I explained to you last August why I was showcasing a Chilean wine in my Central Coast wine blog: https://decantingmonterey.com/a-wine-from-chile-in-a-central-coast-wine-blog/ In February, we opened the Alchemy 2015 Syrah – and I thought it was terrific, as I did the 2017 Alchemy Carménère. So, here is another one!
About Cachapoal Valley: “The northern half of the great Rapel Valley has traditionally been known for its red wines, particularly Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, which account for approximately 80% of the region’s total production. The valley features diverse microclimates that produce a suitable environment for a wide array of wines, ranging from cold-climate varieties in the vineyards at higher altitudes in the foothills of the Andes, to varieties requiring warmer climates in the areas surrounding Lake Rapel along the coastal hills. Here in this valley, the gentle breezes from the Pacific Ocean and the clay soil create synergy to pave the way for one of the leading regions producing Carménère in the country.” https://www.winesofchile.org/en/chile-a-wine-producing-country/valleys-and-guarantee-of-origin/cachapoal/ A good map of Chilean wine growing regions can be found here: https://vineyards.com/wine-map/chile
About Alchemy and the 2015 Syrah (from the bottle): “Alchemy is a hand made creation of Winemaker Alphonse DeRose and friends. Inspired by a late night evening of music played by Chilean friends Juan Pablo and Omar, the three concocted a vision of only the best grapes being processed 100% by hand. Each berry is hand removed from every cluster one by one. The result is a robust wine with aromas of dark red fruits, spice and toast. Alchemy is only produced from exceptional years and has limited availability with only 100 cases produced!”
Additional Winemaker’s Notes: “Our Syrah is a 100% handmade wine, fermented with natural yeasts, has a 12-month age in French Oak. Unfiltered bottling.” (translated by Google Translate) https://www.movilatienda.cl/en/vinas/alchemy
My Review: Rich dark ruby in the glass. Intense red and black berries on the nose. Bold flavors on the palate – dark berries, rich and smooth with enough red currant tartness balanced by Chambord on the finish to keep it from being over the top. I really liked this wine. February 2022
You find more information on purchasing DeRose Winery and Alchemy wines here: https://derosewine.com/online-store/. You can also visit them daily at their winery in Hollister: 9970 Cienega Road. When we visited in 2019, Alphonse himself presented the wines.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
When I reduced my posts to once a week and started hitting the tasting rooms, I didn’t realize how far behind I might get! I’ve decided to present some of these single wines tasted from August to November over the next few weeks to close out 2021. Today I am presenting 7 of them from outside Monterey County, in the order of tasting date. Next week I’ll have a collection of Monterey County wines/wineries to close out 2021. Starting in January, I’ll be back to winery tastings with the occasional one-off wines.
PLease share this blog with your family and friends – the more the merrier! If you have not yet subscribed to my weekly blog, you can enter your email at the very bottom right of this page – then confirm it from your email. I promise no selling of your address, just my weekly post delivered straight to you. And I encourage your comments – maybe you know a winery I should check out. Also, feel free to share back what local wines you are enjoying!
2015 Donati The Immigrant, Paicines, San Benito County, 14.5% ABV, $35 (#555*)
From the Donati Family Vineyard Website: “Albino Donati immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1907. Just like many others who came to America, he arrived with a commitment to create a better life for his family. His hard work, determination, and perserverance have created footsteps for our family to follow for generations. The creation of “The Immigrant” is in honor of his legacy.”
Wine Enthusiast – 89 points: This bottling is very shy on the nose, offering tight boysenberry and wet gravel aromas with patience. The palate is a bit flat as well, but eventually delivers flavors of baked cherry and baking spice, held together by tense tannins. MATT KETTMANN 12/2018
My Review: Ruby in the glass. Mellow berries on the nose. Very smooth on the palate, nice berries, cedar and mint. This is one of those super smooth reds I could just keep drinking. I would have given it a much higher score – in the 92-point range. August 2021
2019 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant, Central Coast, 13.5% ABV, $16 (#556*)
Wine class chose the varietal Cinsault, intending a foreign wine. I found this Bonny Doon wine at Whole Foods in Washington DC. My notes say I paid $23 for it, but it is generally available for less than that!
Winemaker’s Notes from the bottle: “In 1954 the mayor of Châteauneuf-du-Pape was quite perturbed and apprehensive that UFOs are flying cigars might do damage to their vineyards. So right thinking man all, they passed a legal ordinance prohibiting such landings. The ordinance has worked well, as there have been no such landings since the adoption of this far sighted legislation. The stellar composition of our cigar Volant call flying cigar” contains 56% Grenache 30% since so 13% Sarah and 1% petite Sirah.”
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points & Best Buy: A delicate color in the glass, this blend of 56% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 13% Syrah and 1% Petite Sirah pops with bright raspberry, crushed rock, turned earth and lilac aromas on the nose. The palate is tense with rocky edges and yet zesty with pomegranate and strawberry flavors. MATT KETTMANN
My Review: Ruby, somewhat translucent in the glass. A little sulfur on the nose upon opening. Cherry and leather on the palate. Nice on a hot DC evening. August 2021
2017 DeRose Dry Farmed Zinfandel, Cedolini Vineyard, Cienega Valley, San Benito County, 15.1% ABV, $45 (#557*)
My Review: Beautiful ruby in the glass. Berry jam and crab (shellfish) on the nose. Berry pie on the palate – it’s a berry-o-rama in the mouth, chalky, slightly sweet, slightly ripe or cooked, with a peppery finish. September 2021
A DC friend (Scott Gudes) brought this wine from his very first wine tasting in Paso Robles! We had it with our dinner at Poppy Hall – very nice.
From the label: “David Bailey planted this vineyard on the old family property on Peachey Canyon Road. This is a head pruned, dry farmed vineyard. This wine is 100% Zinfandel – old time Paso baby! Yeahh! It is all you might expect and then just a wee bit more.”
My Review: Purple in the glass. Jammy and spicy on the nose. Juicy and smooth on the palate. Opened up nicely to dark berries with an even darker, intense fruit finish.October 2021
2015 Trinitas Old Vines Petite Sirah, Contra Costa County, 16.2% ABV, $36 (#559*)
I love a good Petite Sirah and found this for $18 at Costco!
From the Trinitas Website: “This is by no means elegant, its rather a massive hulking bruiser of a wine! In fact, this might be the most decadently textured dry red wine we’ve ever made. Which doesn’t surprise us. 2015 was not only the third year of the drought, but also the vines we source from in Contra Costa County are mainly planted in sandy soils, so they are well drained and receive much more heat. Trust us, this all shows in the wine! This deep, dark-purple elixir has skyrocketing aromas of baked blueberries, blackberries, and toasted vanilla. With just one sip, its heavenly texture completely saturates the palate with baked berry cobbler and vanilla bean flavors that are lifted by dusty tannins as it trails off into a very persistent finish. This is so opulent, juicy, and scrumptious, that it’s nearly impossible to resist. Which is probably why Wine Enthusiast awarded it 93 points and Editor’s Choice!”
My Review: Inky in the glass with aromas of smooth dark berries. Very dark blueberry and blackberry fruit on the palate with cassis and black currant on the finish. Very smooth. Great value for the flavor – I would buy this again!October 2021
2017 Turley Zinfandel, Duarte Vineyard, Contra Costa County, 15.3% ABV, $33 (#560*)
From the Turley website: “This wine is an homage to Joe Duarte, a prominent grape grower in Contra Costa who first introduced Turley to the incredible vineyards of the area. The wine is comprised of fruit from the turn-of-the-century Evangehlo, Mori, and Salvador vineyards, planted between 1890 and 1960.Thanks to the sandy soils and impressive age of the vines, the wine has some of the softest, silkiest tannins we’ve ever seen in a Zinfandel.”
My Review: Very dark ruby in color. Smoke and plum on the nose. Jammy brambleberry with spice on the palate. A spicy finish with a touch of tobacco. If you stumble on a Turley Duarte, pick it up – I usually recommend decanting Turley wines. October 2021
2015 The Ojai Vineyard Syrah, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley,13.5% ABV, $45 (#561*)
The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Notes: “Aromas come on with many of the usual suspects from Bien Nacido—cured meat, purple flowers, rock dust—but also a concentrated fruity exuberance that tilts toward liqueur. It drinks with that same balance, coming on with an lavish blanket of dark fruits before gaining pitch and lengthening into a smoky savory beauty, closing out late with those cool-climate notes of herby tapenade, wood smoke and peppery meat crust. The forward feel will have many drink this sooner than later, but for peak rapture age this for several years, at least.” 97 points- Jeb Dunnuck!!
My Review: Berry blast on the nose, followed by some menthol and leather. Super delicious on the palate. Spice on the finish. We followed the Vineyard Aging Recommendations, opening this one before the 2012 Syrah, which is still not ready! We served this with Thanksgiving leftovers. I loved this wine – probably one of the best Syrahs I have recently consumed.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
In August 2019, my girlfriends and I went wine tasting in Hollister. I was always exploring and looking for wines to showcase in my DC classes. Lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – until we hit DeRose. Alphonse DeRose, proprietor and vintner, personally met with us and did our wine tasting. He had lots of the bigger reds some of us preferred. He also talked a little about his international partnerships. I picked up a couple of Alchemy wines from Chile and just rediscovered them in my wine room. I suggested we do South American wines for one of our August virtual wine classes. The topic got expanded to wines from Central and South America.
About Cachapoal Valley: “The northern half of the great Rapel Valley has traditionally been known for its red wines, particularly Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, which account for approximately 80% of the region’s total production. The valley features diverse microclimates that produce a suitable environment for a wide array of wines, ranging from cold-climate varieties in the vineyards at higher altitudes in the foothills of the Andes, to varieties requiring warmer climates in the areas surrounding Lake Rapel along the coastal hills. Here in this valley, the gentle breezes from the Pacific Ocean and the clay soil create synergy to pave the way for one of the leading regions producing Carménère in the country.” https://www.winesofchile.org/en/chile-a-wine-producing-country/valleys-and-guarantee-of-origin/cachapoal/. A good map of Chilean wine growing regions can be found here: https://vineyards.com/wine-map/chile.
About Alchemy and the 2017 Carménère (from the bottle): “Alchemy is a hand made creation of Winemaker Alphonse DeRose and friends. Inspired by a late night evening of music played by Chilean friends Juan Pablo and Omar, the three concocted a version of only the best grapes being processed 100% by hand. Each berry is hand removed from every cluster one by one. The result is a robust wine with aromas of dark red fruits, spice and toast. Alchemy is only produced from exceptional year and has limited availability with only 250 cases produced!” Alphonse DeRose is proprietor and vintner of DeRose Winery in Hollister, CA. You can buy Alchemy wines at DeRose.
Additional Winemaker’s Notes: “Our Carmenere is a 100% handmade wine, fermented with natural yeasts, aged for 12 months in French Oak. Bottled without filtering.” (translated by Google Translate) https://www.movilatienda.cl/en/vinas/alchemy
My Review: Inky purple in the glass. Fragrant nose of jam and vanilla. Lush, intense dark berries on the palate. Intense and smooth with a spicy finish. Love this wine. August 2021
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
DeRose was our third stop on my girlfriend outing to Hollister in August 2019, when we were hosted by Alphonse DeRose, winemaker! Our tasting was inside the actual winery where we got to talk to actual winemakers!
Both DeRose and Eden Rift (Pietra Santa on this map) straddle the San Andreas Fault.
The Cienega Valley AVA (established 1982) is located in western San Benito County, California, United States. It is part of the larger Central Coast AVA. “The valley was once a major source of wine grapes for Almaden Vineyards before it was acquired by Constellation Brands in 1987. Approximately 1,100 feet (340 m) above sea level, the valley floor is divided by the San Andreas fault. Soil on the east side of the fault is predominantly granite and sandstone, whereas soils on the west side of the fault are predominantly granite and limestone.” http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Cienega-Valley.html
About DeRosewww.DeRosewine.com : “DeRose Vineyards was established on land with wine history dating back to the 1850s when Theophile Vaché produced the estate’s first vintages. The winery changed hands many times over the years and was eventually purchased by the DeRose, Cedolini and Miller families in 1988. Before long, Winemaker Pat DeRose rescued several acres of abandoned vines from the clenches of tall weeds and thistles, including two acres planted before 1900 that were grafted to Syrah in 1994.” You will also see links to their current wines and their imported wines on this page.
2015 DeRose Syrah Dryfarmed Old Vines, Cienega Valley AVA, 15.5% ABV, $37 (#73*)
The 2015 DeRose Syrah is a huge wine worthy of decanting – full of great berry flavors.
“The ancient Syrah vines are dry-farmed in deep sandy-loam soils on terraced hillsides…On average, they produce less than one ton per acre, and with only two planted acres, we produce about 100 cases per year, making the DeRose Syrah one of our most exclusive wines. Our Syrah underwent fermentation using native yeasts, meaning only the naturally occurring yeasts found in the winery actually fermented this wine. In addition, the Syrah underwent malolactic fermentation without using a culture. The wine is stored 100% in French oak barrels, without any pumping used to transfer our wines. The wine is then bottled un-fined and un-filtered to preserve all its flavors and mouth feel.”
“This big, bold Syrah is full of blueberry fruit, smoked bacon and a touch of toasted oak. Robust ripe tannins make this wine suitable for heavier dishes like grilled meats, game, strong cheeses and salamis. Our Syrah has more structure and tannins than many other Syrahs on the market due to the cool climate of the Cienega Valley. This makes this wine suitable for aging an additional 5-6 years. We recommend decanting this wine prior to consumption.”
My Review: We ended up double decanting this wine – overall flavor and smell was originally a bit off for me. Dense purple in color. Upon opening, oak, alcohol and sulphur on the nose (sulphur dissipated with time). Huge blueberry, blackberry on the palate, with cherry, dark fruits and smokiness on the finish – a very big wine.”
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