THE STORY
Many years ago, we stopped into the Mercy tasting room at the entrance of Carmel Valley Village. It was the winery which first introduced us to the Zabala and Griva vineyards, from which they produced exceptional whites and reds. Their tasting room portrayed photos of the rocky soils of Zabala Vineyards. I quickly became obsessed with Zabala. If I see it listed on a wine label, I know right away the wine has the potential to be fantastic.
In 2019, while our daughter was visiting from the east coast, I asked my family to jump in the car with me so I could see the rocky vineyards chock full of “Greenfield potatoes,” as the smooth river rocks are fondly called. I think they thought I was a little crazy. I was presenting Mercy wines in my east coast wine class and felt I needed to see the vineyards for myself. I had become a Zabala Vineyards groupie, especially for Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah wines made from their grapes.
Since Mercy closed, I have been on a hunt for any winery who makes a single varietal Syrah from Zabala Vineyards. I have yet to find one rivaling Mercy’s bounty, but I keep looking.
A year or so later, our friend who makes up part of the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod informed us me that Luis Zabala was in his biking group. He promised to introduced us…but time went on.
Fast forward to the August 2023 Arroyo Seco Winegrowers’ 40th Anniversary celebration, which I covered in two posts: Let’s Have a Big Party to Celebrate Arroyo Seco Winegrowers!and The Big Party Continues for Arroyo Seco Winegrowers! While I was there to cover the event in Decanting Monterey, the entire time I was looking for, asking about, and trying to meet Luis Zabala. A shameless groupie indeed! I got someone to point him out, texted my friend a picture to be sure, and introduced myself to him. I explained our mutual friend connection, and Luis kindly offered to have us down to the vineyard for a tour. We finally made it there in March – with our friend!
Thank you, Luis, for hosting us, humoring us, and being patient with us while we asked you all our questions. Spending that time in your vineyard with you was a very special day for Decanting Monterey – and me personally.
ABOUT ZABALA VINEYARDS – WHAT DID I LEARN
I came armed with a list of questions and Luis patiently – and with subtle humor – answered them all. Who knew he was a comedian! I am going to intersperse what I learned with the official history and other information on their website, which I would encourage you to read in full – so much richness of Californian history in this property and family. The text in quotes comes directly from their website:
Originally of Spanish Basque heritage, his family came up to what is now the Central Coast of California in the 1840’s and 50’s from Valparaiso, Chile.
“In earlier days, our forefathers defended the states’ historic missions of what would become California, and in return were granted various tracts of land in the Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. While the specifics of those plots have evolved over the last two centuries, our family has retained over 2,500 acres of this land between the coastal counties today.”
Luis showed us a map of his property and the vineyards. While most of the area was farmland, the big swath where the vineyards are today was “marginal land” – not suitable for farming.
“Our ancestors have been farming the land for over a century. However, it was not until the early 1970’s that J. Luis Zabala was approached by investors from the community to plant the Zabala holdings with wine grapes. The site proved to be ideal for growing Chardonnay, as the demand for quality Californian wines quickly expanded.”
So, how did Luis get involved? Intending to work in a different field, he got his MBA in finance and worked in technology up in Seattle – until the situation at the vineyard dictated that he needed to return. He’s now been in the business for 30 years. And his daughter, Leslie, has joined him in the business.
“Since the seventies, the vineyard has continued to expand. In the 1980’s, Luis Zabala Sr. passed ownership of the land to his five children, who continue his legacy by growing premium wine grapes in the family name. Zabala Vineyards now holds over one thousand acres of Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir in one of California’s most unique viticultural regions, and contributes to the highest premium vineyard-designate wine bottlings from the Central Coast.”
Luis added the following beyond their current webpage:
“The success of Zabala Vineyards really is a Team effort. Namely, Jason Melvin providing the wisdom of his years of experience as Vineyard Manager, my wife Joni Zabala, as the guiding light and sounding board behind the success of the vineyard, and Leslie Zabala, representing the next generation who is vitally interested in carrying on the family legacy.”
I love that!
One of our first questions was how many acres was his vineyard. He quipped, “It’s only one, but it is really narrow.” Funny guy. Then he answered us seriously. Today he has about 800 acres planted, growing a number of varieties, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Graciano, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, and Syrah. I hope I got them all! As we approached Zabala Vineyardsfrom the north, we noticed acres and acres of uprooted vines. My first question was about those vines. The vines are about 30 years old, so they have begun the process to rip out (and I hope replant) those older vines.
The fruit from his vines makes incredible wine. I asked him what makes his fruit so special? He had a very simple response: “It is the struggle.” The vines must struggle through the rocky soil to get to the water and nutrients while enduring the frigid, windy nights. As Mercy’s website used to say, the Arroyo Seco AVA is “windblown, numbingly cold, fog laden, semi-arid, rock strewn, austerely beautiful.”
I love to present Zabala Sauvignon Blanc wines in my classes from various producers, such as Corral Wine Co. and I Brand’s Paysan label. The wines are floral and tropical with a nice minerality on the finish. I am presenting the 2022 vintage from Corral in my upcoming wine class.
I am forever seeking a Syrah made from Zabala grapes that can match the flavor of the Mercy wine. Luis showed me a shelf of bottles of Zabala Vineyard Syrah and suggested I check out I Brand, Corral Wine Co., Lepe Cellars, Morgan, and Field Recordings (in Paso Robles). Of those, I know that Lepe Cellars and Field Recordings bottle Zabala Syrah as a single varietal.
We toured his property to see the Syrah vines up close, including some new vines just being planted. We got a good look at the large, smooth “Greenfield potatoes.” He also provided a lesson about irrigation and the use of bilateral cordon and unilateral cordon with cane grape trellising to achieve a “balanced vineyard.” Made sense, but he knew we had no idea what he was talking about.
We asked Luis what he thought of the 2023 vintage. He finished harvest in mid-November and was happy with the ripening, despite there not being a hot day all summer. We asked how much fruit he produced and he pulled our legs responding that “one ton gets a good price.” He harvests several thousands of tons of grapes, either by machine or by hand, depending on the customer’s request. And the wineries decide when their fruit gets picked.
I had asked him earlier in the day if he ever intended to produce his own wines for sale to the public. His response was that it is a different business model, with a heavy focus on sales and lots of time on the road. He is content running the operations of this large vineyard. We wrapped up our tour visiting the small trailer that contains his “winery” with his little label “machine” and a few barrels. Charming. Definitely not a set-up for large production!
As we ended our tour, he generously handed us bottles of his own Syrah which he makes for family and friends. Thank you, Luis, for sharing your time, your world, your expertise, your vines, your humor and your wine with us. It was a perfect afternoon which we will not forget.
THE WINE
2019 Zabala Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County (#1320)
My Review: Hint of tar, opening up into full-on blackberry jam and pipe tobacco. The medium-bodied palate was dominated by blackberry fruit, with a distinct cherry on the finish. Opened up to present as a rich, full-bodied wine on day 2, with a tannic finish.The fruit is quite delicious on this wine. April 2024
© Decanting Monterey 2024
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