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.
“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!
“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.”
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.
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.”
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
“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.”
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!
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 Vineyardswines 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
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 TheRed 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
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 herefor 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.
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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.”
Today marks the 4th Anniversary ofDecanting 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 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.
Presented 5 Monterey wines to an East Coast wine appreciation group.
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!
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 WinesComanche 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 valueincreased 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·nosfor 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.
In June, we made a trip to Carmel Valley Village to taste I Brand & FamilySummer 2024 releases. We were happy to see Angie and Monica (welcome back!) in the Tasting Room and timed our visit perfectly. We were excited to get a glimpse of the 2023 vintage from Monterey County.
2023 was one of the rainiest, coolest, yet longest growing seasons experienced in recent history. Each vineyard and winemaker needed to determine for themselves how long those grapes could hang, hoping for warm enough weather the reach phenolic perfection. Some winemakers say it was the best vintage, with more ripe flavors shining through, while others have shrugged and said – wait and see. Ian is all in; I’m still in the wait-and-see category. The proof will be in the final product.
The thing I like about Ian’s approach to winemaking is his pursuit of the undiscovered and daredevil approach to bottle atypical varietals, like the Melon de Bourgogne and the Cachudo, and play around with different techniques and blends, like the Supertoothy. His adventurousness keeps us excited about what he will do next. Moreover, he spins a fascinating tale about each of these wines which makes being a member extra special. OK, and he throws a great party. I also value that he carefully prices his wine so there is something for every budget.
p.s. the Melon de Bourgogne comes from the Chalone AVA!
THE WINES – A Glimpse of the 2023 Vintage
I have 8 wines to present to you today from I Brand’s 3 labels: I Brand & Family, La Marea and Paysan.Winery notes are excerpts from their Summer Release newsletter – become a member to read the whole thing! Any errors are mine and mine alone. Now, for the reviews!
2023 I Brand & Family Arneis, Vista Verde Vineyard, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 11.9% ABV, $30 (#1397)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “Sometimes overlooked in our expensive lineup, our Vista Verde Arneis is absolutely an oddity, but deserves to be seen more than a sidelight…Arneis, limited to the mountainous Piedmont, is highly regarded by those that know, but often falters outside its home range. The small block on Vista Verde, fortified by its calcareous soils, yield a shockingly, faithful reproduction.”
My Review: Pale in the glass, ale on the nose – hops and minerals with a slightly sweet finish. June 2024
2023 La Marea Cachudo, Pierce Ranch, San Antonio Valley AVA , Monterey County, 13.4% ABV, $25 (#1398)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “Our ‘Cachudo’ is 97% Arinto from the Pierce Ranch near Lake San Antonio in the Lockwood valley. Arinto is a Portuguese variety known for its highly age worthy and structured whites.…Arinto is sometimes referred to as Cachudo ostensibly for the small protrusions on the ends of its berries in Spanish. Cachudo means having horns.…our Arinto is a resilient wine. It’s a perfect match for the higher elevation valley in the lee of the Coastal Mountains. Redolent with citrus, crest stones, serenity and acid, look for this wine to add a beeswax element if you age it.…”
My Review: This Portuguese varietal was light gold in the glass. Butter and caramel and orange blossom on the nose. Pink grapefruit and minerality on the palate. We appreciate Ian bringing another varietal to light for us. This is a very tasty wine – we took some home! June 2024
2023 I Brand & Family “Supertoothy” Skin Contact White, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 12.7% ABV, $28 (#1399)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “Based around the rare Savignon Gris grape from the calcareous hillside of the Vista Verde Vineyard blended with Verdelho, Pinot Gris and Chenin Blanc, our Supertoothy can be described as ‘responsible orange wine’. Neither cloudy, volatile nor particularly orange, when chilled the Supertoothy does white wine stuff with a little extra action in the back section. As it warms, the complexity and structure steps forward and pairs with more robust foods… The five days of skin contact bring depth of character to the Sauvignon Gris which is supercharged when blended. ‘Toothy’ used to mean, collectible or delicious. This is Supertoothy.…”
My Review: The color was one shade brown – with flavors of the golden and the orange. “Creamsicle,” Angie said. I got Sauvignon Blanc and bubble gum on the nose. Bubblegum and tart citrus on the palate. June 2024
2023 Paysan Jacks’ Hill Chardonnay, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 13% ABV, $24 (#1400)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “This is the latest in string of banner vintages of the Jacks’ Hill Chardonnay. Compared to the last two, it shows more opulent and riper fruit earlier than the ‘21 and ‘22 vintages while carrying a structural and acid backbone similar to the ‘21.…A more joyful expression of the wind, fog and rocky soil that our Jacks’ Hill bottling.”
My Review: A little sweetness on the nose. Lemon and orange on the palate. This wine spent time in concrete, stainless steel and neutral oak. Different from the usual Jacks’ Hill. Not as tropical. June 2024
2023 I Brand & Family Melon de Bourgogne, Graff Family Vineyard, Chalone AVA, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $36 (#1401)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “The skins were so thick and developed in 2023 that our skin contact white and gris wines took on substantially more flavor and color than in the past years, yielding a more robust, almost juicy wine. To balance the robust fruit, this vintage carries one of the highest total acid we’ve had on this wine. The result is distinctly in line with the vintage – more of everything…”
My Review: Light golden in glass. Toast on the nose. Tart on the palate. June 2024
2022 I Brand & Family Pinot Noir, Flint Vineyard, Cienega Valley AVA, San Benito County, 13.2% ABV, $36 (#1402)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Our second vintage of the Flint Pinot Noir shows the potential of the vineyard, even in a rough vintage for Pinot Noir.… If you like our wines… it’s because, first and foremost, we make sure our vines are on the right soils…I just vastly prefer Pinot Noir on calcareous soils and there isn’t a lot of it on the West Coast.”
My Review: A little cherry and chocolate. We disagreed with each other on smell and palate. I definitely agree with Ian that some of the region’s best Pinot Noirs come from the limestone soils of Cienega Valley and, let me add, Harlan Mountain AVAs in San Benito County. June 2024
2022 Paysan Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 12.8% ABV, $27 (#1403)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “…Made from vines from the 60’s and 70’s planted in calcareous alluvial deposits on the cooler edge of Cabernet climate, fermented and open top vats with endemic yeast and aged in older casks for less than $30, even the most knowledgeable of wine merchants would be hard pressed to find anything comparable.”
My Review: Pretty garnet in glass. Cherry and dark berry notes on the nose, carrying over to the palate. I really like this bargain wine and would enjoy it as an every day wine. It doesn’t taste like the typical California Cabernet Sauvignon. June 2024
2021 I Brand & Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, Santa Cruz County, 13.5% ABV, $48 (#1404)
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “We’re betting heavily on the Stagecoach Block at Bates Ranch…This 2021 version, the second we’ve made for our own label…shows why I’ve been trumpeting 2021 as the most age-worthy vintage I’ve worked. This wine is damn tasty unreleased and will only get better. You could pay a whole lot more for Cabernet with less pedigree and potential, but why would you?”
My Review: Cinnamon and spice on the nose. We like this wine – an age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon – a superb value. June 2024
THE TASTING ROOM
If you want a glimpse of the 2023 vintage, head on over to the I Brand & Family Tasting Room, located at 19 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Thursday – Monday, 11 am – 5 pm. Reservations are recommended – more information here.
This week I am continuing our wine adventures in Croatia from my recent trip with Expanding Horizons and Idle Hour Winery & Kitchen. Please read last week’s post for more about our trip and for the wines we tasted during our first week. I’ve heavily relied on a website called Wine and More, which is an excellent resource on Croatian wines, their unique varietals, and even planning your trip! Plus, I’ve put information on how to locate and purchase Croatian wines at the end of this post, so keep reading!
Today’s post is about the wines we tasted during our second week, after we got on our private yacht – tasted either on the boat itself or on land at wineries or restaurants. From Split, we went island hopping to Hvar, Vis, and Korčula, and finally back to the mainland to Slano, ending up in Dubrovnik. Next week, I’ll bring you the Idle Hour wines we tasted throughout our adventure.
Once we boarded the Aurelia, our luxurious Katerina Lines yacht, our Croatian wine experiences this included wines available on the yacht, a winery tour on land, various dinners on land, and a Croatian wine tasting on board hosted by our Idle Hour host, Anna Marie Dos Remedios.
As I mentioned last week, some of the standout Croatian varietals included the white grapes of Malvazija Istarka and Graševina (at times thought to be Riesling) and the red grapes of Teran and Plavac Mali. The delicious red grape Plavac Mali (“little blue”} was long considered to be related to Zinfandel, but in fact, Kastelanski Crljenak, and Tribidrag are the true DNA relatives of California Zinfandel. You can read more on this controversy HERE.
My Disclaimer: I’m no expert in Croatian wines, so I’m bound to get lots of facts wrong as I try to talk about our experiences and the wines.
WINE ADVENTURES IN CROATIA BY SEA – THE WINES
HVAR
Zlatan Otok: According to Vinum USA: “In 1991 Zlatan Otok winery became the second private winery in Croatia after the country declared its independence. Established by Zlatan Plenković in a picturesque fishing village called Sveta Nedjelja on the Island of Hvar, today Zlatan Otok one of the largest private wineries in Croatia.”
2019 Zlatan Plavac, ZOI Cental and South Dalmatia, 14% ABV, $28 US (#1382)
Winery Notes: “This is wine of dark ruby colour, nice smell and powerful taste that lasts. Wine of rich, layered aromas with notes of Dalmatian herbs, spices and dark fruits like blueberries and plums. It is complex, full-body wine with beautiful accented tannins, well-balanced freshness and alcohol. Wine of exceptional presence on the palate that leaves no one indifferent.”
My Review: We purchased this wine on the boat for enjoyment several evenings in a row. I can’t believe we didn’t take notes! We recall it being ok.
VIS
Lipanovic Winery: On the island and town of Vis, we walked up a hill to the Lipanović winery housed in the former Yugoslav military tunnels which housed generators to fuel a secret base. There we tasted the Croatian grapes of Vugava and Plavac Mali grown on the island. I’ve linked the winery notes in the wine name, but they appear to be for different vintages than what we tasted. Still worth reading!
Winery Notes (2021): “The Vis Opol is a Dalmatian wine with rosy cheeks and a cult status. It is made from the ubiquitous plavac mali grapes. The strong fruity taste and aroma make it the best choice for opening dinners to remember. On hot summer days it glides down your throat like divine nectar so you can (and will!) sip it from brunch to bed. But don’t be fooled by its beautiful pink color as this is not a rosé wine: The Vis Opol is made by extremely short maceration, only five or six hours long!”
My Review: Despite the relatively short maceration of 4-6 hrs, it is still rather dark for a rose. Refreshing summer wine. Grapes and slight cherry notes on the nose. It tastes more alcohol than it is, a bit like a sherry. June 2024
Winery Notes (2021): “For thousands of years, Vugava Viška, the queen of wine, has thrived surrounded by the sea and sun-kissed by the Mediterranean sun, a labor of love on an island far from the Croatian mainland. It is characterized by a wonderful natural golden yellow color. Its scent is specific, varied, unobtrusive, pleasant, deep and full. This is a beautifully aged wine with fruity aromas of vineyard peaches, intermingled with the aromas of almonds and oranges, and featuring light notes of rowan, candied orange peel and roasted almonds.”
My Review: A special white wine reminiscent of a Viognier. Pears and apples on the nose. Alcohol is visible on the palate. A dry wine, with some sweetness to it. Could use a touch of acidity. June 2024
Winery Notes: “There are a lot of plavac wines, but you won’t find one like this anywhere. Only the plavac mali from Vis is immersed in the sandy soil with deep horizons, which enriches the grapes with the moisture from below in periods when not a drop of rain falls on the island. It is characterized by a deep ruby color, irresistibly pleasant pungency, flaming aromas of overripe dark fruit and an incredibly long finish in the mouth. Did we mention that its strength never falls below 15.1%? No wonder, for only the strong survive on an island!”
My Review: Grown in sandy soil, this wine has a deep ruby color. Olives and spice with cherry notes and a hint of sulfur. Dry and full bodied, with pepper and earthy notes. Fruity up front and smooth. Very dry on the finish. June 2024
Lunch on the boat was always an opportunity to try some more Croatian wines!
Dvanajščak-Kozol Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir), Okrugli VRH Medimurje (#1386)
My Review: Dried cherry on the nose. Quite tart at first sip, with a little zip to it. Earthy dark plum flavors and more pronounced oak than we might typically see in a US Pinot Noir. June 2024
2018 Dom Kalebić Fameja, Otok Solta, Dalmatian Coast (#1387) Plavac Mali, Tribidrag, Dobričić
My Review: A blend of Zinfandel-related Wines. Dark in the glass. Raisiny on the nose, with stewed prunes and espresso notes. Tasty, with bitter dark chocolate, black ground pepper and mint flavors on the palate. Very smooth, with a dry finish – a Sharon kind of wine. June 2024
MLJET
On the island of Mljet, we took the crew’s recommendation to eat at the highly rated Konoba Galija. The upstairs location added an elegance, along with amazing sunset views. We chose one red and one white to accompany our diverse meal.
Matuško Plavac Mali, ZOI Central and South Dalmatia, 12.5% ABV, $20 (#1388)
My Notes: Dusty, chocolate milk on the nose with light plum flavors. Lower alcohol. June 2024
My Notes:Honey, lemon and minerality on the nose. Full of flavor on the palate with a salt water twist at the end. June 2024
CROATIAN WINE TASTING ON THE BOAT:One evening, our host, Anna Marie, did an excellent tasting for us of four Croatian wines which she had selected and brought on the boat:
2022 Vinerija Dingač Plavac Mali, ZOI Central and South Dalmatia, 12.5% ABV, $20/$35 US (#1390)
Potomac Wines: “This is the most traditional wine among our offerings from the famed Dingač vineyard on the steep coast in Southern Dalmatia. No barrique (oak) was used, only the best Plavac Mali fruit fermented and matured in large barrels. The winery stopped using donkeys to haul the harvested grapes some time ago. They advanced from workers in the field to mascots on the label.”
My Notes: Arriving late from dinner, we almost missed this wine in the Croatian wine tasting. Anyway, I enjoy a good Plavac Mali! June 2024
About Kastel Sikuli: “Kastel Sikuli is a family boutique winery that has been producing wine since 2019., ie the 2018 harvest. The winery owns a vineyard in Kaštel Novi on 13.000 square meters and two smaller vineyards in dalmatian inland with 3000 vines…”
Winery Notes (not vintage-specific): “Completely ruby color. At the beginning, the aroma is dominated by spices, pepper, vanilla, prunes, later aromas of red berries, mostly blueberries, develop. In the taste of prunes and berries, dried figs in the aftertaste. The tannins are velvety, the finish is dry, medium to long. The freshness is nicely expressed. Serious wine, which will show itself in full glory with the passage of time, the potential for aging for at least 3 to 5 years.”
My Notes: This tasted the closest to an American Zinfandel of all the Croatian wines we have tasted. I liked this wine – perhaps my favorite of the entire journey. June 2024
2019 Grgić Plavac Mali, ZOI Central and South Dalmatia, 15.5% ABV, $49 (#1392)
Winery Notes (about the 2016 Vintage): “The grapes of this wine have been selected from the best wineyards in the well-known locations of Dingac and Postup on the Pelješac peninsula. The wine has been produced according to the methods of Miljenko Grgić and under his supervision. He is known in California and in the world as one of the best producer of Chardonnay and Zinfandel. The fermentation of the grapes has been done with naturals yeast but at a controlled temperature which help to keep much of the wine’s variety character and fruitness. After the fermentation the wine has been aging for 15 months in special oak barrels imported from France. The wine received a pleasant oak aroma from the barrels. The process has continued for two years in 0,75L bottles, where the aromas married and harmonized and flavor softened….It is with gentle tannins and pleasant blackberry and Dalmatian flowers aromas.
My Notes: Upon opening, this was a big, rough and alcoholic raisiny wine. It readily opened up, releasing dark, jammy fruit with spearmint on the finish. For many participants, this was their favorite wine of the tasting. June 2024
2021 Rizman Tribidrag, ZOI Central and South Dalmatia, 13.5% ABV, $26 (#1393) 85% Tribidrag (Zinfandel) and 15% Tempranillo – a unique combo!
Winery Notes: “Forward and expressive showing an abundance of ripe dark brambly fruits, raisins and prunes as well as dried herbs and sweet spices. On the palate it is well structured, displays ripe and juicy fruit underpinned by balancing freshness, followed by lovely complexity.”
My Notes: Super dark in the glass. Licorice on the nose. Grilled peppers and fresh tobacco on the palate. Dark and smokey. We liked this wine. June 2024
About Graševina: I encourage you to click the link to learn more about Graševina, as it is the most planted grape in Croatia and was long considered to be related to Riesling, but turns out to be yet another uniquely Croatian grape!
My Notes:This was our introduction to the Grasevina grape – nice full bodied white grass on the nose. Lots of citrus orange and lemon with tons of minerality. June 2024
Tomić Petar Hektorović Dessert Wine, Hvar, ZOI Central and South Dalmatia, 15.5% ABV, $29 (#1395)
Winery Notes: “Tomić Prošek Hectorovich U.V. on Vivino Prošek is an authentic Croatian dessert wine, made using dried grapes of the finest indigenous Dalmatian varieties. Prošek is a natural sweet wine that originated in the coast…” Made in the same style as a Vin Santo.
My Notes: Curry and caramel on the nose, carrying over to the palate. Very interesting. Better than any other dessert wine or firewater we had on this trip. June 2024
Winery Notes: “High quality graševina is the brand of the Kutjevo winery. Grape selection comes from the best apellations of the Kutjevo wine region – Hrnjevac, Vetovo and Vinkomir. Fresh, harmonious and citrus-flavored aromas with hints of green apples and a powerful minerality, long aftertaste that opens the notes of chamomile are charachteristic to this wine.”
My Notes: This was a good quality Graševina which presented more acidic with good minerality. We enjoyed this chilled wine on a hot evening before our last dinner. June 2024
WHERE TO BUY CROATIAN WINES
We had plenty of opportunities to taste Croatian liquors and brandies.
FROM CROATIA DIRECTLY:
A couple of major foreign shops which might export these wines for a fee (might be as much as $20/bottle to get them through customs!!):
Croatia Revealed. If you want to order Tomaz (or other wines), the process is to send Croatia Revealed an email at info@croatiarevealed.com with a list of the wines you want to order. T.hey charge about $20/bottle to ship to the US and get through customs.
When we were first approached by Anna Marie Dos Remedios, co-owner and winemaker at Idle Hour Winery & Kitchen, about going on some wine adventures in Croatia, I got pretty excited. We had a marvelous experience with Expanding Horizons once before and Croatia has looked so beautiful from the pictures of many friends. Plus, fun fact: I studied Serbo-Croatian literature in college! So I am stepping away from California’s Central Coast for the next 2 weeks to talk about another country’s coastal wines!
I didn’t know much about Croatian wines, but we were so pleasantly surprised by the quality and diversity of the exceptional wine experiences we encountered during our two-week trip. We spent one week traveling by bus to the Plešivica wine region, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, and the Istrian Peninsula before making our way down the coast to Zadar and Split. From there, we boarded the Aurelia, our private Katerina Linesyacht, island hopping to Hvar, Vis, Korčula, back to the mainland at Slano, and finally ending up in Dubrovnik.
Although we got to know Croatian wines during our trip, but we got to know them them fairly well during our visit. I’m bound to get lots of facts wrong as I try to talk about our experiences and the wines. My reviews have at times been colorfully supplemented by our traveling partners, whom I have named the Decanting-Monterey-in-Croatia Wine Pod. 😊
Some of the standout varietals included the white grapes of Malvazija Istarka and Graševina, and the red grapes of Teran and Plavac Mali. The delicious red grape Plavac Mali (“little blue”) was long considered to be related to Zinfandel, but in fact, Kastelanski Crljenak, and Tribidrag are the true DNA relatives of California Zinfandel. You can read more on this controversy HERE.
Sadly, we learned that many Croatian wines are not exported to the US and it seems the wineries do not directly ship here. Thank you, COVID. There are a couple of overseas websites where you can order directly, but they will have to add on about $20/bottle for shipping and US customs! But, if you hunt hard enough (I did!), you will find several US wine shops that carry and ship Croatian wines, thus saving you some of the added cost. Be sure to read next week’s post whereI’ll tell you all about it!
I’ll be breaking this experience into 3 posts: Wines we consumed while on the mainland, ones we tasted after we got on the yacht, and the Idle Hour wines from California we tasted throughout our adventure. I will include links to the wineries where I can find them. To save space, I’ll try to provide links where you can find the winery descriptions of their wines. ZOI is the abbreviation for Zaštićena oznaka izvornoti (Protected mark originality – the wine region it is from). I found this informative map of the major Croatian wine regions on Wine Folly:
Here we go!
WINE ADVENTURES IN CROATIA – BY LAND
ZAGREB
Our friends who joined us on this trip had traveled far and wide to end up in Zagreb the Le Premier Hotel. Since none of us live close to each other, we decided to meet up in the hotel bar for a kick-off celebration before dinner.
My Review: Inky in the glass. Crushed berries on the nose. Dark flavors on the palate with prune and stem notes. Smooth tannins on the finish. A very dark wine. May 2024
2019 Matuško Dingač, ZOI Peljesac Peninsula, Central and South Dalmatia, 14.5% ABV $21 (#1363)
2019 Matuško Dingač
My Review: Berries including strawberry on the nose. This wine elicited a “wow” from our table. Tons of heavy dark fruit, vanilla and maple on the finish. Has some dessert wine qualities – in a good way. Tastes high alcohol. May 2024
My Review: Pale in the glass. Lychee on the nose. A touch of sweetness and vaguely citrusy on the palate. Not cloying and presented slightly fizzy. Could be more acidic and colder. May 2024
KORAK FAMILY ESTATE
Our first winery visit was Korak Family Estate, outside of Zagreb along the Pleševice Wine Road. They make elegant Burgundian varietals which can be sampled along with a Michelin Star lunch! That was such a great start to our trip. The setting was lovely and the small winery produced delicious wines. I would highly recommend this experience if you are near Zagreb. You can find winery notes for these wines here.
My Review: Fine bubbles crisp and delicious. Graphite, mineral, not a lot of distinctive flavor. Served with sourdough bread, sourdough bread chips, fresh cheese, butter and cured meat. May 2024
My Review: Pale golden. A slightly sweet nose of pear and honeysuckle. Surprisingly acidic. Made in a style to be very fresh. As it warmed up, lemon curd. The wine was nicely paired with a green bean/prosciutto dish with a bitter orange cream sauce. May 2024
My Review: Golden and viscous in the glass. Candied pineapple, melon, pear, and oak on the fresh nose. Lemon-infused butterscotch. Sweet pineapple and pop rocks on the palate with a long finish. A lot going on. Very tasty. Our favorite so far. Served with black tortellini filled with fresh ricotta with sliced dried garlic and peppered with truffles. May 2024
My Review: Light cherry and rose petal with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla and clove on the nose. A palate of light cherry and red berries with a peppery/cinnamon dry finish accompanied by soft tannins. Accompanied by smoked and roasted squab breast with horseradish and spices plum and onion chutney. May 2024
My Review: Pale in the glass. Wet grass on the nose. Freshly mowed grass on the palate. Spritzy on the palate. Close to a Prosecco. May 2024
2023 Stina Pošip, ZOI Central & South Dalmatia, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1373)
My Review: The label on this wine is like white on white stone. The only notes I took were that it has a lemony finish. May 2024
2023 Terdzo Malvazija Istarka (#1374)
My Review: Yellow in color. Smells like a Viognier. Slightly sweet in aroma and on the palate with lemon notes. Viscous in the glass and on the tongue. Reminded us of a Rhône wine. May 2024
My Review: Oak and vanilla on the nose. Dark fruit including plum and violet. Made on island Krk. I loved this wine. Very young for us to be drinking. The sommelier said lots of tannin, but I think it is drinking fine. May 2024
Our second winery visit was at the Tomaz winery, at the base of the hilltop village of Motovun.
About Tomaz: “FRAMELESS WINES: On heavy, loamy, and marly soils in the unique climate of the Mirna river, the Tomaz family cultivates vines in harmony. Motovun, well-known for its truffles and Motovun forest, is the birthplace of these unique works of art, the frameless wines.”
We tasted only the Croatian varietals of Malvazija and Teran, which they grow on their estate. They also purchase grapes from others to make other wines. You can find winery notes on their website and on Croatia Reveled – Tomaz. If you want to order Tomaz (or other wines) through Croatia Revealed, the process is to send them an email at info@croatiarevealed.com. As mentioned above, it costs about $20/bottle to process through shipping and US Customs!!
My Review: Almost a pale orange in the glass. Faint orange on the nose like a sweet orange hard candy. A tiny bit of effervescence on the tongue. Sweet on the palate with a lemony pop finish. Food pairings smooth out the tartness. May 2024
My Review: Light yellow in the glass. Orange blossom and minerality on the nose. Yu can taste the influence of the Adriatic carried by a light wind and the Istrian mountain air mixing with the grapes to create a sensuous swirl on the palate. It is in and of its place. Some residual sugars. A little bit of a sherry taste to it. Would pair well with fish. May 2024
2020 Tomaz Sesto Senso Malvazija Istarka, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 13.5% ABV, $24 (#1378)
My Review: 6 months in French oak and 6 months in Istrian oak. Yellow in color. Bananas and a little grilled pineapple on the nose. Sour dates and honey on the viscous palate. Very flavorful. May 2024
My Review: 12 months in French oak. Beautiful in the glass – purple. Velvet. Perfume, Moroccan spices, black plum and jammy berries and alcohol on the nose. the initial jammy berries (Goji berries) are sandpapered away by the hidden tannins, finishing with a ton of cinnamon. Needs more time in the bottle. May 2024
My Review: Diluted honey and elderflower on the nose. For a semisweet wine, this one is not cloying at all. It has enough acid to make it appear dry amongst the sweetness. May 2024
SPLIT
Our last night on land was in the beautiful city of Split, where we stayed in the Jupiter Luxury Hotel inside Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO Heritage Site. If that wasn’t special enough, we stumbled into a perfect little restaurant only steps from the hotel, where we became fond of the grape Plavac Mali.
2019 Volarević Syrtis Plavac Mali, ZOI Central & South Dalmatia, 15.5% ABV, $15/$35 US (#1381)
My Review: Rich garnet in color. Cherry licorice and vanilla on the nose. Dark cherry, cedar, and a burst of bright jam on the tannic finish. They say if you like California Zinfandel, Croatian Plavac Mali will ring your chimes. We really liked this wine. May 2024
I’ve actually found this wine available for sale in the US and am inquiring if we can get it shipped to California. More next week!
*Be sure to read next week’s post with more wine adventures in Croatia – and where to find them from the US!*
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