Cassandra recently visited her friend’s godparents in East Bay. The godfather was from Monterey and served them a delicious Ranch 32 Cabernet Sauvignon. When I needed an American “Claret” – a blend of Bordeaux varietals made in the U.S., I found out that Ranch 32 makes a Meritage! I did some digging and discovered that “Meritage” is one way of referring to such a blend. I don’t see the “Meritage” nomenclature very often any more – it was quite the thing for a while.
About Ranch 32: “This is the place where we first planted vines in 1972 when winegrowing was in its infancy in Monterey County. The specialness of the region was understood, but it would take a few decades for the vineyards to reach their full potential. Ranch 32 is about highlighting the natural characteristics of the terroir and conveying the taste of place. Each vintage, we produce small lots of wines from our sustainably farmed estate vineyards that represent the best of the appellation. From the renowned Arroyo Seco AVA, we craft our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Further south from the San Lucas and Hames Valley AVAs, we bring you our Cabernet Sauvignon.” “100% Powered by Wind”
About San Lucas AVA from their website: “Originally land that served as an open range for cattle grazing in the 1800s, the San Lucas appellation is located on the southwestern edge of the Salinas Valley and is comprised of sweeping alluvial fans and terraces.” You can read more here: https://www.ranch32wines.com/place/san-lucas
About Hames Valley AVA from their website: “Located at the southernmost tip of Monterey County, the Hames Valley appellation has its own unique climate. It sits at the foot of the Santa Lucia Mountains, with rolling hills dotted by ancient oak trees.” More here: https://www.ranch32wines.com/place/hames-valley
Ranch 32 2018 Vineyard Reserve Meritage, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $30 40% Petit Verdot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Malbec (#385*)
BevMo Review – 85 points: “Aromas of blackberries and dark plums with overtones of mocha and dark chocolate; well-integrated tannins lead to a long, layered finish.”
My Review: Ruby in the glass with a lovely, rich bouquet of dark fruits: plum, berry, oak and a touch of cherry. The palate was balanced, quite drinkable and fresh, with a touch of tangerine on the finish. This wine is young. It opened up into nice, round flavors over time. I bought this at BevMo for $29.95 and got a second bottle for 5 cents – will hold onto that one and see what happens! June 2021
Buying Ranch 32 Wines: You can buy Ranch 32 wines at BevMo.
*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.
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