Tagged: Decanting Monterey

A Sweet, Little Local Monterey Catch Up Post!

THE STORY – Monterey Catch Up

Time for a short, Monterey Catch Up Post of wines we have enjoyed at home!

THE WINES:

Today I’m bringing you a little Monterey catchup post on 4 wines, 2 new ones and 2 revisits!  The Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir we found in our fridge and enjoyed on one of those rare, warm June coastal days. I picked up the Galante Vineyards Merlot at a tasting there long ago – but did not get to sample it until this past winter (amazing what we find hidden in our wine room!). We picked up the Pierce Ranch Vineyards Claret as they were closing their Cannery Row tasting room (they are open at their winery – see below!).  Finally, we enjoy re-tasting Carmel Valley wines from the 2016 Soberanes Fire year to see how they are holding up. The Parsonage Tanner Reserve is one which, through creative winemaking, I still don’t detect even a hint of the smoke – it is drinking beautifully. 

Winery notes come from their website, newsletters or tasting room. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2022 Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $24 (#1431)

Winery Notes: “If the Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir offers any preview into the quality of the coming wines for a given vintage, rest assured that 2022 will certainly be a vintage to remember. Sporting shades of melon, salmon, and coral that are classic for a Lucy Rosé, this beautiful offering packs unyielding aromatic intensity as it chills and condensates on the sides of the glass.  Delicate at first with notes of fresh strawberry and subtle, mineral driven undertones, this wine begins to offer complexities seldom seen in rosé as it opens up in the glass. Plush notes of peach blossom and watermelon waft into the air, as the first sips offer citrus-driven flavors of tangerine and orange peel, backed by tart raspberry and rose petal. Brief but impactful aging in 100% neutral French oak barrels offer an added layer of texture that pairs seamlessly with fresh acidity.”

“The Pisoni Family has always been committed to making exceptional wines, and Lucy allows them to combine this passion with philanthropy. The Pisoni family donates one dollar of each bottle sold to Breast Cancer Research. Since inception, over $200,000 has been raised for this cause.”

My 2024 Review: Pale salmon in the glass. Peach and apricot with strawberry notes on the nose. Kind of tart on the palate like underripe strawberries and raspberries. Refreshing. Complexity is revealed as wine warms in the glass. More than a pool wine. June 2024

2018 Galante Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $100   (#1432)

Winery Notes “This Wine Gang favorite is EXTREMELY limited – only 50 cases produced – and as you all know, it always sells out quickly.  Lush, ripe strawberry and toasted vanilla flavors abound in this classic Merlot.

My Review: Dark garnet in the glass – like a juicy, dark cherry. Dark fruit and a touch of vanilla on the nose. Sweet tart on the palate with an undercurrent of dark berries and plum. Cherry on the finish. March 2024

2016 Pierce Ranch Vineyards Claret, San Antonio Valley AVA, Monterey County, 13.8% ABV, $28 (#142)

Winery Notes: “…Benefiting from the region’s high elevation, rocky soils, and wide variation in diurnal temperature, the 2016 vintage is a nuanced, well-balanced wine with an elegant texture, restrained fruit, and a solid tannic structure. Produced on a very limited scale, its components were fermented in small lots and aged in French oak for 18 months. Flavors and aromas of red cherry, black currant, and plum combine with hints of cedar and tobacco leaf.”

My 2024 Review: Cranberry, blackberry, plum and musky herbal on the nose. White pepper, black raspberry and currant with grapefruit notes on the finish. December 2023

My 2020 Review: Raspberry and blackberry on the nose.  Raspberry, tart cherry and plum on the palate, with a smooth, licorice finish.  This is a very tasty, everyday Claret. May 2020

2016 Parsonage Estate Reserve Tanner Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, 15% ABV, $80

Winery Notes: “This Cabernet Sauvignon is a burly beast of a wine and the fastest selling vintage we’ve ever made. When folks try it, they buy it. The nose is full of dark fruit with hints of barrel toast. The palate is full of blackberry, black cherry, and tobacco leaf.  Nicely integrated tannins and a long finish. We aren’t fancy and like to pair it with a burger.” 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

My 2024 Review: Medium purple in color. Crushed blackberry and cherry and brewed coffee, with a hint of sulfur, on the nose. Melange of berries and spearmint on the plate with a dry, wooden finish with lingering licorice notes. Blind tasting this wine, you wouldn’t know it was from the year of the Soberanes Fire.

My 2020 Review: Glass-coating rich, this wine had a little sulphur and green olive on the nose, followed by umami flavors of pepperoni dipped in a good marinade.  Very robust and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.  Little to no detection of smoke taint, despite the 2016 vintage. June 2020

THE TASTING ROOMS – A Monterey Catch Up:

Lucy Wines doesn’t appear to have a tasting room.

Galante Vineyards: Come visit our Wine Tasting Room and Western Emporium in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. Located off Dolores between Ocean and Seventh Ave., Galante Vineyards is proud to be Carmel’s first “Wine Tasting Room”. We cordially invite you and your guests to stop by to say “howdy” and to taste our renowned estate wines.

“Our tasting room is located in Carmel-by-the-Sea off Dolores between Ocean Street and Seventh Ave. We are currently open DAILY for outdoor tastings: Monday-Thursday 12:30-6:30pm, Friday & Saturday  12:00-7:30pm, Sunday 12:00-6:30pm”

Pierce Ranch Vineyards : “We are now hosting regular tasting hours at the winery in Lockwood every Saturday from 12:00 to 4:00 pm…The official winery address is 53527 Bradley-Lockwood Road, Bradley, CA 93426. (We know. Apparently whether or not we’re actually in Lockwood is a matter of interpretation. It might be a quantum thing.) If you need directions or if you have questions, feel free to contact us at tastingroom@piercevineyards.com. We’ll see/observe you there.”

Parsonage: “Carmel Valley Wine Tasting Room: Hooray! We are open for both indoor and outdoor wine tasting daily. Hours: Monday – Friday: noon to 5pm, Saturday & Sunday: 11am to 5pm. Last seating for wine tasting: 4:15pm. Reservations can be made here or by phone. Please call us at 831-659-7322 for same day reservations.”

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Highlights from the 31st Annual Monterey Wine Country Winemakers Celebration!

My favorite widely-attended wine event in Monterey County happened on August 24th – the  Monterey Winemakers Celebration! I like this event because these are “our” local wineries – the ones we can drive to and the tasting rooms we frequent.  And this time the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association was very generous to me and comped me VIP tickets!  My chance to taste some of the special wines before everyone else shows up – excellent.  A huge THANK YOU for your generosity!

And we could not have had better weather for the Winemakers Celebration – it was warm and sunny – not something you can bank on in August on the Monterey Peninsula! And how fun to see so many of our winemakers in attendance including Sabrine Rodems, Ian Brand, Jack Galante, Greg Freeman, Greg Hill, Russell Joyce, and Keith Prader.

In today’s post, I’ll walk you through some of the wines we tasted – but then hone in on specific noteworthy wines.

ABOUT THE MONTEREY WINEMAKERS CELEBRATION 2024

“Join us in Carmel-by-the-Sea for the Monterey Winemakers Celebration, now in its 31st year! This year, the event has moved to late August to celebrate the beginning of the 2024 harvest. Celebrate with winemakers and growers from one of the world’s premier wine regions at this beloved street festival on Saturday, August 24, on Dolores Street (between Ocean and 7th) and 7th Street (between Dolores and San Carlos).

“Experience incredible wines and culinary delights from renowned chefs and local food purveyors who will showcase their craft. Event proceeds will benefit the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Foundation Peter Figge Memorial Scholarship Fund.” This fund is still open for donations!

Please click on the event link to see all of the wineries and eateries who were there to make this a fun event!

THE EVENT ITSELF – Winemakers Celebration

My Strategy: My usual strategy at the Winemakers Celebration is to focus on wineries that were new or ones I had never presented in my blog, sample one wine, and dump the rest. But only one winery that fit that category, so we went looking for the special reserve wines! However – with a twist – my partner wanted to go through once only tasting rosé and white wines and to leave the reds for the trip back through.  It was an incredibly warm day, but it meant more wines and smaller tastes to come out even!

We sampled rosé wines from Dawn’s Dream Winery, Lucy Wines, Talbott Vineyards, Tira Nanza, Chalone Vineyard and De Tierra – and more!

And a few whites: Dawn’s Dream 2023 Chardonnay had a buttery nose with honey and tropical notes on the palate. Scheid Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc was pale in glass with melon and pineapple on the palate – a good wine. Plus Rexford Winery’s flavorful 2022 Tondre Grapefield Dry Riesling and nicely balanced 2019 Escolle Chardonnay. Lucy Wines (by Pisoni) had an interesting 2023 blend named Pico Blanco (Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc) which was light yellow and tropical on the palate. And JL Wood Wines was back with its line of Chardonnays from Arroyo Seco – the 2022 Premier was buttery and balanced.

There were lots of sparkling wines that were oh so bubbly: Common Thread Wines, Folktale Winery & Vineyards, Scratch Wines, Puma Road, Holman Ranch  and Caraccioli Cellars. 

And some notable reds, including Odonata Wines tasty 2020 Malbec from Paicines, Holman Ranch Syrah (drinking so well!), and newcomer Lyndon Fog Cellars  2023 Zabala Vineyard Syrah (where can I get some, please?). Plus standout red blends, including the 2021 De Tierra Coco The Rescue, 2022 Galante Vineyards Legacy, 2016 Puma Road TKO, 2016 Pessagno Wines  Quattro, and 2019 Silvestri Vineyards Eugenia.

And then we capped off the Winemakers Celebration by tasting every single one of  Shale Canyon Wines reds: 2017 Mourvèdre, 2019 GSM, 2017 Tempranillo, and we even got to taste the club-only 2019 Consortium! At that point, we were invited to the winery to help them bottle wines later in the fall.  Why not?

THE CULINARY DELIGHTS – Winemakers Celebration

Before I get to today’s wines, I just wanted to mention a couple of eateries which stood out to us.  We did not try them all, but we especially enjoyed the Cafe Guarani empanadas and the The Grill on Ocean Ave. flaky triangles with artichoke dip.

THE WINES – Winemakers Celebration

As I did with the last Monterey Wine Trade Event, today I want to highlight a few standout wines from wineries I rarely or have never covered in this blog.  I did not capture detailed tasting notes at the Winemakers Celebration, so I’ve cobbled together my notes from memory. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

This post focuses on Common Thread Wines, De Tierra, Lyndon Fog Cellars, and Pessagno Wines . Each is worthy of a future visit and a full tasting. Any winery notes are from their websites or from the presenters at this event. 

ABOUT COMMON THREAD WINES:

David Baird, winemaker at Folktale, started this label as a personal effort to make a difference for the special needs community. I encourage you to read the moving story about Common Thread Wines here: It all began in a moment.

“…My winemaking career began in 2006 while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  I’ve had the pleasure of working for some of the best winemakers in the Central Coast of California and honing my craft and style along the way.  A goal of mine was to someday create wines of my own, but timing was never right.  That all changed in 2021 when finally gaining the courage to take a risk and begin a wine brand of my own, and Common Thread was born.  The name comes from a similar trait I share with my two boys – a single palmar crease on our left hands.  This crease is one of the physical markers of Down syndrome, along with almond shaped eyes, stunted growth, etc.  It is not an indication of any mutation, and can be an uncommon inherited trait that is often passed down among males.  I’m proud to share this special trait with my two boys, and is my Common Thread.

“A large part of my desire to make wine is getting an opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way.  I’m proud to donate 10% of proceeds to organizations that support individuals with special needs.  Those individuals share a common thread with my son, and all deserve to live life to the fullest.”

2023 Common Thread Brut Rose, Central Coast AVA, 12.7% ABV, $34 (#1427) 66% Pinot Meunier, 21% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Noir

Winemaker’s Notes: “Originally associated with royalty and wine for the gods, sparkling wine has always been made with love and care. This bottle honors the past, with a bottling of the classic varieies in traditional sparkling wine and the Méthode Champenoise. Depending on your preferences, pair this with caviar or popcorn on the couch. The individual components were hand-picked and gently pressed. The individual components fermented in Stainless-Steel before being blended and bottled for the secondary fermentation. The bottles were riddled by hand and disgorged in the fall of 2024.”

My Notes:  A little cloudy in glass and very tasty. Unlike many of the bubblies at this event which were all bubbles and, if you were lucky, a touch of yeasty notes, this one actually tasted like something. I’d serve to guests. We circled back to tell him that it was our favorite sparkling wine of the event! August 2024

ABOUT DE TIERRA:

“De Tierra Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery producing handcrafted, award-winning wines from the California Central Coast. Owners, Jeff Meacham and Andrew Schoenfeld are dedicated to the rich history and traditions of De Tierra. “We are very fortunate for our continued close partnership with the Russell Vineyards where De Tierra’s founder planted our first varietals in 1998. The Vineyard’s location affords us favorable and unique soils lending to our consistent premium wines of superb quality. Jeff and Andrew continue De Tierra’s commitment to producing superior quality boutique wines.”

2021 De Tierra Rosé of Pinot Noir, Central Coast AVA, 14.2% ABV, $35 (#1428)

Winemaker’s Notes: “Won SILVER MEDAL at the California State Commercial Wine Competition 2023!…IN THE GLASS: Watermelon and silver tones. Fresh and bright…”

My Notes: This was one of the most flavorful rosé wines we tasted this afternoon. 

ABOUT LYNDON FOG CELLARS:

This was the first time Lyndon Fog Cellars participated in this event. They are a joint venture by Laurel Livingston and Glen Caughell. She works for Ian Brand and he also works in the wine industry.  They brought several wines for us to sample, including a fun “Chillable Red.” But, when she told me her Syrah grapes came from Zabala Vineyards, I needed to try no others!

2023 Lyndon Fog Syrah, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County (#1429)

My notes: Cinnamon candy on the nose, followed by that lovely Zabala Syrah fruit.  I need to get some! August 2024

ABOUT PESSAGNO WINES:

“Pessagno Winery brings to life a family’s 20-year dream of producing exclusive wines from prestigious vineyards throughout the Monterey and San Benito Counties. Winemaker Stephan Pessagno left behind a legacy of extravagance for all in the industry to enjoy. His deep rooted passion and devotion elevated the Pessagno name to what it is today… Franscioni’s team of winemakers welcome all wine lovers to indulge in their exclusive product. They capture the natural flavors of the San Lucia Highlands among other local regions to give Pessagno wines their unique flavor. Come savor the tastes and aromas of our luxurious wines…”

2016 Pessagno Quattro Red Blend, Pedregal de Paicines Vineyard, Paicines AVA, San Benito County, $40 (#1430)

Winery Notes: “Four Varietal Blend of 37.5% Cabernet Franc, 37.5% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. The 2016 Quattro entices with rich aromas of spice, tobacco, oak and dark cherry. The palate is rewarded with a rich and velvety mouthfeel, flavors of leather, intense dark cherry, and hints of spice and vanilla, with a long, satisfying finish.”

My Notes: The Pessagno Quattro was one of best fruit forward red blends we tasted at this event. I would present this wine in one of my classes! August 2024

THE TASTING ROOMS

Only two of these wineries have tasting rooms.  Please contact the others directly for more information.

De Tierra Tasting Room:

The De Tierra Tasting Room is located at Mission and 5th in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.

“De Tierra provides a one of a kind tasting room experience in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Just 1½ blocks off Ocean Ave., our tasting room is located in a cozy cottage that opens up to the sights and sounds of downtown. Come visit us and experience our extensive wine portfolio which features many single varietal wines, unique blends, sparkling and dessert wines. Make it a perfect match with our available locally sourced small bites.

“The Tasting Room at De Tierra Vineyards is open to the public Mon-Thr: 1pm-6pm and Fri-Sun: 1pm -7pm. Reservations are not needed, but are encouraged. We are family and dog friendly. We can’t wait to see you at the Tasting Room – we know you’ll love it here.”

Pessagno Tasting Room:

The Pessagno Tasting Room is located at 1645 River Road, Salinas, CA 93908, on the Monterey Wine Trail!

“WE’RE OPEN FOR TASTINGS – WITH AMPLE COVERED & HEATED OUTDOOR SEATING!

“We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support over the past several years. We are delighted to welcome you for on-site tastings and look forward to seeing you soon! Reservations are recommended. Please call 831-675-9463 or email info@pessagnowines.com for our River Road Winery & Tasting Room.

“Current Hours. We are currently operating with Spring Hours and are open Thursday-Monday, from 12-5pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday.”

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Idle Hour Generously Shares their Latest on Croatia Tour!

WINE ADVENTURES IN CROATIA – PART 3!

THE STORY

OK, one more post about our spring trip to Croatia. Today’s post is about the Idle Hour wines from California which were generously shared with us by our traveling host, winemaker and co-owner Anna Marie Dos Remedios, throughout our trip. We were able to taste these wines at restaurants and on the boat.  We were personally grateful to experience more recent vintages of wines we know, as well as some new ones sourced in the Santa Ynez AVA in Santa Barbara County. For those of us with California palates, these were a welcome break from the still strange yet wonderful Croatian wines.

I waited for Anna Marie to send me her winery notes for these wines, as they are no longer available online. And I am sure glad I did! Also, as with my other posts about our trip in Croatia, my reviews have at times been colorfully supplemented by our traveling partners, whom I have named the Decanting-Monterey-in-Croatia Wine Pod. 😊 The Malbec review was also assisted earlier by Erin of tèr·ra·ve·nos.

One of the Many Picturesque Lunch Spots During Our Trip!

I have written about Idle Hour Winery several times before, with the last major post here: Idle Hour Pop Up Tasting Room Event – A Better Way to Spend a Rainy Day.

IDLE HOUR WINERY

“In our winery, we focus on single-varietal, single vineyard designated wines from select California vineyards and make our wines with minimal intervention in the cellar. In our kitchen, we are a scratch kitchen, with house made dishes using only the freshest, local ingredients we can source from small purveyors from around California. Our food and wines are inspired by the Mediterranean with a focus on using healthier cooking methods and fresh, organic ingredients.”

Anna Marie shared this about her new Santa Barbara County wines:

“My first vintage from Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley did not disappoint.  I chose three Rhône varieties to work with from the La Presa Vineyard: Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir.”

IDLE HOUR WINES

2019 Idle Hour Malbec, Madera, 13.8% ABV, $32 (#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, cherry and raspberry with green pepper, smoke and dusty notes on the nose. Super bright and fruit forward. Medium ripe tannins, a tiny bit grippy. Slightly tart and savory, similar to one of the blueberry blend fruit juices we had in the Croatian hotel – in a good way. Pair with risotto and skirt steak. I liked this wine. December 2022 and May 2024

2021 Idle Hour Old Vine Carignan, Madera County, 13.6% ABV (#1340)

Winemaker’s Notes: ““As an homage to the beauty of the 50 years aged bush vines in Madera bearing these grapes, I wanted the purity of this fruit to shine, using only neutral barrels and picking with balance with a lighter style in mind. Red fruits of bing cherry and raspberry pay tribute to the inherent acidity of this variety with smooth tannins and a woodsy back end. Definitely a food wine! A perfect Summer wine to pair with a meal off the bbq of meats and veggies.”

AWARDS: Gold 92, 2024 Los Angeles Invitational Wine Challenge; Bronze, 2024 SF Chronicle International Wine Competition.

My Review: Red fruit reminiscent of macerated strawberry on the nose. Darker fruit on the full bodied, jammy palate.  Jam packed with more of a plum vs blackberry. Cherry on the finish. I liked this wine – we took one home. May 2024

2021 Idle Hour Cuvée Rouge, $32 (#1341) 60 % Petite Sirah, 40% Carignan

Winemaker’s Notes: “Once in awhile, I blend a few barrels of wines. The fruit in the Carignan tamed the structure of the Petite Sirah, giving a balance and length to the blend while still preserving the bright red fruits and smooth mid palate of the Carignan. This Petite Sirah from Madera was not overly tannic, it lends the more savory notes from aging in newer oak to the blend: cedar and an earthiness from the sur lie aging.”

My Review: Purple in color. Sweet blueberry and cranberry on the nose. Very dark fruit like blueberry and dried plums, with a tangy finish. May 2024

2022 Idle Hour Rousanne, Santa Ynez AVA, Santa Barbara County, 13.8% ABV, (#1342)

Winemaker’s Notes: “I haven’t made Roussanne since 2012.  I love the variety for the long and smooth mid palate, it is like the Petit Verdot of the white wines, most often used in blends to lengthen the body of a blend. I love mine as a single varietal wine. This vintage did not disappoint, with a full body and an herbal aromatic, think pears and honey with black tea  and ample acidity tempered by the mouthfeel.”

This is the only white wine allowed in the Rhône. It’s the “Petit Verdot of white wine.”

My Review: Sweet nose of apricot, honey and elderflower – very St Germaine. Viscous in the glass. Grapefruit and honey on the palate with a pear finish. May 2024

2022 Idle Hour Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara AVA, 14.2% ABV, $34 (#1343)

Winemaker’s Notes: “This, my second vintage of Grenache Blanc from the Central Coast, boasted a succulent mouthfeel, with floral notes of rose petals, vanilla from a tempered short aging in oak and citrusy notes. With only a short aging of 6 months for the malolactic fermentation to complete before bottling, this wine showed beautifully and sold out quickly after winning the 2023 Sunset Int’l Wine Competition Best of Class. I wish I would have made more!” SOLD OUT!

AWARDS: Best of Class 94 Gold 94  2023 Sunset International Wine Competition; Silver, 2023 International Women’s Wine Competition

My Review: Floral notes like orange blossom on the nose. A round, oaky quality is balanced by crisp acidity and minerality on the palate. June 2024

2022 Idle Hour Grenache Noir, Santa Ynez AVA, Santa Barbara County, 13.9% ABV, $ (#1344)

Winemaker’s Notes: “This wine is everything I love of California Grenache! Woodsy aromatics, a lightness to the mouthfeel and cherry all day! This was a tiny lot of 1 ton producing only 48 cases of wine!”

AWARDS: Silver, 2024 SF Chronicle International Wine Competition.

My Review: I did not capture detailed tasting notes on this wine. It was interesting and tasty, with some cherry notes on the palate. I recall liking this one better than most Central Coast Grenache wines, which can sometimes seem boring. June 2024

THE TASTING ROOM

“COME VISIT OAKHURST’S FIRST WINERY & TASTE OUR MEDITERRANEAN-INFLUENCED AND HANDCRAFTED FOOD & WINE”

“We are open for wine tasting Thursday-Saturdays from 11am until 5pm, and Sundays, 10am until 2 pm. Our Kitchen is open for lunch service as well, Thursdays-Saturdays, 12pm-4 pm, Dinner service Thursdays-Saturdays, 5pm-8pm and Sunday Brunch from 10am-2pm. Call (559) 760-9090 for more information.”

Check their Facebook page @IdleHourWine for the latest info!

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Get the Scoop Here: A Preview of Rombi New Releases!

THE STORY

A little birdie told me that Sal Rombi will be showcasing some new releases in his tasting room THIS WEEKEND (August 24-25)!  And guess what?  I had a special box in our wine room given to me by Sal with these wines! After the fun we had guessing the Mystery Wine in July, we got the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod back together to preview the Rombi new releases.  It’s a tough job – somebody’s got to do it.

ABOUT ROMBI WINES

“Since 2006, hands-on winemaking that reflects a unique sense of place”

“Wine is a gift from nature, and every bottle produced at Rombi Wines tells a story of the land, the geography, the climate, and the hands-on philosophy of one man. Salvatore Rombi takes winemaking personally, obsessing over every detail — from harvest to barrel aging — to produce a unique range of elegant yet bold and complex red wines from the Carmel Valley Appellation. Rombi’s small vineyard and intimate tasting room provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable wine journey. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a strict allegiance to sustainable farming practices, Rombi creates award-winning, limited-production vintages. As an ode to terroir — the rock and soil, but also the land and legacy, culture and commitment, time and tradition — the wines from Rombi are always bottled poetry.”

THE WINES: Rombi New Releases

Today I’m bringing you 4 wines, 3 new to this website.  Of these 4 wines, only 3 of them will be part of the Rombi new releases this weekend.  These wines were gifted to me. I will always tell you when a wine has been gifted to me. As a not-for-profit blog that I fund myself, the occasional gifted bottle means a lot to me.  Thank you, Sal.

In addition to Monday’s post on the 2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, I have written up Rombi Wines several times in Decanting Monterey – just type “Rombi” in the search bar.

All of these wines (except for the Petite Sirah) were opened early and single decanted. We sadly did not decant the Petite Sirah.  That makes twice we’ve tried this wine without decanting.  One must always decant or even double decant a Rombi wine! The Decanting Monterey Wine Pod collaborated on the reviews.  Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2021 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#1424) (new release!)

My Review: Deep purple in color with cedar, blueberry, blackberry and violets on the palate.  So good: a big blue punch with graphite notes on the finish. This wine was not fruit forward, soft yet stubborn in the middle (“brooding”) with lingering tannins. Leather and cigar paper flavors on the finish, along with lingering fruit and nutmeg notes.  It reminds us of a Languedoc. “It taste like Carmel Valley smells.” Very drinkable now, but think how great this wine will be in five years! August 2024

2021 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#1425) (Sadly, this wine will not be among the new releases.  We will all have to be very patient to taste this beauty!)

My Review: This wine is so good. It’s darker red in the glass than the Merlot. Has a nose of plum and allspice with a hint of cedar and dried orange peel. The palate has notes of pepper and herbes de Provence with a round mouth feel. At this young age, the tannins leave a very dry palate. It finishes with fig and cassis flavors. This wine is stupendous. It will age into one tremendous wine. August 2024

2019 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#1426) (new release!)

My Review: The nose has a touch of barnyard (we had a debate about this descriptor), a little woody with some pepper and blackberry notes. The palate is mouth-filling with blackberry and pepper flavors and a hint of licorice. This wine is tight, but opens up into a rich wine – a classic Rombi. This will age into a really good wine. Buy now and HOLD. August 2024.

2018 Rombi Petite Sirah, Napa Valley AVA, Napa County, 14.1% ABV, $75 (#1128) (new release!)

My Review: This was the evening’s bonus wine, so it was not decanted. Always a mistake. Rombi wines must be decanted.  Late in the evening, our notes were not as extensive: Very dark purple in color. Dried fig, cigarettes and a touch of barnyard on the nose. Super rich, big palate. This wine comes off a little hot, yet is an extremely tasty wine. Next time I get my hands on one of these, we are decanting it! August 2024

THE TASTING ROOM

If you are around, be sure to stop by this weekend and taste the Rombi new releases!

Taste Award-Winning Vintages at Rombi Wines:

“At Rombi Wines, our unique tasting room provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience. Salvatore Rombi is most often on hand to guide you through the winemaking process and your tasting experience. Step off the beaten path and discover Rombi, where every bottle tells a story.

“Rombi Wines Tasting Room is at 1 Center St., in the charming Carmel Valley Village. We are open Saturdays and Sundays from noon–5 p.m., although appointments can be made for weekday visits.”

(831) 659-7200

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

“Mystery Wine” Stumps Wine Pod with a Sensational Rombi!

THE STORY -The Mystery Wine Game!

A fun, little bonus post for your Monday morning! After many spring and summer travels, the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod was finally reunited in late July. And what would a Wine Pod gathering be if we didn’t have a Mystery Wine? This is a game we play regularly.  Here’s the usual format:

  • Old World or New World?
  • Which Country or Region?
  • What varietal or blend?
  • What winery?
  • What vintage?  (yes, sometimes we can even guess the vintage)

So, on this particular evening, the Mystery Wine game went like this:

  • Old World or New World: Our friend guessed Old World and I was convinced it was New World.
  • From which region and what varietal? Our friend guessed French Bordeaux; I guessed Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Cab blend.
  • What vintage? He guessed an older vintage and I thought it was younger than that.

Our impressions of this mystery wine were much more aligned – a fantastic nose – filled to the brim with dark fruit and lusciousness.  The palate was quite rich with forest floor and cedar, finishing with some tannins – nicely structured.We all agreed that this was an amazing wine.

The Big Reveal:  The mystery wine was the 2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon from the Carmel Valley AVA! We were stunned and amazed at how wonderful this wine is drinking! I often say we shouldn’t be tempted to drink Sal Rombi’s wines too early – they need to be held – and double decanted. And it was marvelous.

I’ve written up this wine twice before, but, when Sal Rombi gifted us another bottle, who could resist? Yes, I will always tell you when a wine has been gifted to me. As an all-volunteer blog that I fund myself, the occasional gifted bottle means a lot to me.  Thank you, Sal.

I have written up Rombi Wines several times in Decanting Monterey – just type “Rombi” in the search bar. The most recent post is here: Sal Rombi’s Big Reds Impress the Monterey AWS!  

ABOUT ROMBI WINES

Since 2006, hands-on winemaking that reflects a unique sense of place

“Wine is a gift from nature, and every bottle produced at Rombi Wines tells a story of the land, the geography, the climate, and the hands-on philosophy of one man. Salvatore Rombi takes winemaking personally, obsessing over every detail — from harvest to barrel aging — to produce a unique range of elegant yet bold and complex red wines from the Carmel Valley Appellation. Rombi’s small vineyard and intimate tasting room provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable wine journey. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a strict allegiance to sustainable farming practices, Rombi creates award-winning, limited-production vintages. As an ode to terroir — the rock and soil, but also the land and legacy, culture and commitment, time and tradition — the wines from Rombi are always bottled poetry.”

THE MYSTERY WINE

In today’s post I will present a single Rombi wine. I’ve written up this wine a couple of times before:  Rombi: Bold, Distinctive Fruit Wrapped in Elegance  and more recently here: At Rombi, It is More than Just the Exceptional Wine!  Any errors are mine and mine alone. Any quotes come from the winery’s website.

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.  He also reminded me that one must always decant his wines!

I am posting 3 different impressions/experiences of this wine – the recent one first!

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

My Current 2024 Review: This wine was opened before the event and was decanted. We smelled cassis, stewed prunes, black pepper, Coca Cola and some tobacco on the delightful big nose of darkness. On the palate: forest floor and cedar mingle with the rich, dark fruit palate. Finishes with some tobacco – the tannins holding up to give this wine a nice structure.  We single decanted this wine and tasted it blind.  It pays to hold onto these wines!  His carefully-tended, tiny vineyard produces fabulous fruit, followed by Sal’s expert winemaking. We all thought this mystery wine was beautiful. July 2024

My July 2020 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. Next time, we will decant this wine as he recommends!  This is an excellent Carmel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – delicious fruit. July 2020

My Comments from My September 2022 Tasting: Tasting notes remained the same. However, we only single decanted and aerated this wine, but it would have benefited from being double decanted and double aerated. We really had to let this wine open up before we experienced the delicious, distinctive fruit we remembered from his 2015 vintage.  Sal reminded me that one must always, always decant his wines. We should know better by now!  After it fully opened up and also on day 2, this was still drinking deliciously. September 2022

THE TASTING ROOM

Taste Award-Winning Vintages at Rombi Wines:

“At Rombi Wines, our unique tasting room provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience. Salvatore Rombi is most often on hand to guide you through the winemaking process and your tasting experience. Step off the beaten path and discover Rombi, where every bottle tells a story.

“Rombi Wines Tasting Room is at 1 Center St., in the charming Carmel Valley Village. We are open Saturdays and Sundays from noon–5 p.m., although appointments can be made for weekday visits.”

(831) 659-7200

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

McIntyre Vineyards Hosts Monterey AWS in New Carmel Valley Spot!

THE STORY

By now you know the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society holds a WinedUP event the first Friday of the month.  This is our chance to explore our very own wineries of Monterey County and socialize with each other. We had reached out to Boekenoogen’s tasting room in Carmel Valley Village, but didn’t hear back. Then I read about McIntyre Vineyards taking over the Boekenoogen tasting room spot AND its remaining bottles of wine.  Since I had worked with Kristen McIntyre on my recent wine class, I offered to reach out to her to see if we could hold our event in their new Carmel Valley spot.

Kristen most graciously offered to host us for our August event.  She responded quickly with a tasting menu tailored for our group.  This was one of the easiest wineries to work with on setting up our event.  And it sold out quickly!

My last big post about McIntyre Vineyards was here: McIntyre Vineyards: In the “Sweet Spot” of the Santa Lucia Highlands. I’ve written about their wines a few times – just type “McIntyre” in the Decanting Monterey search bar. As I have said before, I’m not that big of a Pinot Noir fan, but I will always stop to taste a McIntyre!

ABOUT MCINTYRE VINEYARDS – IN THE “SWEET SPOT” OF THE SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

“Mcintyre Estate Vineyard lies in the “sweet spot” of Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. Originally planted in 1973, the 80-acre site (60 acres planted) boasts some of the Highlands’ oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines.… Proprietor Steve McIntyre is one of the most knowledgeable viticulturists in California. As owner/operator of Monterey Pacific, he farms 16,000 acres in Monterey County. The McIntyre Estate Vineyard was among the first properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands to be SIP (Sustainability In Practice) Certified.”

THE EVENT

We arrived to the McIntyre new Carmel Valley spot along with rare summer droplets of rain. Luckily, the raindrops abated and our group enjoyed both the indoor and expansive outdoor spaces.  Kristen and Natasa were there to host us.  The wine menu ensured there was something for each of our palates. Everyone had a good time, enjoying the hospitality, the wines, and each other.  If you’d like to join the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society , please join the National American Wine Society and select Monterey as your chapter. We’d love to have you join us!

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 4 McIntyre Vineyards wines and 1 Boekenoogen wine from this August visit at their new Carmel Valley spot. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website, unless otherwise noted. Kristen happily provided us in-depth knowledge about the wines. And Natasa was great about processing our tasting fees and purchases.  Today’s reviews are enhanced by Erin of tèr·ra·ve·nos. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ websites.

2022 McIntyre Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 13% ABV, $24 (#1420)

Winery Notes: “This Rosé is sure to please any occasion, food or mood that may occur. While it is never easy to compensate for Mother Nature’s vicissitudes, this wine was undoubtedly enhanced by the work we did in the vineyard. The vines for this Rosé are now 50 years old, own rooted and grown on a Lyre trellis system. The crop was thinned to encourage even ripening and more concentrated fruit flavors. North/south row orientation ensured even sun exposure from dawn to sunset.”

Wine Enthusiast 90 pts: “Aromas of rose potpourri and tart citrus make for a unique combination on the nose of this bottling. There’s a sharp pink lemonade kick to the palate, which is tightly wound in texture.” — Matt Kettmann

My Review: Beautiful light pink in color. Perfume on the nose. There is a light tartness on the palate with Band-Aid and orange hard candy notes. August 2024

2019 McIntyre Estate Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.2% ABV, $42 (#1421)

Winery Notes: “Great wines speak to both sides of your brain. They are cerebral yet artistic, rational yet hedonistic. Take our 2019 McIntyre Estate Vineyard Chardonnay. For the analytical left side, there is precision, structure and minerality. For the intuitive right side, there is texture, opulence and concentration. For both sides there are lush impressions of toast, crème brûlée, oak and grilled almonds.

Wine Enthusiast – 90 points: “Sharp aromas of pithy citrus, crisp apple and light white flower show on the nose of this bottling. The palate is tightly wound, with a waxy, alkaline line of minerality, offering light hints of lemon and apple along the way.” — Matt Kettmann

My Review: Golden in color. Lots of legs. Underripe pineapple, lemon curd, golden apple, mellow brioche and a little white blossom on the nose. The palate has some acidity on the front of the tongue and round on mid-palate – very well made. A pleasant wine. August 2024

2018 McIntyre Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $48 (#1288)

Winery Notes: “The confluence of favorable weather, mature vines, sustainable farming techniques (SIP Certified) and minimalistic winemaking practices yielded one of the most complete wines we have ever produced. Our 2018 McIntyre Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir is deep, dark, intense, powerful and exotic. It delivers a plethora of the sensory goodies stretching from earth to fruit. Highlights include plums, blueberries, violets and silky tannins.”

Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “Complex aromas of dark cherry, sagebrush, clove and dried mushroom show on the nose of this estate bottling. Sandalwood and light incense spices lead the palate, where polished flavors of dark cherry, rust and clove-dusted mulberry arise.” — Matt Kettmann

My Review: Dark ruby and lots of legs in the glass. Dark intense fruit on the nose. This wine hits the front and sides of the palate with dark cherry and forest floor notes. Finishes with tobacco and alcohol notes. August 2024

2022 Boekenoogen Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.4% ABV, $45 (#1422)

My Review: Sweet on the nose and lots of legs in the glass. This wine exhibits the musty nose of a rich SLH Pinot. A richer mid palate than the previous wine, replete with warm baking spices. I liked this wine – it was very popular with our members, as well. Many were purchased on the way out the door! August 2024

2016 McIntyre Per Ardua Red Blend, Kimberly Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $60 (#1423) 50% Merlot, 50% Petit Verdot

Winery Notes: “Per Ardua is the ancient Gallic motto for clan McIntyre. It means “Thru Difficulty,” a sentiment that is as significant today in the Santa Lucia Highlands as it was two centuries ago for our ancestors in the Scottish Highlands. For three decades we have endeavored to produce a world-class Bordeaux red from the cool, windswept hillsides of Monterey County. Our inaugural bottling of Per Ardua is the culmination of those efforts. Deep, rich and complicated, it is emblematic of the terroir, the grapes and the difficulties we have faced over the last 30 harvests.

“Opaque ruby. Ripe cherry and dark berry aromas are complemented by licorice, pipe tobacco and vanilla nuances that build in the glass. Sweet and broad on the palate; sappy black currant and cherry-vanilla flavors pick up a hint of smokiness with aeration. Closes spicy, smooth and long, with lingering dark fruit character and velvety tannins that make a late appearance.

Wine Enthusiast – 92 points: “Dark and rich aromas of stewed strawberry, poached prune, oak and clove show on the nose of this Bordelaise blend. Very dry and firm tannins frame the palate, where fig, nutmeg and vanilla flavors make for a very structured and serious expression.” — Matt Kettmann

My Review: Kristen shared they love the Kimberly Vineyard because it is her mother’s name! Located at the mouth of the gorge in the Arroyo Seco AVA. Dark in the glass. Dark cherry and blackberry on the nose. Rich jammy black fruit with some delicate violet/purple flower notes. This wine gets its tannins and acid from the Petit Verdot. I really liked this wine and took some home.

THE MCINTYRE TASTING ROOM – in the New Carmel Valley Spot!

McIntyre Vineyards has recently closed its Crossroads tasting room and is now operating solely at its new Carmel Valley spot. You can reserve your tasting here. And for those Boekenoogen fans, come get a glass or buy your favorite while they last!

Carmel Valley Village Hours (former Boekenoogen)

Tastings available Daily 11am to 5pm

Address
24 W. Carmel Valley Rd
Carmel Valley, CA 93924

Phone
831-574-3042

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Parsonage Takes Wine Education to a New Level!

THE STORY

I enjoy being a member of a winery that takes wine education to a new level. This summer, Parsonage offered its members 3 different events to expand their knowledge of wines: a cheese pairing, a blending class, and a vineyard walk. I did the vineyard walk last year, and was excited to participate in the cheese pairing in June and the blending class with winemaker Frank Melicia in July.

The cheese pairing was so enjoyable – sip delicious wines perfectly paired with scrumptious cheeses – what’s not to love! The blending class, well, that was work – and very fun. Let me start with that!

It was advertised as “Learn how to blend wines and have a great time while you’re at it! Winemaker & son-in-law, Frank Melicia, will walk you through the basics of blending and then you’ll experiment with your own blends.” What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon – pretending to be a winemaker! This was so much fun that I’d love to do it again!

I invited along my good friend Erin from tèr·ra·ve·nos.  As a true “garagista”herself and having recently earned her WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine, she was the perfect partner to give our team some confidence in what we were doing.

THE WINE BLENDING EVENT – Taking Wine Education to a New Level

The Set-Up

We walked into the Parsonage barrel room/winery and found 4 named bottles of wine on each table.  They were named John, Paul, Ringo, and George.  Hm…not only were we blending wines, but this was going to be a blind blending – we would not even know the varietals we were blending! The intent was not to let our preconceived notions of the varietal to influence our blend.  Cool!

We picked a table and were joined by Laurel and Adrien – it was nice to get to know them and they were eager to get to our task.  With a little guidance from Frank and a form on our table suggesting we should attempt 10 different blends, we got to work.

Step 1: What Are We Working With?

First we tasted the wine in each of the bottles on our table and made general notes about it – we had no real consensus on what any of them were:

  • John: Tart and dry, cranberry notes and bright in character. Cranberry makes me think of Grenache, but maybe it was a Pinot?
  • Paul:  Dark in color, this was a big wine with bacon and spices on the nose and palate.  Oaky, structured tannins and high alcohol. My guess was that this was a Syrah.
  • Ringo: Light in color, transluscent, not as strong as Paul.  Softer, yet still oaky.  My guess was Grenache but there was no consensus. Some thought it was a Pinot Noir. Whatever it was, we didn’t really like it, especially tasting it after Paul.
  • George: This was a big red, dry with peppery notes and a touch stemmy.  We thought this might be a Cabernet Sauvignon or maybe a Petit Verdot.

Step 2: Playing with Blending

The consensus at our table was that we preferred Paul and George and focused our blends primarily on those two wines.  We played with adding different amounts of the lighter John and Ringo throughout our 10 tries. I won’t go through all of them, but just the first few.

Blend #1: The first blend we tried was 50/50 Paul and George.  This made for a big wine, but the nose and the palate were dull.

Blend #2: We played it safe and lowered the blend to 45% Paul and 45% George to make room for 10% John. This wine was still a big wine, but brighter on the palate, more appealing. The tannins were more balanced and we all generally felt we would want to drink this wine.

Blends #3 & 4: We changed the ratio of Paul and George to 60/30 for Blend 3 and flipped that to 30/60 Paul and George in Blend 4, maintaining 10% John. #3 was more floral and tart, receiving an overall “eh” review.  #4 was dusty, oaky and just dropped off – a resounding NO.

Blends 5-10: We kept playing with different, even moving John and Ringo to the prominent blends, which yielded interesting results:

  • Blend 7 was 30% John, 10% Paul, 50% Ringo, and 10% George, resulting in an approachable blend with a spicy nose, cinnamon notes, and bubblegum – a good blend.
  • Blend 9 was 7% John, 45% Paul, 3% Ringo and 45% George – which yielded a very balanced, mid-palate-focused blend.

Step 3: Decision and Submission Time

We revisited #2 Blend again to ensure we still liked it the best.  We named our team The Red Ringers and our wine, the 2022 Parsonality. We proudly submitted it  – having fun with Frank Melicia. “We love it, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

THE RESULTS

The Winning Team!

Once all the wines were submitted. Frank did a quick taste of each one and declared the winner. Hard to believe it wasn’t us!  My notes are a little confusing, but I believe the winning blend was 35% John, 53% Paul and 12% George.  I think the second runner up was 5% John, 65% Paul, and 30% George. Ringo seemed universally dissed!  Congrats to the winning teams!

Second Place!!

Finally, Frank revealed the wines:

  • John was a field blend of Bordeaux grapes. (We didn’t guess that at all.)
  • Paul was indeed a Syrah from Cedar Lane Vineyard.  Of course it was. I got that one right.
  • Ringo was a Grenache – I had thought so, but not with strong confidence.
  • George was a Merlot!  None of us guessed Merlot! Of course that is why we liked it.

THE CHEESE PAIRING AND THE WINES

I am presenting 4 Parsonage wines from the cheese pairing event. You can see the delicious cheese pairing in the tasting menu below. Winery notes come from their website or the tasting menu. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a practice, I don’t correct typos from winery websites.

I’ve presented Parsonage wines to you many times.  Just type Parsonage in the search bar of any page on the Decanting Monterey website.

2021 Parsonage Rosé of Grenache, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $32 (#1417)

Winery 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: I didn’t take any notes – it was a lovely wine which paired well with the cheese! We’ve enjoyed this wine a few times this summer.

2021 Parsonage The BDL, Central Coast AVA, 15% ABV, $44 (#1418)

Winery Notes: “Our Bordeax-esque beauty made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

“For you who fell in love with the 2020 BDL (and you were legion), you won’t be disappointed in the ‘21. Its nose has the same come hither effect as the exotic sultry ‘20. A unique bouquet arises in the ‘21 from a mysterious floral-spice entanglement. The luscious dark currant-plum-mulberry melange of the ‘20 is invigorated by ripe black raspberry. The elegant mouthfeel is fuller and rounder extending the satisfyingly delicious finish!”

My Review: Pretty garnet in color.  A nice nose of dark fruits. Very tasty palate of bright and dark fruits with a spearmint finish. We like this wine. Took some home and served it at a birthday celebration – it was a huge hit! I have to say that this is my favorite vintage of The BDL.  June 2024

2021 Parsonage Wild Card, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $40 (#1312)

Winery Notes: “This iteration of the beloved Wildcard, our preposterous melange of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir, will rock your world.

“The nose is a fragrant and seductive melange of exotic spices, wild flowers, boysenberry, and cranberry. The palate is marked by cedar notes and blueberry with a vibrant backdrop of red and black fruit in this medium-plus mouthfeel beauty….”

My Review: Cinnamon and brown sugar on the nose. Pretty tasty. Cinnamon and crushed blueberry on the palate. This wine is still young but shows great promise. June 2024

2013 Parsonage Estate Syrah (Library Wine), Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $122 (#1419)

Winery Notes: “Bright nose of brambleberries & smoked bacon. Lush mouth feel with dark fruit, plum, umami, grilled meats and an olallieberry burst on the finish.”

My Review: Deep garnet in color.  Dark fruit on the nose – really yummy. The palate is leaner than the nose. Paired very well with dark chocolate sea salt truffles from Pieces of Heaven. Thank you for sharing this library wine! June 2024

THE TASTING ROOM

Parsonage is open for tastings every day – click here for the details and to make a reservation.  Hours: Monday – Friday: noon to 5pm; Saturday & Sunday: 11am to 5pm. Last seating for wine tasting: 4:15pm. 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 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Please Vote Now for Decanting Monterey!

Best Local Blog of Monterey County!

THE STORY

Loyal Fans:  Thanks to each and every one of you, Decanting Monterey once again was nominated for Best Local Blog of Monterey County!! We are 1 of 5 finalists for this category.  I am so thankful and humbled by this nomination. 

Now I ask that you take the important next step:  Please vote now for Decanting Monterey, a labor of love to help educate others about our local vintners and their wines. For 4 years, I have been bringing you my personal experiences to broaden the world’s view of Monterey wines.

VOTING IS OPEN – Vote Now for Decanting Monterey!!

From Aug 1-Aug 21, voting is open here: Best of Monterey County MC Weekly. 

You may need to register with name, email and zip code, but you can also skip that part and just vote. 

Please click on the photo for “Around Town,” then search for Best Local Blog and vote now for Decanting Monterey. 

You will need to vote for 19 other local spots to submit your vote – please look around and make your favorite picks!  You can always ask me for suggestions!!

OTHER VOTING SUGGESTIONS

Here are some wine-related suggestions:

AGRICULTURE:

  • Best Specialty Crop: Wine grapes

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  • Best Winery to Visit: Your choice

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Thank you so much, again, for your nomination and your vote! I couldn’t do this without you! AND DON’T FORGET TO VOTE NOW FOR DECANTING MONTEREY – THE DEADLINE IS AUGUST 21!!

Monterey County Wines

Most Sincerely,

Central Coast Sharon

© Decanting Monterey 2024

Chesebro New Releases: the 2023 Whites Are Available Now!

THE STORY

When we have out of town visitors, one of our favorite things to do is to take them wine tasting.  With old friends in tow, we stumbled upon (figuratively, not literally!) Chesebro new releases, including its 2023 whites and a 2017 Piedras Blancas. One thing of note is its new, artistic labels and rebranding as Cedar Lane Vineyard!

THE WINES – Chesebro New Releases!

Today, I am presenting 7 Chesebro Wines.  I last presented their wines to you in March here: Chesebro Sparkling Rosé: Worthy of a Trip to the Valley! Winery notes come from the label, their tasting sheet or their website, unless otherwise noted.  Any errors are mine and mine alone; however, as a general rule, I do not correct any typos from the winery’s website.

2022 Chesebro Grenache Rosé, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $23 (#1410)

Winery Notes: “This rosé is 100% Grenache from the windy benches and sandy soils of the Arroyo Seco AVA. Its aromas of berries with a touch of black pepper combined with a medium body and crisp acidity make it complementary to a wide variety of foods.”

My Review: Pale in the glass. Tasty on the palate. June 2024

2023 Chesebro Grenache Rosé, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.2% ABV, $23 (#1411)

Winery Notes: “For lovers of our Grenache rosé, you are in for a real treat. Provençal in style, beautiful light pink in color and bright profile. Aromas of fresh picked strawberry, grapefruit skin and raspberry essence. Perfect for a warm poolside or beach afternoon.”

My Review: Pretty pale pink in the glass. Balanced and crisp in the glass. Our favorite rose of the summer! I think we need some more! June 2024

2023 Chesebro Chardonnay, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $28 (#1412)

Winery Notes: “Cedar Lane Chardonnay is our tribute to the great wines of Burgundy but with a California flair. Full of minerality powered by aromas of white flowers, oystershell, flint and citrus. The flavors are precise, pure and persistent. Aged in 25% new oak for 18 months.”

My Review: We are among the first to taste it. Melon on the nose. A subtle palate, mildly tropical. Very balanced. As I recall, we may have tasted this wine at room temperature. June 2024

2023 Chesebro Albariño, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 12.9% ABV, $28 (#1413)

Winery Notes: “Our take on a traditional Spanish white variety.  Aromas of Apricot blossom and kumquat. Lots of stone fruit and citrus loaded with minerality and verve. Vibrant and refreshing on the palate. The perfect Summer white!”

91 Points Wine Enthusiast: “Crisp and vibrant aromas of lime blossom, tart apple and a hint of tropical fruit dance across the nose of this bottling. There’s an acidic and textural edge to the palate, where apple, pear and citrus zest flavors align.”

My Review: Pale in glass. Bubble gum and orange blossom on the nose. Tasty, light palate with a slight citrus finish. June 2024

2023 Chesebro Vermentino, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.1% ABV, $28 (#1414)

Winery Notes: “A unique Italian (and French) white variety typically found in Corsica, Sardina and Liguira. Smooth and light on the palate with mouthwatering acidity. It is aromatically complex with citrus, herbal and often floral notes. Versatile and fresh it can be a great pairing with many lighter dishes such as poultry, fish, vegetables and fresh cheeses.”

My Review: Lean and lightly tart with a lingering finish. This is one of the very few, maybe the only Monterey Vermentino?? June 2024

2017 Chesebro Piedras Blancas, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 13.4% ABV, $30 (#1415)

Winery Notes: “Don’t be afraid to put this Rhone syled white from our estate vineyard in Carmel Valley deep in your cellar. A blend of mainly Roussanne, it is modeled after the most famous white wines in Chateauneuf du Pape, France. Rich and viscous with aromas of stone fruit and flavors of baked apples and oak. A full bodied and very srious white for the true connoiseur in mind. Pair this heady white whith cream sauces, roasted fowl and sweetbreads.”

My Review: Very subtle sweet honeysuckle on the nose. Mild palate. June 2024

2018 Chesebro Cabernet Sauvignon, Chaparral Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $48 (#1416)

Winery Notes: “Many people don’t know that Chesebro Winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon because generally it is not released to the public.  This is a real treat for you fans of our heavy reds. From the highest elevation (2400ft) vineyard in Carmel Valley. Chapparal Vineyard is dry farmed and gives a very small yield of less than 2 tons per acre, which means the wine is bursting with flavor, color and aromatics. Aged for 22 months in French Oak. Upon first glance this Cabernet shows a deep dark mahogany core. Soaring aromatics (both savory and fruity) emerge from the glass with dark currants on the nose complimented by fresh tobacco, cedar, sage, cassis and of course chapparal. Wondeful balance, chalky minerality and fine grained tannins. Fruit forward and charming yet densely structured – This has it all but there are only 50 cases made so get it while you can.”

My Review: The spicy nose is followed by a tasty palate of dark cherry and berries. It is drinking well now. Can cellar a couple of years. Another vintage (2019) is coming! We took some home. June 2024

THE TASTING ROOM

“Come Raise a Glass with Us! We are located at 19D East Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village.

“We have several outside tables that are open for drop in tastings along with inside seating. Due to limited capacity we encourage our clients to make appointments.  

“Chesebro Wines and Art features the work of seven local artists. Their mediums include oil paintings, monotype prints, photography, pastel illustrations, ceramics and jewelry. Click here to see more about our artists.”

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Celebrating 4 Years of Decanting Monterey!

Today marks the 4th Anniversary of Decanting Monterey, A Central Coast Wine Blog! I am still pursuing my passion to expose others to the depth and quality of our Monterey/Central Coast wines, often under-appreciated by wine snobs.  I like to champion our vintners and their wines out purely as a hobby, not for profit. And I appreciate each and every one of you who are reading my stories!

A BRIEF RECAP OF THE LAST 4 YEARS:

Year 1: Deep in the unvaccinated period of the pandemic in July 2020, Decanting Monterey initially was focused on wines from our own collection sampled at home, with or without our neighboring friends and our daughters, who quickly became known as the COVID Wine Pod. It was 2 posts per week and, mostly, one wine at a time. Back then, some wineries had just reopened with their COVID procedures and we still weren’t venturing out much. I also established the @decantingmonterey Facebook page.

During Year 2, as we became fully vaccinated and boosted – and double boosted, we were able to get out to more local wineries at a more deliberate pace. And the COVID Wine Pod was renamed the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod! I also moved to a single post per week and presented a single wine class to my old DC wine group. Most of the posts were based on event-driven or winery tastings and fewer individual, cellar-driven posts.  And I started the @decanting_monterey Instagram feed.

During Year 3, I was able to get recognition as an entity with some stature behind it. Our local Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society invited me to join them as a Board Advisor. As a result, I arranged 8 of their monthly events. I presented our Monterey wines to 3 classes: in Washington DC, in Northern Virginia, and to the Carmel Rotary! I covered 2 local wine events: the Santa Lucia Highlands Sun, Wind & Wine Festival and the Monterey Winemakers Celebration.

During Year 4, my exposure and stature grew significantly:

  • Decanting Monterey was nominated for Best Local Blog in the Monterey County Weekly’s 2023 “Best of” competition and for Best Monterey Wine Blog for the LUXLife Hospitality Award 2024.

I have some high-level stats to share with you about Year Four of Decanting Monterey!

  • www.decantingmonterey.com surpassed the 15,000 “views” mark! This statistic is very important to me.  If you are seeing my blog on social media or via email, please be sure to click the link and open it!
  • 376 wines were presented on Decanting Monterey for the first time.

  • 292 red wines were presented, as well as 111 whites, 31 rosés, and a few oranges – including 12 sparkling wines. Yes, this is the real math – it includes some wines presented before.
  • Wines from 9 California counties are represented, with 284 from Monterey, 38 from San Luis Obispo (Paso Robles wine country!), 20 from San Benito, 12 from Santa Cruz, and 4 from Santa Clara, and a few from Napa and Sonoma. 

  • In addition, 16 wines carried the Central Coast designation, plus 4 labeled as California wines.
  • Finally, there were 36 wines from Croatia, 6from Spain, and 5 from Oregon!
  • Wines from 8 of the 10 Monterey American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were covered, with the most from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Carmel Valley.

  • Thanks to the larger tasting events, I presented many, many wineries for the first time and also visited the Austin Harlow and Comanche Cellars tasting rooms for the first time.
Austin Harlow/Mid Life Crisis Wines
Comanche Cellars

If you are an avid reader, then you know I love to read the crop reports.  According to the recently-released 2023 Monterey County Crop Report:

  • Grapes went up in ranking from 7th place from 2022 to 5th place in 2023, behind strawberries, broccoli, and leaf and head lettuces.
  • Acreage of planted grapes declined from 41,480 in 2022 to 40,200 in 2023.
  • Grape crop value increased from $173,789,000 in 2022 to $194,642,000 in 2023. Woohoo!!

While I have some posts already queued up for Year 5, let me ask my mighty readers:  Where should I visit next?  Please leave me a comment on this post and let me know what some of your favorite, local places are to wine taste that I should not miss in Year 3! I have a list of not-yet-covered wine tasting rooms and other wine venues to check out – happy to add to it.  I don’t know what I don’t know. 

And, if you have not signed up for my free, weekly blog email, I encourage you to do so – the subscription button is on the right-hand side of each page of the Decanting Monterey website. I judge how well I am doing by how many views, subscribers, and comments I receive.  Please help me spread the word and please feel free to comment on my posts! And follow my Facebook (@DecantingMonterey) and Instagram (@decanting_monterey) sites.

I don’t want to leave today’s post without expressing my gratitude to those vintners who have comped me wine tastings, given me discounts, and especially those who have donated bottles of wine! I am grateful to Bernardus, Corral Wine Co., McIntyre Vineyards, Parsonage, Rombi and Scheid for their generosity this year in donated wines or steep discounts. Also grateful to Kim Stemler and the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association for their support – what a great resource! And to Erin O’Reilly of tèr·ra·ve·nos for her partnership and advice as we navigate this world of wine.  And, of course, the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod who make this all tons of fun!

So, here we go – Year 5!  I’m not sure I can top Year 4, but I am excited for the upcoming 31st Annual Monterey Winemakers Celebration! Hope to see you there!

And, to all my readers, thanks for your support to me on this crazy journey.

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

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