Tagged: Monterey County AVA

The Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) asked if I had any ideas or connections for one of their First Friday WinedUP.  I recommended Parsonage and reached out to Summer.  After some consultation (due to the potential size of our group and the after-hours time we wanted to visit), they agreed to have us. And I think everyone is glad they did!

While we planned to use their outside seating, the wind had kicked up – and they accommodated us indoors instead.  It was perfect.  We got to choose between the regular tasting and the reserve tasting.  We, of course, did both since we are wine club members.  And Parsonage showcased some “extra” wines, as well – their rarely-made Chardonnay and reserve Petit Verdot.  Lucky us!

But before we get to those, I have another story.  In December 2019, I was in the Parsonage tasting room when they informed me that they were having a big sale on their large format wines, specifically a 3-litre bottle of the 2005 Carmelstone Syrah from their estate.  This is one of my all time favorite wines (please don’t tell Rocco).  Normally $500, this large bottle was on sale for $265. We had a family reunion slated for Easter of 2020 and, after many texts back and forth with my husband, we decided to buy it for that event. And then COVID happened, meaning no reunion.

I wondered how this bottle would hold up – and whether we would ever get to serve it.  With no reunion in sight, what we would do with it? Fortunately, we were able to have the reunion in Spring of 2022. We had this wine the first night and it was spectacular. We all agreed it was the best wine of the weekend.  No offense to all those other great wines we had.  And we had no problem finishing off the bottle in one night – it was a lot of people and we do love our big reds!

Today, I am presenting 12 Parsonage wines – mostly from that July 1 event, but also a few others we served at our family reunion back in April.  Winery notes come from the Parsonage website, as usual.

I’ve presented Parsonage to you in several prior posts and won’t repeat about them here (just type “Parsonage” in the search bar to see them all). You can check out their website here:  https://www.parsonagewine.com/.

2021 Parsonage Chardonnay, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $36 (793)

Winery Notes: “A true outlier! No oak bombing. Never been a Chardonnay quite like this one. A white flower melange of jasmine and elderflower with tropical fruit hints of perfectly ripe kiwi, pineapple, and guava, followed by subtle lemon zest. The opulent mouthfeel suggest a presence of honey owing to the wine’s slow passage across the palate which creates a lengthy and dramatic finish.”

My Review: Full malolactic fermentation, all stainless steel. Very tropical nose with melon notes.  Rich on the palate – a touch sweet, full of ripe tropical flavors. July 2022 (No buttery, no oak)

2021 Parsonage Grenache Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, 15% ABV, $29 (794)

Winery Notes: “A perennial warm weather favorite. And a surprise to everyone who thinks they don’t like Rosé! Made with Grenache grapes. Owner Bill Parsons’ tasting 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: Brownish tint to the pink juice. Tropical nose. A little sweet on the palate with a slight metallic taste on the finish. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Estate Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $42 (795)

Winery Notes: “A vibrant nose of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate and wildflowers. The gorgeous red fruit is full, round and rich on the palate with a hint of Darjeeling on the long, lovely finish.”

My Review: Ruby in color.  Jammy nose of berries and cherries. A lot of fruit on the palate and a touch tart – like a dark cherry Jolly Rancher – in a good way.  Black tea on the finish.  I like this wine. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Cyrano Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $28 (796) 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah

Winery Notes: “Our versatile red table wine easily pairs with a variety of different foods. We think it goes especially well with pizza and spaghetti with red sauce. This vintage is full bodied. A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Syrah. Rich, ripe and voluptous. The Cyrano is one of our best sellers.”

My Review:   Pretty ruby in the glass. Yummy dark fruit on the palate and a lot of oak on the dry, slightly minty  finish. New release – perhaps young still.This was left extra time in the barrels thanks to COVID (2.5 years). Let this one sit a bit more in the bottle. July 2022

2019 Parsonage Hawk Reserve Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $90 (797)

Winery Notes: “Exemplary of our house style of making wine from grapes at the pinnacle of perfect ripeness, this Pinot has brilliant notes of black cherry with dried rose petals, cola, and English breakfast tea. The rich, round, elegant palate adds raspberry and currant to the dominant black cherry compote with the tea tannins driving the vibrant finish.”

My Review: Ruby in the glass. Very lean and sophisticated, more like a Burgundy. This reserve wine was lighter than the 2 previous wines – I’d like to taste it again in a different order. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Wild Card Red Wine, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $38 (533)

Winery Notes: “As wild and crazy as they come, Frank’s seven varietal blend is to winemaking what a crazy quilt is to sewing. The magical blend, in no particular order, is Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. It’s an intriguing mélange of perfumed raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, plum and cranberry on a medium palate with a lively finish.”

My Review: This review is a complete rewrite from the tasting I did in October 2021.  Rich, dark ruby in the glass.  A jammy nose. Complex tannins and layered, jammy fruit.  The 7 varietals have melded very nicely together in this vintage – this is a winner! July 2022

2018 Parsonage Syrah, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $48 (535)

Winery Notes: “Big and rich, our flagship varietal. Pairs well with anything grilled or barbequed. The 18th iteration of our signature wine is deep, rich and savory with dark berries, mocha and umami that synergistically form the delicious Parsonage terroir. This vintage has a little something different that is thought-provoking and downright cerebral. There’s a fascinating component that asks you to take a moment and attempt to identify its nature. Then you can’t resist reflecting on just what is that mysterious essence? It’s quite compelling. If you figure it out, please let me know.”

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass.  Sophisticated nose of berries, followed by huge palate of berries, with menthol and black pepper on the finish. Grapes sourced from their estate, Cedar Lane, and Coastview vineyards. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Rocco Reserve  Syrah, Monterey County, 15% ABV, $90 (536)

Winery Notes: “In a single word – MAGNIFICENT!  The Rocco Estate Reserve Syrah is our flagship wine, the wine that put us on the map. All of the Rocco vintages have been big, opulent, and complex world class Syrahs. The 2018 has these attributes and more. This Rocco possesses a mysterious nature that calls out for a moment of palate reflection. It’s something about the interface of perfectly ripe fruit and savory flavor. There’s all that beautiful dark fruit colliding with grilled tenderloin and exotic spices/herbs backgrounded with mocha and hints of umami. A wine for the ages, simply MAGNIFICENT!!!”

My Review: If I were stranded on a desert island and could only take one wine, this would be it. Dark, rich ruby in the glass. Cassis and dark berries on the nose.  Super huge palate of dark fruit, very smooth. Lots of oak on the finish. My all time favorite. July 2022

2017 Parsonage Rocco Reserve  Syrah, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (222)

Winery Notes: “Our flagship wine, this vintage is opulent. The ripe black, blue, and red fruit are immense in the nose and the mouth. The palate explodes in an essence of summer savory with exotic Asian spices wrapped in umami. The fullness and concentrated richness of the finish are suggestive of a high end Amarone.”

My Review: Hot buttered rum on the nose. Dark fruit and a touch of cedar as it opened up.  buttery bone marrow, leather, rosemary and figs on the palate.  Asphalt, pencil shavings and caramel on the finish. April 2022

2005 Parsonage Carmelstone Reserve Syrah, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, 3L Bottle: $500.00 (798)

Winery Notes: N/A

My Review: Very dark ruby in the glass.  Raisin and cassis on the nose.  Rich blackberry with bubblegum notes mid-palate with a touch of smoke/tobacco on the finish.  Our favorite wine of the reunion weekend. April 2022

2018 Parsonage Xandro Reserve Red Wine, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (799) 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Syrah

Winery Notes: “A nose of ripe dark berries and wild flowers that creates its own unique perfume for this remarkable marriage of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested at the peak of ripeness.

All of the beautiful dark fruit of the nose is joined by mocha and a bit of umami to create glorious hedonistic delights on the palate with uncommon continuity from beginning to end.”

My Review: Such a rich, dark ruby!  Lovely nose of dark fruit and carmel.  Super dark fruit on the palate.  A la Penfolds Grange. We liked this wine and took some home. July 2022

2018 Parsonage Bixby Reserve Petit Verdot, Carmel Valley, 15% ABV, $90 (544)

Winery Notes: “The Bixby has always had a distinctly floral nose but the 2018 sets a new record for perfumed bouquet. We’re talking Chanel No. 5 here. And, no, we didn’t add any wildflowers to the fermenter. Honest! There’s delicious dark fruit on the nose and palate, mostly currant, black cherry, and huckleberry with a hint of mulberry. This is a very complex and age worthy wine that finishes with satisfyingly bracing tannins.”

My Review: Caramel on the nose and palate, mixed with bright fruit. Very tasty – not at all vegetal (which is how I used to think of Petit Verdot). July 2022

Parsonage is open for tastings by reservation only every day – click here for the details.  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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