Tagged: Central Coast AVA

Hahn: “Inspired by the Rhône blends of Southern France…”

One of my local friends says she loves the Hahn GSM, which she buys at our local market, Andronico’s.  We like Hahn wines and featured their SLH Pinot Noir in my Fall 2019 Northern Virginia AWS class.  While we tend to avoid the widely-marketed, mass-produced wines, I wanted to give this one a try.  This is another Central Coast-designated wine.

Their Estate tasting room is located in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands.

From www.hahnwines.com :  “Our founder, Nicky Hahn, grew up speaking German. In his native language, the word ‘Hahn’ means rooster, which is why a depiction of this bird has always graced the label of our Hahn wines. From the beginning, Nicky strove to produce exceptional varietal wines from Monterey County where Hahn’s vineyards and winery are located. (My note:  The Hahns played a key role in getting the SLH AVA established in 1991.)

“This assemblage of classically-styled varietal wines—along with our GSM Rhone-inspired blend—are now under the care of second-generation vintner Philip Hahn, who proudly carries on his father’s legacy. Vintage after vintage, we style our Hahn wines to be fruit-forward, balanced and supple. Our vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco AVAs are a significant source of fruit for these wines.”

Hahn 2018 GSM, Central Coast, 14.5% ABV, $15* (#43)  

A Wine Enthusiast Top Best Buy in 2020!

About the GSM from Hahn Wines:   “Inspired by the Rhône blends of Southern France, our GSM combines the character of each component into rich layers of flavors and textures. Bright, fruity Grenache grown in Arroyo Seco contributes raspberry, strawberry and cherry flavors, while Syrah from the Santa Lucia Highlands lends color, tannins and hints of blueberry and black pepper. A small amount of Mourvèdre contributes richness to the mid-palate and lengthens the dry finish.”

Winemaker’s Notes (same link above):  “Enticing aromas of strawberry, black cherry, white pepper and cinnamon. On the palate, notes of raspberry, a hint of cinnamon spice, along with strawberry and black cherry. Finishing with a smooth and luscious mouthfeel.”

Wine Enthusiast Review  – 90 Points and #43 of Top 100 Best Buys in 2020: “Aromas of dark red berry and crumpled hibiscus make for a delicious entry to the nose of this blend of 69% Grenache, 29% Syrah and 2% Mourvèdre. The palate is lively in acidity and texturally engaging, carrying flavors of dark berry, licorice and star anise.” Matt Kettmann, 11/2020

My Review:  Deep red in color, with a mellow berry and currant on the nose.  Smooth cherry and cedar on the palate, with a slightly leathery, tobacco finish.  This opened up to be a very drinkable and enjoyable wine.  It is such a great value and taste – hard to believe such a great wine came from my grocery store. 

I purchased this for $11 at Andronico’s.  You can find some Hahn wines at Pearson’s in Washington DC. 

Hahn Tasting Rooms are located a their estate in the Santa Lucia Highlands, as well as in Carmel Plaza.  They are open by reservation only – you can find more information here. 

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

Calera: The Result of the Search for Limestone-Rich Soils

I mentioned previously that I took some of my new girlfriends to Hollister in San Benito County to explore their wines back in August 2019.  The drive out was on a rough and windy road (funny, we don’t remember that coming back…). We started out at Calera, where we had our picnic lunches outside in 90-degree heat (really sweltering for us Central Coast gals).  The wines were presented in flight stemware servers.  The wines were great and the experience, special!

We enjoyed our August 2019 visit to Calera – for most of us, our first exposure to their wines.

Calera, part of the Duckhorn family of wines, is known primary for its Pinot Noirs from Mt. Harlan, but today’s wine is a Chardonnay, so I am focusing on that story.  From www.calerawine.com:  “Josh Jensen’s winemaker mentors in Burgundy were adamant that pinot noir and chardonnay must be grown in limestone-rich soils…to make great wines. Upon his return from France in 1971 he spent two years searching throughout California to find limestone…In early 1974, Josh Jensen purchased a high-elevation parcel with a limestone deposit of several million tons. Located 100 miles south of San Francisco and about 37 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the limestone-rich parcel is found near Mt. Harlan in San Benito County. Its elevation at 2,200 feet above sea level makes it one of the highest and coolest vineyard properties in California.”  “Calera” is the Spanish word for “limekiln.”

Calera 2016 Chardonnay, Central Coast, 14.2% ABV, $25 (#64*)

The 2016 Chardonnay: golden in color, with aromas of peach and pear, and pineapple notes.

About the 2016 vintage: “After five years of drought, we welcomed a return to normal winter rainfall in 2016…After a warm spring led to an early budbreak, summer seemed to arrive quickly on the Central Coast. While, we had abundant warmth in July and August, cool evenings allowed the grapes to mature perfectly, and harvest commenced in mid-August. While the grapes were small and dense, good-sized clusters delivered yields close to our annual averages…”

The 2016 Chardonnay is truly a “Central Coast” wine.

The Calera 2016 Central Coast Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay, aged 10 months in 90% neutral French oak.  The grapes come from San Benito, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties, making it truly “Central Coast.” From the winemaker: “Vibrant and inviting, this wine captures the essence of Chardonnay grown on the cool, windswept Central Coast. Aromas of jasmine, vanilla bean and passion fruit rise from the glass revealing this wine’s youthful charm. On the beautifully fruit-driven palate, layers of green apple, grapefruit and pineapple are framed by subtle oak and a refreshing acidity that carry the flavors to a bright, focused finish.”

Wine Enthusiast Review – 91 points: “The nose of this wine is sharp and precise in tones of chalk, tangerine cream, dried lemon and crushed nuts. There’s a strong mineral quality through the entire palate that accents flavors of lemon juice and yellow pear.” MATT KETTMANN

My Review: The wine is a golden color, with aromas of peach and pear, and pineapple notes.  It is a big, delicious, mouthfilling, a little bit oaky Chardonnay, with a little bitter lemon-lime on the finish.  We enjoyed this Chardonnay very much, both back at last August’s tasting and during our Shelter-in-Place.  This is a keeper.

You can purchase the current vintage (2018) for $25 on their webpage here. 

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

Joyce Wine Company: “SMALL LOT WINES FROM MONTEREY CALIFORNIA, WITH BALANCE, FINESSE AND FOCUS”

We stopped in at Joyce Vineyards’ tasting room in December 2019 on a hunt for a Merlot for my next class.  I stumbled upon a great deal for their James Joyce Merlot, as well as the 2017 Cabernet.  We lucked into some specials for both of these wines.  James is winemaker Russell Joyce’s middle name – they produced both a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with their sideways label – the label is literally sideways and a bit of a play on the movie, “Sideways.”  Watch them for different Bordeaux blends, depending on yield, especially from their tiny Carmel Valley Estate Vineyard. 

These December 2019 prices were bargains for such nice quality wines.

About Joyce Wine Company: “Joyce Wine Company is the result of family interest in Monterey Country’s diverse terroir.  With minimalistic cellar practices and on-site production, our goal is to produce wines with balance, finesse and focus while exploring the endless potential of the coastal terroir in Monterey County…Joyce Vineyards began as a chance planting by Francis Joyce in 1989 on a steep hillside in Carmel Valley. Joyce Wine Company now tells the stories of Monterey County’s unique terroir through Francis’ son Russell Joyce, a second generation winemaker who grew up working amongst the vines at the family’s estate. Russell showcases the area’s premier AVAs in a classic and minimal approach to winemaking. He utilizes this approach to create wines of purity and elegance while focusing on the local varietals grown in Monterey County and its surroundings.”

Joyce Wine Company produces about 8,000 cases annually in the same Salinas industrial park as Ian Brand, and sources grapes from some of our best known vineyards across the Central Coast, primarily Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, and San Benito AVAs. 

“San Benito County lies along the San Andreas Fault just beneath the Gabilan Mountain Range; neighboring Monterey County. The calcareous soils combined with warm days and mild nights provide the ideal growing conditions for Bordeaux varietals. The Teague Vineyard uses minimal irrigation, producing grapes with great intensity and concentration.”

2017 James Joyce Cabernet Sauvignon, San Benito AVA, 14.2% ABV, $30  80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec (#20*)

The distinctive “Sideways” label for their 2017 James Joyce Cabernet!

Winemaker Notes (website):  The 2017 James Joyce Cabernet comes from the Teague Vineyard, planted against the Diablo Mountain Range.  The soil is heavy clay and loam.  With minimal irrigation, the roots are stressed to dig deep for water.  Bordeaux varietals grow well in this climate of warm days and mild nights.   For this Cabernet, the “grapes were 100% destemmed and left on the skins with minimal extended maceration 7 days past dryness and full fermentation.” The Cabernet Sauvignon took longer to ferment.  “The wine was aged on heavy leas for 16 months and no new French oak was used.  Never fined or filtered.” 1000 cases of this wine were produced. 

According to www.wine.com, the winemaker described this wine as: “In addition to the blackberry base, minty herbs and leather, this offers a strong woody character and pine needle aromas. The very dry black-currant fruit is awash in flavors of dill, savory black pepper and black olive.” 

My Review: “Classic!” my daughter says. This wine is very dark ruby in color, with a mocha-plum nose and a refreshing and smooth plum and cassis on the palate.  It is a nice wine one could enjoy every day. 

2016 James Joyce Merlot, Central Coast, 13.9% ABV, $25 (181*)  90% Merlot 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Cabernet Franc

My DC friends got to enjoy this case of wine I had purchased for my Fall 2020 wine class, indefinitely postponed!

Winemaker’s Notes (condensed from the Tech Sheet): The Merlot grapes were harvested by hand, “…destemmed, and placed in small open top fermenters where they were cold soaked for 4-5 days before fermentation began naturally.  Primary fermentation lasted between 14-18 days before the wine was drained and the must gently pressed.  The wine was then transferred to 100% neutral French oak barrels where it finished malolactic fermentation.  Once this fermentation was completed, a small sulfur addition was made and the wine was left to age sur lie for 16 months before being bottled un-fined and unfiltered.” 850 cases produced.

Tasting Notes from The Cave: “Aromatics: Plum, Black Cherry, Baking Spice. Palate: Lush & Supple, Bright Acidity, Velvety Tannins”

My Review: Deep, rich ruby in color. Cherry and a hint of caramel on the nose. Rich and bright, juicy cherry-berry on the palate, smooth tannins with lingering licorice and a touch of spearmint.

The Joyce Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village is open – make a reservation here.

You can buy Joyce wines from their web site, tasting room, and commercially marketed at www.wine.com and other websites and local markets. 

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

Parsonage: Onward to Monterey County and Beyond!

I first introduced you to Parsonage and its reserve wines here: https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-reserve-wines-my-kind-of-big-reds/ and its non-reserve estate wines here: https://decantingmonterey.com/parsonage-back-to-the-estate-with-2017-releases/. 

Now we are going to get outside of Parsonage’s sweet spots of Carmel Valley and Arroyo Seco AVAs by presenting wines labeled “Monterey County” – and even “Central Coast”!  This post represents the beginning of our transition outside of Monterey County wines and into San Benito County, specifically to Paicines, which I will describe more in the next blog. 

I have 3 red blends for you today.  Sadly, two of them are already sold out – we will need to wait for the next vintage to be released! 

2017 Parsonage The Aussie Red Wine, 15% ABV, $38 (#15*) 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Syrah

2017 The Aussie was so delicious, I had to go back and buy more.

From the Winemaker: “Our popular, magical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. We like to pair it with rack of lamb or duck. This is a big red wine.”

My Review: Blueberry, blackberry and earthy, with silky-smooth yet full tannins.  An elegantly balanced extended finish.  This wine is my kind of wine – I went back and picked up more!  Now it appears to be sold out.  April 2020

2017 Parsonage Wild Card Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $38 (#85*)

“The Wild Card is a Complexity Bomb.”

From the Winemaker: “This is the tenth iteration of Frank’s wild and crazy idea to make an experimental blend from all of the varietals in our barrels. Forgive my failure to curb my enthusiasm but this 2017 Wild Card red wine is the best one yet!

“Each and every vintage has been fascinating and delicious, but 2017 wins by a landslide. This is the biggest, richest, most fascinating of all of them. As full-bodied as it is, it is still elegantly balanced. The Wild Card is a complexity bomb. Those six components of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Grenache, and Pinot Noir have fused in synergistic harmony to create some serious magic…

“The nose opens with a burst of floral and spice notes, star anise prominent, followed by hints of the full spectrum of red, blue, and black fruit and berries. The mouthfeel is full of texture with fine, ripe, silky tannins. All of the fruit reappears on the palate including red currant, pomegranate, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, and blackberry.

“By patient, vigilant mindfulness I can identify the constituent varietals one by one. Merlot with its foundation of cherry and red currant, Cabernet Sauvignon by its cassis and tannic backbone, Syrah from its savory hint of umami, Petit Verdot with its blueberry and drier finishing tannins, Grenache for its floral and spice notes, and finally, Pinot Noir for its bing cherry, cola and subtle Earl Grey black tea notes.”

My Review:  We tasted this wine along with all of the current releases back in June. We found this mélange of both Rhône and Bordeaux varietals to be refreshing.  With so many different grapes and flavors, we, however, couldn’t align it to distinct flavors as well as Parsonage could.  I was able to re-taste this wine with a friend in October.  Ruby in color, raspberry and currant on the nose, cherry and currant on the palate with a nice, lingering finish.  My friend enjoyed it so much she took two bottles home!

2017 Parsonage The BDL, Central Coast, 15% ABV, $42 (#173*)

The BDL sold out quickly – by fans who remembered its predecessor!

Winemaker’s Notes: “BDL is shorthand for Bordelais, a wildly popular (but illegally named) wine we produced years ago. This exquisite Bordeaux blend is 52 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 percent Merlot, and 8 percent each Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cab Franc. It has all the bells and whistles Bordeaux lovers expect from an elegantly balanced and much more expensive bottle that crosses the Atlantic to get here.” (This wine has some juice from Paicines AVA – I’m guessing the Malbec.) This wine sold out very quickly.

My Review: Very dense dark red in color.  Bodacious dark nose – sweet dark cherry and caramel.  Rich dark fruit on the palate, with some sweeter bright cherry fruit on the finish, bordering on a port-like finish.  Slightly vegetal with a little leather.  August 2020

You can obtain the Wild Card and other Parsonage wines directly from the winery here and pick them up at the tasting room or have them shipped to you.  Join their wine club for 20% off.  You can also visit their tasting room by appointment only in Carmel Valley Village (“the village”) Monday-Friday 12-5  and weekends 11-5. Make a reservation in advance here.

The Parsonage wine tasting parklet is spacious and the staff, very attentive to CDC protocols.

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

SIGN UP HERE TO GET Decanting Monterey DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL!!

Don't miss a single exciting post about our Central Coast/Monterey wines! Enter your email address below for a free subscription to Decanting Monterey. Be sure to open the confirmation email and validate your subscription! See you soon!!

Verified by MonsterInsights