Tagged: Clarksburg AVA

Idle Hour Pop Up Tasting Room Event – A Better Way to Spend a Rainy Day

In December, I received a text from Anna Marie dos Remedios that she would be in town, pouring wines in her Idle Hour tasting room in Carmel Valley Village. We hadn’t seen Anna Marie and her partner Mindy since our trip to Portugal and Spain last Spring. We put it on our calendar and invited our friend, Erin O from Terravenos. We thought it would be great to introduce budding winemaker Erin to Anna Marie.  We also invited the Monterey AWS and were pleased Jacqueline and Dominic Van Nes came!  Both Erin and Jacqueline contributed to some of my notes.

We enjoyed an afternoon of wine tasting, delciious cheese board and chorizo, and winemaking story telling.  And some wild story telling there was – especially about her innovations and challenges making the Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat – would make a great podcast. 

I have written about Idle Hour wines several times – just type “Idle Hour” in the search bar to find them.  You can read more about their winemaking approach and history here. 

Today I am presenting 7 Idle Hour wines.  As always, winery notes come from the tasting sheet, website, or conversations with the winery.  Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.

2021 Idle Hour Petillant Naturel Sparkling Chenin Blanc, Madera, 10.6% ABV, $28 (#912)

Winemaker’s Notes: This comes from the Clement Hills Vineyard.  44 cases produced.

My Review assisted by Erin: Refreshing – like a spritzer – a yeasty beer-wine. Gentle bubbles in the glass.  Pear and white flower blossom on the nose. Earth, lemon zest, sweet spring grass and a touch of green apple on the palate. December 2022

2022 Idle Hour Petillant Naturel Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, Madera, (Pre-release) (#913)

This wine is not yet posted to her website.  Making this wine was a grand adventure, as described above – would make a great podcast on the challenges and innovative thinking required in winemaking. 80 cases produced.

My Review assisted by Erin:  Foamy, a little cloudy in the glass. Sweet, ripe stone fruit, honeysuckle and peach, creamy and aggressive, on the nose. Sweet and delicious with a bigger mouthfeel. A slight bitterness on the finish.  Pithy.  Lay this down a bit. December 2022

2021 Idle Hour Grenache Blanc, Central Coast, 14.2% ABV, $28 (#914)

Winemaker’s Notes: This wine comes from Sarah’s Vineyard in Gilroy. “Aromatics of brioche and lychee, mild fusel oil viscosity with pear in the lingering mid palate with key lime acidity on the bright and dry finish.”

My Review assisted by Erin & Jacqueline: A sweet nose with grassy honeysuckle.  Medium bodied. A smoky front palate like a gouda with brioche and lychee mid-palate and lime zest on the finish. December 2022

2019 Idle Hour Malbec, Madera, 13.8% ABV, $30 (#915)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Bright blueberry and violet with a deep garnet color and the perfect bing cherry finish to pair with a pork tenderloin and cherry gastrique.”

My Review assisted by Erin: Inky in the glass. Violets, blueberry and dusty notes on the nose. Super bright fruit. Medium ripe tannings, a tiny bit grippy. Pair with risotto and skirt steak.  I liked this wine. December 2022

2019 Idle Hour Alicante Bouschet, Heringer Estate Vineyards, Clarksburg AVA, 14.1% ABV, $36 (#728)

We had tasted this wine on our cruise with Idle Hour last spring, but I had not captured tasting notes.

Winery Notes: 75 cases produced.

My Review: Dark ruby, a bit purple in the glass.  Smokey, dusty nose.  Very dark, crushed fruit on the palate. Chalky tannins with anchovy notes on the finish. December 2022

2019 Idle Hour Vin Rouge, Clarksburg AVA, 14.2% ABV, $30 (#916) Petite Sirah >50%, Cabernet Franc <50%

Winemaker’s Notes: N/A

My Review: Inky in the glass. A lovely, velvety palate with violet and oak notes.  One of her tastiest wines. Serve with chorizo. December 2022

2019 Idle Hour Cuvee Rouge, Clarksburg AVA, 14.5% ABV, $36 (#917) Tannat, Malbec, Petite Sirah

Winery Notes: N/A

My Review: Smooth, rich fruit and a touch of caramel on the nose. Vibrant flavors of rose, cherry, and blackberry. Bing cherry on the finish. This is all juice – we like it! December 2022

You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. Check out how to visit them in Oakhurst here. Their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village is nestled inside the Big Sur Vineyards tasting room. Big Sur is kind enough to pour Idle Hour wines upon request!  And Anna Marie comes down here sporadically to do tastings and talk about her wines. Check their Facebook page Idle Hour Tasting Room @IdleHourWine for the latest info!

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Idle Hour Wines: Available for Tasting in Carmel Valley!

I know, I just wrote up Idle Hour last month after my cruise, but we finally got the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod to their “new” Carmel Valley tasting room for a proper tasting in June.  This is part 2 of our visit to Big Sur Vineyards’ tasting room – Idle Hour’s tasting room is nestled inside and, when they aren’t present to pour, Big Sur is kind enough to do so!

I have written about Idle Hour wines several times – just type “Idle Hour” in the search bar to find them.  I include Idle Hour in this blog due to their tasting room located in Carmel Valley Village – and their increasing menu of Monterey County wines.  You can read more about their winemaking approach and history here. 

We were able to taste 5 wines on this day – 3 of them had been previously presented in this blog.

2019 Idle Hour Malvasia Bianca, 13.6% ABV, $28 (#767)

My Review: Very sweet on the nose: honeysuckle and earth. Crisp on the palate with pear and honeysuckle flavors, finishing with crisp apple and pear.

2019 Idle Hour Chardonnay, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14% ABV, $28 (Wine #726)

My Review: Powerful nose of grilled pineapple and peaches, following through on the palate.  Yummy.  Bouquet outpowers the palate.  This is the same wine we had on our cruise – served one night in a regular wine glass and, the next time, in a Burgundy glass.  This wine’s aromas and flavors really come out in proper stemware!

2019 Idle Hour Clone 667 Pinot Noir, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.2% ABV, $40 (Wine #727)

Winemaker’s Notes: “The crispness and brightness of Bing Cherry followed by the earthy aromas of forest floor and the sweet and savory notes of sassafras and cola. This wine is the most Burgundian Pinot Noir I have ever made. It’s light color and silky tannins are testament to the extra year of aging on the sediment that I gave it. The wine finishes with the fine structure on your tongue of wet stones.”

You all know by now that I am not that big of a Pinot Noir fan.  The way this wine was made resulted in a more complex and rich wine, one of the best Pinot Noirs I have tasted from Monterey County.  I selected this wine to present at my upcoming John Marshall Chapter, Northern Virginia AWS class. 

2019 Idle Hour Pommard 4 Clone Pinot Noir, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.2% ABV, $40 (#768)

Winery Notes: “The crispness and brightness of Bing Cherry followed by the earthy aromas of forest floor and the sweet and savory notes of sassafras and cola. This wine is the most Burgundian Pinot Noir I have ever made. It’s light color and silky tannins are testament to the extra year of aging on the sediment that I gave it. The wine finishes with the fine structure on your tongue of wet stones.”

My Review: While the winery webpage has the same description for both of these Pinot Noirs, we found them vastly different.  This one was lighter in color, with barnyard and cherry notes on the nose.  Flavors of bright cherry and earth on the palate. 

2016 Idle Hour Petite Sirah, Heringer Vineyard, Clarksburg, 14.5% ABV, $30 (#189)

Fresnolandia Review: “Idle Hour’s 2016 Petite Sirah is bittersweet; it begins on the tongue with a thick, sweet tart dark berry, transitions to a peppy berry, and ends with a tongue drying dark chocolate/licorice. To the nose, it is of a sweet, soy aroma; and if such a thing exists, also vibes of a dark berry vinegar.” Ronan Tetsu, 09/2020 https://www.fresnolandia.com/idle-hour-petite-sirah/

My Review: Dark purple in color, rich dark plum and blackberry. Smooth cherry some bitterness on the palate, dry and licorice finish. Super delicious. Alas, this is sold out. December 2020

You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. Check out how to visit them in Oakhurst here. You can taste their wines at the Big Sur Vineyards tasting room in Carmel Valley – just ask! The Idle Hour tasting room is in the back.  Check their Facebook page Idle Hour Tasting Room @IdleHourWine for the latest info!

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Cruising with Idle Hour Down the Douro River

This Spring, we had the opportunity to travel with Idle Hour Winery for a fantastic trip along the Douro River in Portugal, followed by a private Tempranillo tour along the Ribera del Duero in Spain.  How great it was to get to know the winery owners Anna Marie Dos Remedios and Deb Payne on a more personal level.  The whole experience was amazing – so well done!

We hadn’t talked to Anna Marie pretty much all of the pandemic.  We heard so much on this cruise about how Anna Marie and Deb had to re-tool their businesses (winery, inn, and restaurant) almost immediately – when people visitors quit coming to stay at their Queen’s Inn. Their priority became keeping people employed during this challenging time. As a result, the restaurant became more of the focus, putting wine making on the back burner. 

While on the cruise, we had several wine tastings and a wine dinner with the Idle Hour crew.  Today I am highlighting the wines we tasted on the cruise.  I made a deliberate decision not to take wine tasting notes on my vacation, but some were previously reviewed in this blog and I have included them again here. These are presented more or less in the order tasted. Any quotes below come from their website.  Any factual errors outside of the quotes are mine alone.  This is what happens when you don’t take proper notes…

I have written about Idle Hour wines several times – just type “Idle Hour” in the search bar to find them.  I include Idle Hour in this blog due to their tasting room located in Carmel Valley Village – and their increasing menu of Monterey County wines.  You can read more about their wine making approach and history here. 

2017 Idle Hour Heringer Estate Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Clarksburg AVA, 13.6%, ABV, $30 (Wine #22)

My Review: My daughter called this wine “spicy and good.”  In addition to spice, I picked up cherry and raspberry on the palate with a little oak and green pepper.  Upon this second tasting, I still find this lean and elegant.

2017 Idle Hour Heringer Estate Vineyard Tempranillo, Clarksburg AVA, 14.4% ABV, $30 (Wine #729)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Tempranillo has become one of our flagship wines, one of two wines of the many varieties we produce that will always be on the list here at Idle Hour. I fashion our Tempranillos after the region I find to be the most alluring in Spain, where this Iberian varietal calls home, the Ribera del Duero. Perhaps the variety sees more press from Rioja, where it is the main wine in the blends produced there. I find the 100% Tempranillo wines from the Ribera to be the most honest and enticing.  I hope you enjoy our version!” 225 cases produced.

In my humble opinion, Idle Hour makes on of the best US-produced Tempranillo wines.  She knows what she is doing.  I’d love to do a side-by-side with those Ribera del Duero wines we had later on our trip.

2019 Idle Hour Alicante Bouschet, Madera County (Wine #728)  

Here was a great opportunity to taste this as a single varietal bottling, as we usually find it as a blending grape. I would like to try this wine again!

2019 Idle Hour Viognier, Sierra Foothills AVA, 14% ABV, $28 (Wine #725)

While I can’t find any winemaker notes for this wine, we typically really like the Idle Hour Viognier for its true expression of the fruit.  This was a great wine to start our on-board tasting!

2019 Idle Hour Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14% ABV, $28 (Wine #726)

This Chardonnay comes from one of my favorite Monterey County AVAs:  Arroyo Seco. This is a clean, big Chardonnay.  We tasted it during the first on-board tasting and it was very good – not the big, buttery Chardonnays we think of, but a great expression of the minerality in Arroyo Seco soil. We tasted it again at the Winemaker’s Dinner, this time in a Burgundy glass – what a difference the glass can make!  It was big, fruitier, with much more depth and florals than the first time we tasted it.  If you can find this wine, I highly recommend it.

2019 Idle Hour Clone 667 Pinot Noir, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.2% ABV, $40 (Wine #727)

Winemaker’s Notes: “The crispness and brightness of Bing Cherry followed by the earthy aromas of forest floor and the sweet and savory notes of sassafras and cola. This wine is the most Burgundian Pinot Noir I have ever made. It’s light color and silky tannins are testament to the extra year of aging on the sediment that I gave it. The wine finishes with the fine structure on your tongue of wet stones.”

You all know by now that I am not that big of a Pinot Noir fan.  The way this wine was made resulted in a more complex and rich wine, one of the best Pinot Noirs I have tasted from Monterey County.  I selected this wine to present at my upcoming John Marshall Chapter, Northern Virginia AWS class. 

2017 Idle Hour Heringer Estate Vineyard Tannat, Clarksburg AVA, 14.1% ABV, $ (Wine #126) 175 cases produced.

This was an interesting wine to taste!  I was surprised how many people we were traveling with had never heard of Tannat.  This was a big, boastful, delicious wine which quickly rose to be one of our favorites on the whole trip.  Nicely done!

Idle Hour Blanc de Blanc Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wine, Clement Hills, Lodi, 11.2% ABV, $38 (Wine #59) 100% Chardonnay; 44 cases produced.

94 points by Rich Cook – You can read his review here:  https://idlehourwinery.orderport.net/product-details/0091/Blanc-de-Blanc-Methode-Champenoise-Sparkling-Wine

Crisp and tasty.  If you can find it, I recommend it!  And the label is equally delicious.

2014 Idle Hour Winemaker’s Reserve Syrah, Love Ranch Vineyard, Madera County, (Wine #730) 96% Syrah, 4% Viognier 4%

The more time I spend on the West Coast, the bigger Syrah wine fan I become. It has superseded my previous love of Zinfandel.  It started with Carmel Valley Syrahs – then Arroyo Seco – then Santa Barbara – and now Washington State!  We had a previous vintage of this Syrah which my husband just loved.  And we both enjoyed the 2014, pairing well with our meal.  We need to get more of this!

2013 Idle Hour Heringer Estate Vineyard Tempranillo, Clarksburg AVA, 14.6% (Wine #731)

We tasted this during more of a social hour for the Idle Hour trip participants – we felt very privileges to have this vintage on board and we all enjoyed it very much.

You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. Check out how to visit them in Oakhurst here. Their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village may not be currently open.  Check their Facebook page Idle Hour Tasting Room @IdleHourWine for the latest info!

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Idle Hour: “honest and enticing” – like a Ribera del Duero Tempranillo!

I last brought you Idle Hour wines back in January, when I reviewed quite a few of their wines:  https://decantingmonterey.com/idle-hour-bringing-clarksburg-and-oakhurst-to-carmel-valley/.  I won’t repeat those details here. They are focused on “…producing small-lot, single-vineyard designated wines from Monterey, San Benito, Madera and Yolo Counties.”

This time, I have a simple, straightforward post about their flagship wine, Tempranillo! 

2016 Idle Hour Tempranillo, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg CA, 13.8% ABV, $30 (#460*)

About the 2016 Tempranillo from their website: “Tempranillo has become one of our flagship wines, one of two wines of the many varieties we produce that will always be on the list here at Idle Hour. I fashion our Tempranillos after the region I find to be the most alluring in Spain, where this Iberian varietal calls home, the Ribera del Duero. Perhaps the variety sees more press from Rioja, where it is the main wine in the blends produced there. I find the 100% Tempranillo wines from the Ribera to be the most honest and enticing.  I hope you enjoy our version!” 225 cases produced.

My Review: Super dark in the glass.  Plum and cherry on the nose, following through on the palate, with a touch of spearmint on the finish.  Her Tempranillo is one of my favorites. July 2021

You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. Their new Carmel Valley Tasting Room at 1 Delfino Place (inside Big Sur Vineyards tasting room) is open Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.  Check them out at www.idlehourwinery.com or on Facebook at Idle Hour Tasting Room @IdleHourWine for the latest info!

*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.    

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Idle Hour: Bringing Clarksburg and Oakhurst to Carmel Valley!

I’m going slightly off brand, but with a purpose.  With the boom of tasting rooms in Carmel Valley Village came a couple of what appeared to be interlopers – wineries not based in Carmel Valley or even Monterey County.  Yet, they are also part of our winery/tasting room fabric.  We are quite fond of them and are including them here.  Idle Hour is one of them.  This post is long, but includes all their wines we have tasted since March 2020.  For most, I don’t find professional reviews, so you are stuck with mine.

Idle Hour is Relocating its Carmel Valley location to Big Sur Vineyard’s tasting room at 1 Delfino Place!

We learned of Idle Hour Winery when they opened a tasting room in Carmel Valley. Idle Hour is Oakhurst’s (near Yosemite) first winery, making handcrafted wines (idlehourwinery.com). All of their wines are fermented using native yeasts, those which come from the vineyards with the fruit, also known as resident yeasts, making their wines “truly indicative of the vineyards they come from.” These are award-winning wines for affordable prices.

Owners Deb Payne & Anna Marie dos Remedios are always gracious hosts, whether at one of their tasting rooms in Oakhurst or Carmel Valley.  You will often find winemaker Anna Marie pouring wines and inviting you to come up to Yosemite to stay at their inn.  I love Idle Hour’s bottle labels – fine art by Tim Cantor (www.timcantor.com). 

The Madera Tribute reported that Idle Hour Winery in Oakhurst received best of class for its Blanc de Blanc, a double gold for its 2015 Tempranillo and silver for its 2016 Petit Verdot in the January 10 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

The Clarksburg AVA, best known for Bogle Vineyards & Winery, is the home to the Heringer Estates, a prime source of Idle Hour’s grapes.

Most of their wines come from the Clarksburg AVA, which spans three counties in California’s Sacramento Valley, including nearly 65,000 acres near the town of Clarksburg (more than Napa and Monterey County!). Think Bogle. The growing region has dense clay and loam soils. Fog and cool breezes from San Francisco Bay keep the Clarksburg area cooler than nearby Sacramento.

Idle Hour Blanc de Blanc, Lodi AVA, 11.2% ABV, $?? (#59*)

The Idle Hour Blanc de Blanc is a nonvintage méthode champenoise sparkling wine made of 100% Chardonnay from the Clement Hills Vineyard, Lodi.  This wine won Double Gold and was rated 93 points, as well as named Best Sparkling Wine at the North of the Gate Wine Competition, April 2019.  With only 44 cases produced, it has sold out. 

My Review: Crisp, clean and a bit peachy.  Refreshing.

2019 Idle Hour Sauvignon Blanc, Sierra Foothills, 13.8% ABV, $28 (#113*)

My Review: Appearing medium gold and slightly effervescent in the glass, we detected a slight stinkiness on the nose, like a touch of sulfur, which rapidly dissipated.  The bouquet was lightly floral and pineapple.  This was a nice wine, with a little sweetness, creamy in the mouth with pineapple flavors and bright acidity.  We enjoyed it – perfect for the occasion – and would buy it again! 

2016 Idle Hour Petit Verdot, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg CA, 13.8% ABV, $30 (#3*)

My Review: Petit Verdot is a blending grape typically found in Bordeaux blends, but makes a nice red wine on its own. This is an enjoyable bold red, a bit tight, and we did not get the fruitiness expected from the varietal. I am not the biggest Petit Verdot fan, but my friends just love this wine. Maybe hold for a bit. March 2020

2017 Idle Hour Cabernet Franc, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg CA, 13.6% ABV, $30 (#22*)

My Review: My daughter called this wine “spicy and good.”  In addition to spice, I picked up cherry and raspberry on the palate with a little oak and green pepper.  It is one of my favorites, but I would hold this wine a bit.

2017 Idle Hour Tannat, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg AVA, 14.1% ABV, $40 (#126*)

My Review:  Garnet and inky in color.  Grass and SweeTart on the nose.  A little vegetal, yet intense flavors of SweeTart, tart cherry and plum on the palate.  Black currant, orange peel and licorice notes on the finish.   100% Tannat – sold out.  August 2020

2015 Idle Hour Tempranillo Winemaker’s Reserve, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg CA, 14.6% ABV, $32 (174*)

My Review: Deep ruby in color.  Cherry and raspberry on the nose, upon opening, with dusty notes appearing over time.  At first it was bright cherry and cranberry on the palate, but opened up into deeper, lush flavors.  I highly recommend this wine. November 2020

2012 Idle Hour Syrah Owlbox, Love Ranch Vineyard, Madera County, 14.4% ABV, $28 (210*)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Ripe plums surprisingly alive after aging almost 6 years sur lie. Medicinal aromas in this menthol finish. This 94% Syrah co-fermented with 4% Viognier, in a Coté Rotie style, giving a bright acidity and smooth mouthfeel.” (from their website)

My Review: Garnet in color.  Old World smell.  Deep aromas, followed by an initial SweeTart flavor with a dry finish.  As the wine opened up, deep, dark cherry flavors emerged. I’m personally not a big fan of the Coté Rotie style. December 2020

2016 Idle Hour Petite Sirah, Heringer Estate, Clarksburg AVA, 14.5% ABV, $30 (189*)

Fresnolandia Review: “Idle Hour’s 2016 Petite Sirah is bittersweet; it begins on the tongue with a thick, sweet tart dark berry, transitions to a peppy berry, and ends with a tongue drying dark chocolate/licorice. To the nose, it is of a sweet, soy aroma; and if such a thing exists, also vibes of a dark berry vinegar.” Ronan Tetsu, 09/2020 https://www.fresnolandia.com/idle-hour-petite-sirah/

My Review: Dark purple in color, rich dark plum and blackberry. Smooth cherry some bitterness on the palate, dry and licorice finish. Super delicious. I want more of this wine. December 2020

2016 Idle Hour Vin Rouge, Heringer Estate, Clarksburg AVA, 14.2% ABV, $30 (211*) 40% Petit Verdot, 34% Tempranillo, 26% Petite Sirah

My Review: Dark in color, with a fresh and bright nose. A bit tart yet sweet on the palate like a juicy mix of wines. This is one of those blends that, upon opening, I am not sure what it wants to be. As it opens up, it melds together to a lovely red. 

You can purchase their wines from the Idle Hour website here. This wine can be purchased directly from the winery here. For other inquiries and status of tasting rooms, contact them here:  wine@idlehourwinery.com, Tel: 559-760-9090.  Check for specials, as well as the opportunity to buy gift certificates for future wine purchases and stays at their Queen’s Inn near Yosemite National Park’s southern entrance.  Check them out at www.idlehourwinery.com. 

*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.    

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