Tagged: Cyrano

Parsonage: Big Reds Break Coastal Chill!

Friday before Memorial Day…let’s head out to the valley in search of warmth and wine! Parsonage is always one of our favorite places to taste wines – with plenty of the big reds, just the way we like them.  Summer gave us a sunny seat, giving us a little break from our coastal chill.   

Want sun? Want shade? It can all be arranged! Photo courtesy Parsonage.

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 below are from their website, unless otherwise indicated.

Our latest haul from Parsonage – So happy to have these in my collection!

2019 Parsonage Grenache Rosé, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $29 (#385*)

Winery Notes: A perennial warm weather favorite. And a surprise to everyone who thinks they don’t like Rosé! Made with Grenache grapes. Refreshing and dry.

Owner Bill Parsons’ tasting notes: “What a nose!! If you spend some time with the nose of this lovely and sensual wine, you could discover notes of red roses, lavender, strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry, watermelon, peach and citrus zest. The bouquet comes alive on the palate with strawberry and watermelon. The finish is rich, full and lively.” 

My Review: Apple cider on the nose.  Rich and flavorful on the palate.  I’d love to drink this wine on a “hot” day at our neighbors’ micro-climate patio! May 2021

2017 Parsonage Grenache-Syrah, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $36 (#386*) 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah

Grenache-Syrah photo courtesy of Parsonage.

Winery Notes: “This easy drinker pairs nicely with cheese & crackers. We joke that we should re-name it the “universal donor” even though that isn’t the perfect analogy. But you get the gist of it – this wine seems to be universally loved, no matter what your favorite varietal is…Fully dry. Medium-bodied but rich.”

Owner Bill Parsons’ tasting notes: “A bright mixed bouquet of floral notes accented by raspberry, pomegranate, blueberry, and black cherry mark the nose of this traditional blend. The palate is full, but not as massive as previous vintages. All of the fruit of the nose resonates in the mouth with a hint of umami. This iteration of our Grenache Syrah is marvelously complex and elegant.”  

My Review: Bright ruby in the glass.  Very round on the palate and delicious.  May 2021

2017 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $26 (#387*) 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: This is an exciting blend – bright and energetic.  Summer says:  Good vintage, aged in neutral oak barrels, best seller year over year. May 2021

2015 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $26 (#388*) 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah 

Winery Notes: (We had this wine in our collection and opened it to compare to the 2017 we had tasted at the winery.  The two vintages seemed shockingly similar.  In fact, the winery’s tasting notes are identical to the 2017!)

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Nose of dark berries and cherry. Rich palate of dark fruits overplayed with cherry – excited, dancing on the tongue. May 2021

2017 Parsonage Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, 15% ABV, $48 (#389*) 

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon photo courtesy Parsonage.

Winery Notes: “This Cabernet Sauvignon field blend is joined with a mix of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It’s a full-throttle bombastic beauty, typical of younger vines. The nose is all about very dark fruit marked by brambleberry compote. Plum and cassis join with the brambleberry on a muscular palate that finishes with some major league tannins.” The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a private vineyard in Cachagua (Carmel Valley) and the Cabernet Franc comes from Paicines AVA!

My Review: Beautiful ruby in the glass. Cherry on the nose.  Rich cherry and berry on the palate.  Quite good! May 2021

2018 Parsonage Hawk Reserve Pinot Noir, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $80 (#390*)

Photo of the 2017 Parsonage Hawk Reserve Pinot Noir

Winery Notes from the tasting sheet: Full bodied with full fruit expression and sensuous texture.

My Review: Translucent ruby in color. Raspberry on the nose.  Super juicy bright berry flavors and luscious. Supple tannins. Very nice Pinot Noir – even I like this one! The Hawk can stand up to a Burgundian red! May 2021

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 at 19 E Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village.  

*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: Creative Sourcing Makes an Intriguing Portfolio

Many wineries source grapes from other vineyards and regions.  Some don’t even have their own vineyards and produce amazing wines through innovative sourcing.  Parsonage grows Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot on its 7-acre estate vineyard.  So where does this Carmel Valley winery get its other varietals – or grapes to supplement in the 2016 Soberanes Fire vintage?  From Chesebro’s Cedar Lane Vineyard in Arroyo Seco – a great alternative! 

From Parsonage Wine: “Parsonage is a boutique, family-run vineyard and winery located in the heart of Carmel Valley. We produce big, bold, red wines at a small scale. We named our wine Parsonage because the Parsonage is where the Parson and his family live. We’d love to meet you on your next Carmel Valley wine tasting and are open Thursdays through Mondays by appointment.”

Inside and Outside the Parsonage Winery, April 2019

I’m presenting three wines which Parsonage sources from the Arroyo Seco AVA: the 2018 Grenache Rosé, the 2016 Grenache-Syrah, and their 2016 Cyrano Red Wine.    We tasted these wines with friends as we helped Parsonage test out their reopening operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parsonage says they learned a lot from our trial run.  😊

2018 Parsonage Grenache Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $29

2018 Parsonage Grenache Rosé – Light and Refreshing

From Parsonage Wine: “A perennial warm weather favorite. And a surprise to everyone who thinks they don’t like Rosé! Made with Grenache grapes. Refreshing and dry. We get raspberry and strawberry with back notes of spice and stone fruit. These elements play out on the palate with a delightful fullness and a crisp finish.”

My Review: The grapes for this wine comes from Mark Chesebro’s Cedar Lane vineyard in Arroyo Seco.  Very light in color, almost golden.  Peach and apricot – a very light and refreshing Rosé.  June 2020

2016 Grenache-Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $34.  70% Grenache, 30% Syrah

The 2016 Grenache-Syrah is a delicious blend.

The Parsonage Grenache-Syrah has frequently been a favorite.  The Parsonage Village Vineyard is quite small yet powerful.  They grow no Grenache and, with the Soberanes fire in the summer of 2016, their Syrah also needed to be sourced from another AVA.  Fortunately for us, their long-standing relationship with Mark Chesebro’s Cedar Lane Vineyard in Arroyo Seco provided them the capability to produce this vintage from a year that was extremely hard for Carmel Valley wineries.  This wine is on their Premium Tasting list – a big wine to start with right off the bat.

This is a classic Southern Rhone wine from Parsonage Wines: “This easy drinker pairs nicely with cheese & crackers. We joke that we should re-name it the “universal donor” even though that isn’t the perfect analogy. But you get the gist of it – this wine seems to be universally loved, no matter what your favorite varietal is. 70 percent Grenache and 30 percent Syrah. Fully dry. Medium-bodied but rich. Notes of black, red and blue fruit with a hint of spice on the finish..” 

My Review:  Dark fruit and a bit of alcohol on the nose.  Black tea, chai, white pepper and cinnamon on the palate.  A bit brash, but we liked it.  For a medium-bodied wine, it is a big one.  Must be that 15% alcohol on top of the fruit.  I re-tasted this wine in August and detected no brashness right out of the bottle – it was just a yummy wine. I need to get more of this vintage, if possible!! June 2020 and August 2020

2016 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Arroyo Seco, 15% ABV, $26. 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah

The 2016 Cyrano is sourced from Arroyo Seco AVA.

Another Parsonage – this time an everyday wine and a favorite.  For a long time, this wine was called “Snosrap” (Parsons spelled backwards).  The label was a beautiful Mary Ellen Parsons quilt of Cyrano smelling a glass of wine.  A marketing expert suggested they simply call this red blend “Cyrano.”  Thus, the current naming of this wine. 

From Parsonage Wine: “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: Slight brownish tint, inky and “Camembert” on the nose.  The palate is smooth with bold, intense fruit, with herbal notes. This vintage is particularly delicious.  Recommending snapping up some – great wine at a value price.   

Once we are on the other side of this fire emergency, you can obtain these wines directly from the winery:  They offer flat rate ground shipping for $14.99. Join their wine club for 20% off.  You can also visit their tasting room by appointment only in Carmel Valley Village (“the village”) Thursdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. You can make a reservation from their home page:  Parsonage Wine.

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