syrah, Napa 14.25% (#756)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Napa organic grapes, feral ferment. Red fruit, meaty, earthy, with a big hit of spicy American oak from new barrels. Very low (40 ppm) sulfite.” 60 cases produced.

My Review:  Very dark ruby in color.  A dark cherry nose.  Black cherry on the rich, tasty palate, with a touch of yeastiness on the finish. This is my favorite to date of the Hippie Syrahs! June 2022

2018 Spring “Pizza Wine”, Highlands Vineyard, Monterey, 14.96% ABV, $24 (#757) 65% Zinfandel, 35% Syrah

Winemaker’s Notes: “Fruit punchy jammy everyday red. It’s great with red-sauced pasta, too.” 75 cases produced.

My Review:  Very dark in color. Sweet dark fruit on the nose. Jammy dark berries and a touch of alcohol on the palate.  I like this wine and selected it for one of my wine classes. June 2022

2017 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley, 13.38% ABV, $45 (#758)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Organic grapes. A very good example of the unique local Cabernet Sauvignon character.” 24 cases produced.

My Review:  What he didn’t say is these grapes come from the Massa Estate (formerly Durney/Heller), one of the most well known, local, long time producers of high end Cabernet Sauvignon in the Carmel Valley AVA. He has masterfully made this wine, which at other wineries would sell for double the price.  This was my favorite wine of the day and I wish I had bought more of it. But we didn’t want to be greedy. June 2022

2016 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga, Napa Valley, 13.76% ABV, $60 (#759)

Winemaker’s Notes: “100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Expensive fruit, but worth it.  The real deal.” 24 cases produced.

My Review:  Dark, heavy ruby in the glass. Plum and dark jammy fruits on the nose and palate. Wer took some of that wine home.  June 2022

2012 Spring Red Wine, Napa Valley, 13.8% ABV, $90 (#760) 86% Cabernet Franc, 14% Petit Verdot

Winemaker’s Notes: “Classic Napa style, big, tannic, structured, best with food.” 37 cases produced.

My Review:  Dark ruby in the glass.  Lively nose of violets and red fruits. A delicious palate of raspberry and cherry flavors. A bit lighter than the heavy Cabernets we had just tasted. Exceptional. June 2022

Want to buy or taste their wines?  Things are in a bit of a flux at the moment.  The best bet is to call Mark at (202) 744-1343. You can see some of the current releases here and contact Mark by phone or email to order.  Directions are here.  They ship within California and to Washington DC and Florida. 

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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A New Face in the I Brand Tasting Room!

Stop the presses!

I was on the road this spring quite a bit and did not make the tasting room rounds – until late in June, when we went on a tasting streak in a single long weekend!  While I was busy traveling, I sometimes sought the easy post to fulfill the weekly blog. And I have neglected some of the bigger tastings I did in the winter.  As I look back, I recall I did not post my February 2022 I Brand tasting because I had another catchup post in the works. I recently attended their first release party in a couple of years – and realized there were quite a few other wines I needed to write about first. So, I am halting the presses on my more recent flurry of tastings for this catch-up post!

I distinctly remember this tasting – when we met Will for the first time in the tasting room.  It was so nice to put a face with the new name and he warmly welcomed us. We tried to move quickly through the wines, as we were just in the neighborhood and had not planned a full tasting – we got one anyway!

I have 12 wines (zounds!) to present to you today from across all 3 labels of I Brand & Family, La Marea and Le P’tit Paysan and spanning 2016-2020. Most of these come from my February tasting, but others were from our private collection. Unless otherwise specified, winemaker’s notes come from the winery tech sheets or notes online.

While the wines speak for themselves, I’d like to include this quote from Ian’s Spring 2022 Winemaker Letter, which hit home why I remain a fan of Ian and his wines.  He talks about his “…fascination with old vineyards and more obscure varieties.” He goes on to say, “To appropriately shepherd the local winemaking industry into its best iteration, there needs to be a semi-cohesive idea of what a region is – there should be an expected balance and flavor profile shared in the wines from the region…As we are able to realize and share our ideas of our terroir, wines from the region will become more valuable, which leads to more value in our community.” You can red more about Ian and Heather Brand and their wines here: https://www.ibrandwinery.com/.

2020 I Brand & Family Pinot Gris, Eden Rift Vineyard, Cienega Valley, San Benito County, 12.2% ABV, $30 (#741)

Winemaker’s Notes: “A fresh and delicious ‘orange wine’ from mature, terraced Pinot Gris grapes on the oldest, continually producing commercial vineyard in California.”

My Review: Pale pink in the glass – balanced acidity on the palate. February 2022

2020 I Brand & Family Old Vines White, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley, San Benito County, 13% ABV, $36 (#742)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Old Vine White field blend is a blend of 3 unusual varietals. Orange Muscat, Mission and Palamino.”

My Review:  Straw in the glass and sweet muscat and honeysuckle on the nose.  The palate was not as sweet as the nose predicted, with decent tartness with a light, slightly sweet finish.  Quite refreshing – I kind of liked it! February 2022

2017 Le P’tit Paysan Jacks Hill Chardonnay, Monterey, 12.5% ABV, $22 (#743)

Winemaker’s Notes: “A pure, fresh, minerality driven, Chablis like Chardonnay blend from Jacks Hill on the Central Coast…Blended from a collection of five small vineyards at the base of “Jack’s Hill”, in Chualar, CA…planted on the distinct iron oxide granite that dominates the east side of Salinas Valley, directly east of Sleepy Hollow North. Bright, crisp and clean with orchard fruit giving way to an intense minerality.”

92 points – Wine Enthusiast: “This bottling by Ian Brand always packs bang for the buck, but he really nailed it in the 2017 vintage. Clean and delicate aromas of Asian pear, lemon rind and edgy chalk lead into a racy, crisp and tightly wound palate. Flavors of grapefruit, nectarine, blanched almond and sea salt are delicious.” *Editors’ Choice* Matt Kettmann (2/2019)

My Review: Pale yellow in color.  Honeydew melon on the nose.  Honey and gardenia on the palate, with lime notes on the finish.  April 2022.

2018 Le P’tit Paysan Jacks Hill Chardonnay, Monterey, 13% ABV, $22 (#744)

90 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Tight and brisk aromas of lemon peel and sandstone come through on the nose of this always fairly priced bottling. It’s soft on the palate in texture, but a wet stone minerality and lemon juice acidity provide tension, with dried pear and orange peel flavors showing as well.” Matt Kettmann

My Review: A touch leaner than previous vintages with a little acidity on the finish. February 2022

2019 La Marea and 2017 Besson Old Vines Grenache – Side by Side!

2019 La Marea Grenache, Central Coast, 14% ABV, $30 (#745)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Fresh, medium bodied Grenache from three rocky vineyards averaging over 50 years of age.”

My Review:  A muddy ruby, richer in color than othis other Grenaches – almost purple.  Good cherry fruits on the palate. February 2022

2017 I Brand & Family Besson Vineyard Old Vines Grenache, Santa Clara County, $42 (#746)

94 points – Wine Enthusiast: “Sage-oil, tea-leaf and geranium notes meet with dried strawberry and rose petal on the spicy, earthy nose of this bottling. The palate is a mix of dried flowers and rocky minerality, with flavors of gravel, dried currant and more tea leaf making for a fascinating sip of century- old vines.” Matt Kettmann

My Review: Light, translucent ruby in color, but richer, more tannic flavors.February 2022

2016 I Brand & Family Besson Vineyard Old Vines Grenache, Santa Clara County, 14% ABV, $42 (#747)

Winemaker’s Notes: “A delightful and balanced expression of the Piedmontese white from the calcium laced gravels of the Vista Verde Vineyard in San Benito County.”

My Review: Dark, translucent ruby in color. Dark berries and smooth tannins on the palate.  IMHO, one of his best Grenache wines. March 2022

2018 I Brand & Family Grenache/Syrah, Chalone AVA, 13.8% ABV, $42 (#748) 72% Grenache, 28% Syrah

My Review: Ruby in the glass.  Mandarin orange and cherry notes on the nose.  Palate had more heft, complexity than usual.  Hands down one of our favorite of his Grenache-Syrah blends.  May 2022

2019 I Brand & Family Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc, Santa Cruz Mountains, 12.2% ABV, $42 (#749)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Bates Ranch Vineyard is a secret gem of the trinity of Bordeaux varietal sites nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Our Cabernet Franc fruit is from a small block planted atop rich red Franciscan volcanic influenced rocks in 1978. A classic example of Cabernet Franc…Medium to Full-bodied. Lush, dark red berries, with purple lavender and hidden dried herb components, envelope the nose. On the palate, bright acidity, plays against tannic structure. Followed by a burst of dark red fruits, balsamic reduction, and the expected herbal, bay leaf, oregano, dried basil, with touches of a peppery edge on the finish.” 109 cases produced.

My Review: Lean, a bit austere with musty flavors. February 2022 February 2022

2019 I Brand & Family Bayly Ranch Cabernet Franc, Paicines, San Benito County, 12.4% ABV, $30 (#750)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Reminiscent of old world wine making Bayly Ranch is an etherial expression of Cabernet Franc. Notes of bright berries and mild spices…”

My Review:  Richer, rounder, chewier that the Bates, with cherry and dark berry flavors. Black pepper on the finish. I prefer this wine; my partner prefers the Bates. February 2022

2019 I Brand & Family Fellom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#751)

Winemaker’s Notes: “First planted in the 40s and abutting the classic Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain property, Fellom Ranch produces among the most sought after grapes in California…Deep dark purple. Aromas of black current, cherries, clove spice, toasted oak, and cocoa. On the palate, lush & ripe, bramble fruit, enters med-full bodied, supple tannin and acid tension structure. Lovely wine, with pleasure to fill the palate, today, and years to come.”

My Review:  Ruby, purple in the glass. Some chocolate notes on the nose with smooth, rich berries on the palate.  I will do my best to hold this for an appropriate drinking time frame. February 2022

2018 Le P’tit Paysan P’tit Pape Red Rhone Blend, $22 (752)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Our classic Grenache based blend. Old world balance with a California patina. A favorite.”

93 points – Wine Enthusiast: “This blend of 52% Grenache, 36% Syrah and 12% Mourvèdre speaks so strongly to the terroir of the Central Coast as it is loaded from nose to finish with dewy sagebrush, crisp freshness and peppery spice. It begins with aromas of raspberry, pomegranate and herb, then settles comfortably into a firmly textured palate of oregano, pepper, sandalwood and more red fruit.” Matt Kettmann

My Review:  We tasted this wine out of order. Lovely, light, lean yet good. Always a favorite. February 2022

The I Brand & Family Tasting Room is located at 19 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Thursday – Monday, 11 am – 6 pm.  Reservations are recommended – more information here.

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Grasings Astounds Wine Club at its Paul Hobbs Dinner!

In early May, my husband saw in The Pine Cone that Grasings Restaurant was hosting a wine dinner featuring Napa vintner Paul Hobbs. It was crazy expensive, but we were intrigued. We checked with the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod, but they couldn’t go. We debated what to do – looked over the menu and saw we would be tasting 2 of his Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, including a $500/bottle wine.  The conversation went: Should we just go buy a bottle of this wine and enjoy it – or go to the event, where we could see Paul Hobbs again, taste a variety of his wines, and have a nicely paired meal.  We chose the latter – and are very glad we did.

 While these wines are NOT from Monterey County, the wine experience is.  I will try over time to present to you some of the wine tasting venues outside of the typical winery tasting room experience.

Grasing’s hosts several wine events during the year. For the last two years, Eric Ewers has directed the wine program at Grasing’s, a long-time holder of Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence” and contender for their “Grand Award.” He has 36 years in the hospitality industry with the last 22 years in the role of sommelier or wine director. Certified through the Court of Masters and the International Wine Guild, he developed and directed two wine lists that achieved Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence” recognition – most recently at the Broadmoor’s Penrose Room, the longest-running Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond restaurant in the world. You can join the Grasings’ Wine Club mailing list by providing your email at the bottom of this link. Their next dinner will be in October.

We first met Paul Hobbs around, when he showed up to the Addy Bassin’s MacArthur Barrel Tastings (a fundraiser in Washington DC hosted by one of the premier wine shops there).  That was our first exposure to Paul and his wines, probably the best of all the high-end reds we tasted at the event – very big, rich, smooth wines – we became fast fans. We think he came to that event for about 5 years, which afforded us the opportunity to buy his wines as wine futures. His wines achieved a cult status among our wine afficionado friends. “Ooh, Charlie/David brought a Paul Hobbs!!”

At the dinner, Paul shared with us how he got into the business (Where It All Began): from growing up as 1 of 11 children on his parents’ farm (where he actually helped his father convert from orchards to wine grapes), to pursuing medicine starting with a degree in chemistry from Notre Dame, to being persuaded by his father back to winemaking and a Master of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. He worked at Robert Mondavi, Opus One, and Simi before going on as a wine consultant and eventually pursuing making his own wines. The Paul Hobbs Winery debut vintage was in 1991. 

Here are the wines we tasting in May.  Most of the winery notes come from the Paul Hobb’s website here, amplified by comments that evening, unless otherwise noted. One of his local fans also donated to us a Paul Hobbs 2009 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to top off the evening. Plus the food pairings were scrumptious, as you can see above. Our compliments to the chef!

2019 Hillock & Hobbs, Estate Vineyard, Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake, $37 (#735)

Winery Notes: “The inaugural vintage from our steep-sloped estate presents a delicate bouquet of spring white flowers and tangerine peel mingled with accents of wet slate. Elegant and inviting on the palate, crisp pear and lime zest highlights are underscored by bright acidity and lingering mineral notes that seamlessly glide into a clean and vibrant finish.” Filtered (Paul Hobbs wines are not filtered). Vines are on slate. 94 points, James Suckling

My Review: Straw in the glass. Gardenia on the nose. Crisp. Mellow floral notes on the light palate. Balanced acidity. Bitter citrus notes on the finish. May 2022

2019 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, $48 (#736)

Winery Notes: “The wine is a vibrant blend delineated from the region’s cooling fog and warm afternoon sunshine to allow balanced ripening of lush varietal flavors and natural acidity that can be derived from our venerated vineyards.” 94 points – Jeb Dunnuck

My Review: Viscous, light golden in the glass. Big nose with some robust mustiness in a good way. Honey, butter, floral, and citrus on the palate. May 2022

2019 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $52 (#737)

Winery Notes: “Carefully selected from the winery’s top vineyard sources that are defined by both their proximity to the coast and Russian River to allow cool morning, warm afternoon diurnal swings to develop fruit with purity, richness, and elegance.” (Pinot Noir (thin skinned) ferments twice as fast as Cabernet Sauvignon) 94 points – Jeb Dunnuck

My Review: Ruby in the glass. Raspberry and sweet tobacco on the nose. Intense cherry and raspberry on the palate. Big and smooth. May 2022

About the 2018 vintage: 2018 was cold, wet. There were huge rains in the winter. The saltwater was cold and véraison was late.

2018 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville, Napa Valley, $105 (#735)

Winery Notes: “We are proud to carry the Coombsville appellation on our label after becoming a pillar of our cabernet sourcing in Napa Valley. The inaugural release presents a deep ruby with violet highlights and scents of wild blueberry, dried lavender, and mocha. A beautiful entry envelops the palate and features generous layers of red currant, black fig, and subtle notes of fresh sage and leather. Fresh acidity wraps around fine-grained tannins providing tension towards the finish, revealing a crushed rock minerality that confers the region’s inherent rocky soils.” 94 points – James Suckling

My Review: Deep ruby in color. Delicious smooth Cabernet bouquet. Smooth, tongue coating rich dark fruit, a hint of spearmint, with cassis notes on the finish. I like this wine. May 2022

2018 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley, $570 (#739)

Winery Notes: “The legendary vineyard situated on the Oakville bench is farmed by both row and vine so we can endow the fullest expression of the site. Presenting finely sculpted layers of cassis, cocoa, and graphite with an endless finish adorned with velvety yet stately tannins.” Alluvial soils. 98 points – Robert Parker

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Oak and alcohol on the nose. Super intense berry on the nose. Really tight and powerful. Tannic on the finish. Way too young for us to be drinking. May 2022

2009 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $99 (#740)

Wine Spectator Notes: “Big yet nuanced, with tiers of cedar, dark berry, black licorice, gravel and road tar, this is intense, chewy and tannic, with an underlying measure of finesse and detail. Drink now through 2024.” 93 points

My Review: Dark ruby in glass. That Napa smell, balanced by fruit on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate. Balanced. Lean. May 2027

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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