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.
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.
Today I am wrapping up this Santa Lucia Highlands Extravaganza by presenting some local wineries, some we have visited before. I’m skipping adding the AVA and county in these listings as they are all except one from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County. As a practice, I do not correct typos from winery websites. Notetaking was minimal, but I will do my best to present some of the wines, impressions and experiences we had at this event.
“…Integrity is not just about the wine itself. It’s about everyone who helped create this wine experience. It’s complete when we add you. That’s integrity.” You can read more about Integrity here. I did write up a single Integrity rosé in this post long ago: Integrity: “honest, real, and one of a kind” wines “made for people by people”.
2021 Integrity Riesling $26 (#1348)
Winery Notes: “The 2021 vintage of the Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling from Integrity leans slightly away from the fruit forward Rieslings of California and flirts with a more restrained style. On the nose are notes of flinty Asian pear skins, nectarines, and lemon oil. The palate has a softness to it that is a nice contrast to the acidity of the Riesling. As the wine opens with time, all the aforementioned notes become more pronounced in a way that benefits the consumer…”
My Notes: We found this wine to be light on the palate and slightly sweet. This would be good on a warm day! May 2024
2021 Integrity Pinot Noir, $36 (#1349)
Winery Notes: “The 2021 vintage of the Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir displays the terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands gracefully. The wine lifts with a bouquet of cinnamon oil, currants, cranberry, and sage. Structurally, the wine has fine tannins that are carried by a soft acidity and concludes with an integrated cedar and light tobacco wrapper coating. Over time the wine opens and becomes more fruit forward and starts to display dynamic notes of violets, rose petals, cardamom, and eucalyptus. The interplay of the tonality makes this wine a joy to drink…”
My Notes: A great mix of several select blocks from the vineyard. Rich on the palate, reflective of the region. May 2024
2019 Integrity Late Harvest Riesling, $28 (#1350)
Winery Notes: “The 2019 Late Harvest Riesling is straw in color with a brilliant translucent rim. Medium-bodied and semi-sweet without feeling weighty, with aromas of candied citrus, fresh jasmine, hints of lychee and quince, with flavors of ripe apricot, orange blossom honey, essence of ginger and rosemary. This wine has balanced acidity.”
“Belle Glos showcases distinctive Pinot Noirs produced from California’s most noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions. While each vineyard location lies near the Pacific Ocean, the climate differences are significant, varying with the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site. Each Vineyard Designate is crafted to distill the purest essence of the locale into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir.
“Owner/winemaker, Joe Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced “BELL GLOSS”) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner. Lorna was a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards, an inspirational figure to Joseph and an avid lover of Pinot Noir.”
2021 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir, $55 (#1351)
Winery Notes: “Rich crimson in color with fragrant aromas of blackberry, sage, cherry, and hints of rich dark chocolate. Bold and elegant on the palate with boysenberry pie, black currant jam, dark plum, and subtle notes of ground nutmeg. Balanced and structured, this wine has beautiful acidity that lingers through to a long, mouthwatering finish.”
My Notes: This is the first Belle Glos wine I have tasted. I found this to be a good Pinot Noir from a high altitude in the Santa Lucia Highlands – very reflective of the region. I need to learn more about their wines. May 2024
“Tondré Wines began with a desire to produce the best possible wine for family and friends from fruit grown on the Alarid Family Home Ranch. Today, the Alarid family is happy and proud to share their limited production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines to even the most discriminating wine connoisseur. Their award-winning wines continue to be produced exclusively with estate fruit grown on Tondré Grapefield in the heart of the renowned Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County.
“You are invited to experience truly artisanal wines that offer vibrant, elegant colors; deeply fragrant aromas; varietal purity on the palate and a velvety, lingering finish.”
2020 Tondré Chardonnay Tondré Grapefield (#1352)
Winery Notes: “The 2020 Vintage Chardonnay turned out to be a complicated year due to the wildfires in California. Although the smoke impacted the red grapes, it posed less of an issue for the whites. The reason being, they are not fermented on the skins the way Pinot Noir and other reds are. In years like these, great care is taken at this stage to prevent any smoke impact from affecting the juice. When the grapes are loaded into the press, they are pressed several times at a low pressure to extract every last ounce; a technique used by large wineries focused on volume rather than quality. Once pressed, our 2020 Vintage Chardonnay was entirely tank-fermented to show off the natural fruitiness. The resulting wine speaks for itself. It has the usual crisp apple notes with a hint of tropical fruit and the creaminess from the champagne yeast used during fermentation. This process helps to counter-balance the refreshing natural acidity.”
My Notes: Lots of minerality from one of the coveted vineyards in SLH! May 2024
2016 Tondré Pinot Noir, Tondré Grapefield (#1353)
Winery Notes: “The 2016 Vintage Pinot Noir shows an array of red and black cherry fruit, assorted ripe berries, nutmeg, and that wonderful Santa Lucia Highlands AVA spiciness that resembles dried herbs, potpourri and earthy forest floor. The palate is soft and plush with balanced acidity and moderate tannin. The tight grained oak used in aging graces the finish with a subtle note of cinnamon.”
My Notes: This was quite late in the tasting, so my sparse notes aren’t really fair – very representative of the region. I was quite distracted in conversation with one of the owners. May 2024
2021 Tondre Pinot Noir, Tondré Grapefield (#1354)
Winery Notes: “The 2021 vintage Pinot Noir offers a captivating display of luscious red and black cherry fruit, skillfully intermingled with a delightful blend of assorted spices that perfectly embodies the essence of Tondré Grapefield and the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The palate offers a velvety texture that exudes elegance. It’s acidity is balanced complementing the moderate tannins to perfection.”
“Testarossa Winery is a producer of premier California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Like all great start-ups, Testarossa Winery was started in 1993 in Rob and Diana Jensen’s Silicon Valley garage. Since then it has grown to national prominence, garnering more than 1,700 scores of 90+ points by renowned wine critics.” I have not had the chance to taste Testarossa wines since they closed their tasting room in Carmel Valley Village.
Winery Notes: “Straw hue. Nice aromas of brioche, honey, passionfruit and white peach leap out of the glass. With some time, notes of nectarine, apricot jam, and apple pie round out the nose. Upon taste, flavors of apple pie and apricot jam lead into a texture that is dense, yet decadent. This Chardonnay finishes full, intense, and with a smooth touch. Enjoy now through 2031.”
My Notes: A classic SLH, buttery Chardonnay. May 2024
Wine Enthusiast – 92 points: “Roasted red cherry aromas meet with dried meat and sage on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. The palate’s snappy and fresh red fruits are lifted by mace and a pinch of chaparral herbs.” — Matt Kettmann
My Notes: I am not 100% sure that the display wine was the same one we tasted, as the website says the 2021 is sold out. That said, this Pinot Noir has some heft to it – tasty. May 2024
“Deeply rooted in family & friends, CRŪ Winery sources fruit from some of the finest vineyards throughout the Central Coast of California. With a focus on Burgundian and Rhone varietals such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah – which are best suited to this region, we craft wines for quality everyday drinking.”
We also tasted a CRŪ Chardonnay, but I am not sure which one, so I have to skip it in today’s write it up!
Winery Notes: “Every few vintages a special clone will stand out to our winemaking team and they will decide to bottle it on its own. Clone 777 from the Sarmento Vineyard is one of those wines. The wine starts with notes of raspberries, cherry and spicy tones of nutmeg and coriander before the full warm and rich mouthful of black cherry, cranberries, strawberry and spice that leads to its long and elegant finish with hints of cinnamon and hazelnut.” 95 points, Wine Enthusiast
My Notes: This wine was tasted very late in the event – earthy nose, classic palate. May 2024
“KORi Wines is the partnership between Santa Lucia Highlands grape/citrus grower Kirk Williams & his step-daughter Kori Violini. Kirk planted the first vines in 1998, and in 2007, they launched the initial KORi Wines Pinot Noir from the KW Ranch Vineyard. Sabrine Rodems has been the winemaker since 2010. In 2018, with much enthusiasm, they opened a tasting room in Carmel-by-the-Sea and offer a full assortment of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, and of course, Pinot Noir.” From https://montereywines.org/wineries/kori-wines/
2022 KORi Rosé, 13% ABV, $27 (#1358)
My Notes: Good fruit flavor, lean and a touch bitter. We had to warm this up – was served too cold. May 2024
My Notes: I’m a big fan of wines from the Griva Vineyard. This wine exhibited something mellow – a bit different from the typical Arroyo Seco Sauvignon Blanc. This is the one wine we tasted from outside the SLH designation. May 2024
Wine Enthusiast – 88 points: “From a vintage that many others skipped due to nearby wildfires, this bottling shows baked cherry and prominent oak aromas on the nose. The palate is quite extracted and thick with clone and nutmeg spices enhancing the very ripe fruits.” — Matt Kettmann
My Notes: Very late in the tasting, I got perfume on the nose. I find the fruit from KW Ranch to be some of the best for Pinot Noir and Syrah. May 2024
2019 KORi Syrah, KW Ranch, 14%, $42 (#650)
Winery Notes: “Dark fruit and white pepper.”
My Notes: Earthy. Dark ruby in the glass. Berries on the nose. Smooth on the palate with notes of berry jam and chocolate. February 2022/May 2024
THE TASTING ROOMS
I recommend visiting each winery’s website for more information about their tasting options!
ABOUT THE SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS SUN, WIND & WINE FESTIVAL
If you love Monterey Pinot Noirs, you have to attend the Santa Lucia Highlands Sun, Wind & Wine Festival at Mer Soleil winery. Held on May 18th, this Santa Lucia Highlands extravaganza of local and out-of-area wineries making wines from our premier AVA is the place to be. Once again, Decanting Monterey was privileged to receive tickets from the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans. We are so grateful for this opportunity to see and taste so many wines made with our coveted Santa Lucia Highlands grapes all in a single event. Many thanks for your generosity.
I wrote about this event in 4 posts last year – just search “Sun Wind & Wine” on the Decanting Monterey website and they will all pop up. This year, I plan to cover the event in 2 posts. Todays is a little long, but keep reading!
The Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans said this about this event: “Join the preeminent producers of the Santa Lucia Highlands for an afternoon of delicious wine, gourmet delicacies from the area’s finest restaurants and food producers, an auction that benefits a local charity, live music, and more. Mer Soleil Winery generously opens its doors for the day, allowing fans of the region a peek into the beautiful property that’s not open to the public. More than 35 vintners personally pour 100+ sought-after Santa Lucia Highlands wines paired with bites by chefs from exceptional Monterey Peninsula restaurants and food purveyors.”
The number of wineries present was impressive! Here’s the list from the event website:
Belle Glos | Bernardus Winery | Bruliam Wines | Caraccioli Cellars | Cattleya Wines | Clarice Wine Company | CRU Winery | hope & grace | Integrity Wines | J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines | Joyce Wine Company | Kori Wines | Landmark Vineyards | Luli Wines | McIntyre Vineyards | Mer Soleil | Miner Family Winery | Mooney Family Vineyards | Morgan Winery | Odonata | Pessagno | Pisoni Vineyards | Puma Road Winery | ROAR Wines | Rombauer Vineyards | Rustique Winery | Sarah’s Vineyard | Scheid Family Wines | Siduri |Talbott Vineyards | Testarossa | Three Furies Wines | Tondre Wines | Tudor Wines | Truckee River Winery | Wrath Wines
We kept to the same strategy we used last year with one modification: Enjoy the food and focus on wineries we did not know, share pours, and dump the rest. We tried to stick to that approach, stopping for a bite to eat before we started tasting wine. There were so many delicious food options:
Ardent Culinaire | Carmel’s Hidden Gem | Cheesecake Dreamations | Dollycakes | La Balena Carmel | Lula’s Chocolates | Luigi’s | The Pocket Carmel | Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy | Schoch Family Farmstead Cheeses | Secret Bakery | Spotted Duck Pacific Grove | Star Market | Toasted Grilled Cheese | Woody’s at the Airport | Yafa Carmel | Zio Brand Meats, and more.
If you like good food – and love Pinot Noir, this Santa Lucia Highlands extravaganza is the event for you!
THE WINES – A SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS EXTRAVAGANZA!
Today I am kicking off this series presenting quite a few wines from this event from the wineries I do not know. But, before I do that, I want to share some of the experiences we had along the way with our local wineries. Because we were blessed with a Press/Trade pass, we got in early to taste some rare wines. Any errors are mine and mine alone. I’m skipping adding the AVA and county in these listings as they are all from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County. As a practice, I do not correct typos from winery websites. Notetaking was minimal, but I will do my best to present some of the wines, impressions and experiences we had at this event. Tomorrow’s post will dive deeper into some local wineries.
Let’s go!
ROAR: A stop at ROAR allowed us to taste two of their fantastic library wines. I noted on their website that they also make other varietals – so I definitely need to figure out how to taste them!
2011 ROAR Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir(#1326): A rich and intense wine. We preferred this one.
2009 ROAR Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir (#1327): Earth and perfume on the nose. Tasty palate.
McIntyre Vineyards: Since we just wrote up McIntyre, we got a quick taste of 2 special wines:
2020 Winemaker Series Pinot Noir – Sabrine Rodems (#1328): Rich and delicious, with a dark cherry finish.
2019 McIntyre Pinot Noir (#1329): Earthier, representative of SLH.
Pisoni Vineyards: I finally got to meet the legendary Gary Pisoni and his son and tasted 3 of their wines:
2023 Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir (#1330)
2021 Lucia by Pisoni Chardonnay, Soberanes Vineyard (#1331)
2022 Lucia by Pisoni Pinot Noir, Gary’s Vineyard (#1332): In my opinion, best Pinot Noir of the day!
And I will add here a stop at Cattelya from Rohnert Park, which I wrote about last year so I could taste their latest Syrahs:
2021 Cattelya The Initiation Syrah (#1333): Fruitier.
2022 Cattelya The Reward Syrah (#1334): Leaner, more elegant. Best Syrah of the day!
We also briefly stopped at 2 more local wineries: Morgan, which was pouring a couple of its Double L Vineyard Pinot Noirs, and Scheid, which had a Chardonnay and a library Pinot Noir for us to taste. I failed to get any notes at either!
“A boutique winery in Sonoma County with a focus on Pinot Noir and supporting animal shelters.”
2023 Moret-Brealynn Rose of Pinot Noir, 13.1% ABV, $28 (#1335):
Winemaker’s Notes: “Hooray, this wine is back in stock! Very similar to the 2022 I made from two fabulous vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands but offers a little more acidity and lift because I took juice that was five days on the skins instead of seven like I did in 2022. I source juice that has zero skin contact, then 48 hours later I take juice off the skins and stems, and make the blend complete with juice that was on the skins for five days. Fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels, this wine has delicious flavors of watermelon and strawberry which a great acidity that just keeps you wanting more. Less cases produced than 2022 so don’t dawdle on getting this wine into your fridge. I can’t wait to see what you pair with this wine.”
My Notes: A vibrant color in the glass. Perhaps the most delicious rose we tried at this event! May 2024
“Clarice Wine Company is a new and truly unique type of winery, combining aspects of an online wine community, a wine education website, and a limited-enrollment wine club.” Hm…so this is something different and worth heading to their website to learn more about them!
2021 Clarice Pinot Noir (#1336):
Winery Notes for the 2019: “The Santa Lucia Highlands is a Pinot Noir made from barrels sourced from Rosella’s Vineyard and Garys’ Vineyard. This purposeful blend is usually less new oak so more fruit flavors can shine through and should continue to evolve for a decade.”
My notes: Vibrant Ruby. This is not your typical SLH Pinot Noir – in a good way. May 2024
2019 Clarice Pinot Noir, Rosella’s Vineyard (the VIP pour) (#1337):
Winery Notes: “Fruit for this wine comes from two acres at Rosella’s Vineyard, two different sections and two different clones – Pommard and Pisoni. A beautifully balanced profile, this wine can be enjoyed any time over the coming decade.”
My Notes: Dark ruby in color. Rich on the palate. Delicious. One of today’s best. May 2024
“Established in 1989. Truckee River Winery is California’s highest and coldest winery. It all started in the garage of two Truckee locals. For 9 years, this ski lover and his wife, both UC Davis graduates, made great wine for their friends and family in the Truckee/Tahoe community before deciding to expand. They moved the winery into a two story barn on the river where they could make 1000 cases with the help of their daughter and friends. In 2009, they opened a tasting room on Brockway Road and expanded production to 2,500 cases annually. They specialize in single vineyard varietals and are known through out the area as producing high quality vintages year after year.”
Winery Notes: “Produced in a more traditional french fashion, this oaked Chardonnay balances ML fermentation with oak aging to create a crisp and smooth white wine with aromas of honeydew, light toast and creme fraiche. On the palate, our Chardonnay displays a harmonious blend of asian pair, orange blossom and hints of starfruit, finishing with a hint of pie crust.”
My Notes: A nice Chardonnay with a lot of minerality. May 2024
2018 Truckee River Winery Best Man Pinot Noir, Tondré Grapefield, 15.8% ABV, $77 (#1339)
Winery Notes: “Medium ruby and deep purple hue with full aromas of cassis and sweet spice with a hint of fresh earth. The palate is rich, nearly full-bodied, with ripe black fruit, subtle spice and vanilla. Toasted oak, leather, and dark cherry is sustained on the midpalate. The finish is complex with balanced acidity and mouth-filling tannins that balance the generous fruit intensity of this wine nicely.”
My Notes: A big mouthful of deliciousness with a slightly bitter finish. May 2024
“Chateau Margene, now in its 26th year, began with the fulfillment of a dream by Michael & Margene Mooney to plant a vineyard, build a winery and establish their home in the Paso Robles area in 1997. The family took up residence on the property in the Summer of 1998 (where they still live today) and planted the estate vineyard in the Fall of 1998… The Mooney Family label was started in 2004 with purchased grapes from growers in the Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) and Sta. Rita Hills AVA’s. The varietal focus for Mooney Family wines is Pinot Noir & Chardonnay from the SLH & SRH AVA’s.”
2023 Mooney Family Steel Chardonnay, $58 (#1342)
Winery Notes: “Exceptional blend – fruit driven with crisp minerality and natural acidity makes this a Spring/Summer wine to enjoy with friends and family. 100% Santa Lucia Highlands fruit off the esteemed Boekenoogen Vineyard.”
My Notes: Lean with lots of minerality. May 2024
2021 Mooney Family Pinot Noir, Boekenoogen Vineyard, $90 (#1343)
Winery Notes: “Pommard 4 and Dijon 115 clones aged in Francois Feres barrels for 23 months. Intensely dark for a 100% Pinot Noir. Rich & robust with aromatics of black/red cherry, cola and warm baking spices. A layered wine with fleshy fruits and chewy tannins. Be amazed by this its smooth, pleasing mouthfeel and finish.”
My Notes: Dill on the nose with flavors representative of SLH. May 2024
2022 Mooney Family Pinot Noir, Tondré Grapefield (#1344)
My Notes: Classic – richer and slightly sweeter than the previous one. I preferred this one.
“Our winemaking goal is to produce Pinot Noir that best captures the distinct flavor and character of a given vineyard site and region. To that end, we focus on Pinot Noir, and source only from vineyards that provide us with exceptional fruit. Siduri, named for the Babylonian goddess of wine, is the result of our founders’ mutual love of Pinot Noir, and their dream that they could make great wines of their own.” You can read more here.
Winery Notes: “…The 2021 Garys’ opens with floral notes and sage with lingering dark fruit. The palate has laser-like focus upon the first sip then gradually expands with flavors of seared tomato, crushed gravel, and roasted cranberry. With brilliant acidity and expressive tannins, the finish is beautifully knit and persistent. This would benefit from decanting and will be one that can be kept in the cellar for some years to come.”
My Notes: Elegant and smooth with some tobacco on the finish. May 2024
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “Intense aromas of dark cherry, raspberry and vibrant cinnamon pop on the nose of this bottling. The palate combines floral flavors of elderflower and violet with a black plum core, pushing deeply into the finish.” — Matt Kettmann
My Notes: I think I am becoming a Rosella’s Vineyard girl – I liked this wine.
Wine Enthusiast – 91 points: “Cleanly presented aromas of smashed boysenberry and black plum are lifted by cinnamon and mace on the nose of this bottling. Those spice elements hold firm through the sip, where Red Hot candy enlivens the rich red-fruit core.” — Matt Kettmann
My Notes: By this point, our palates were weary. We detected no nose and this wine seemed lighter than the others.
THE TASTING ROOMS
Please refer to individual winery websites for their tasting room locations and hours!
Earlier this month, I connected with my old wine group – and presented Monterey wines to them. I do this class about once a year and am always glad to be sharing my passion and enjoying Monterey wines on the East Coast.
This class was a bit easier to put together than ones I have done in the past. Why? 1. An improved budget for the class allowed me flexibility to include some higher priced wines. 2. I had a free case of wine from one of the wineries (thank you!). 3. I stumbled onto some incredible shipping rates ($1 – really??) and huge sales on a couple of wines. As a bonus, most of the wines presented had Wine Enthusiast ratings. Writer-at-Large Matt Kettmann does a great job covering Central Coast wines.
I have boasted that, while Monterey is known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, I usually don’t present either. I set out to make this class is different. I felt it was time to show my East Coast friends a value (but tasty) Chardonnay representative of Monterey County – and what a really good Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands can be!
I could not pull off these classes without the generosity of our local wineries and the Monterey Vintners & Growers Association. I have worked to develop deep relationships with Monterey wineries, including the winemakers, tasting room staff, and even some vineyards! They give me steep discounts on their wine (sometimes they even donate wine!) in return for me giving their wines visibility to a new audience. Many thanks to Bernardus, Corral Wine Co., McIntyre Vineyards, Parsonage and Scheid for their support and generosity. I’m so grateful.
BernardusCorral Wine Co.McIntyre Vineyards
*Readers: Is there a Monterey County winery you know or would like to know for my next class or a future post? Wineries: Is there a deal on one of your wines you would like me to showcase next Spring? Leave me a comment below or email me!*
ParsonageScheid
THE CLASS ITSELF – ENJOYING MONTEREY WINES ON THE EAST COAST
It Takes a Village: Before I launch into this class, I need to give a huge thank you to my many friends who helped me with this class: Paula, the board member who got me on the calendar and introduced me; my former neighbors Howard and Nora, who patiently received my wine shipments; Stephen who chilled the whites and found excellent cheese pairings; my good friend Steve, who helped me transport the wines to the event. And, during the class, those friends plus Dina who helped pass out the wines to those East Coast wine aficionados.
I started this almost-sold-out class (57 people!) by ensuring everyone knew where Monterey County is on the Central Coast. I talked about our climate, the Blue Grand Canyon under the Monterey Bay, creating a Thermal Rainbow® – our high valley temperatures brought relief by the afternoon winds coming off the bay the stress and cool the vines – with accompanying fog to keep them from getting too cold overnight. I briefly ran through our winemaking history and current stats and encouraged them to visit! I highlight the ease and affordability of coming to Monterey to taste wine. Armed with our tasting room brochures provided by Kim Stemler of the Monterey Vintners & Growers Association, I invite them all to visit.
I then talked briefly about the four Monterey County American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) from which today’s wines originated: Monterey, Arroyo Seco, the Santa Lucia Highlands and, for the first time, San Lucas. You can read more about our AVAs here.
Finally, I gave a short overview of each winery and presented each of the wines. As we moved through the tasting, the group had extremely positive reactions and asked good questions.
They asked if wines were available locally – The Bernardus Chardonnay should be available locally; all others can be found via the wineries directly.
They cheered at the quality and expression of flavors in the Corral Sauvignon Blanc.
They asked how long the McIntyre could be cellared (another 8-10 years). And they seemed to really enjoy the two big red blends from Parsonage and Scheid.
One observation was that these wines were all rather high in alcohol – I assured them that it is not the trend, just happened to be the wines selected for this class.
Overall, the attendees were very happy with both the educational component and the quality of the wines themselves.
THE WINES
Today I am presenting the 5wines from this May tasting. Winery notes come from their tasting sheets or websites, unless otherwise indicated. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ websites.
2020 Bernardus Chardonnay, Monterey County, 14.3% ABV, $30 (#884)
Winery Notes: “Bright white fruit aromas accented by subtle oak notes. The palate is intense and beautifully focused with vibrant peach and tropical fruit flavors along with spice accents. The long finish is supported by a refreshing acidity.”
Wine Enthusiast – 88 points: “Lime spritz and apple-slice aromas show on the nose of this bottling. The palate shows an earthier side, offering baked lemon and toasted nut flavors.”
My Review: Golden in the glass. Tropical and buttery on the nose and tasty with some grilled pineapple on the palate. Butter, caramel and slight metallic notes on the finish. I believe this Monterey Chardonnay is quite representative of our region. October 2023 & February 2024
2022 Corral Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.4% ABV, $30 (#1088)
Winery Notes: “Vibrant aromas of lemongrass, citrus, fersh herb, and guava with hints of gooseberry. Flavors of lemon, peach, and citrus finishing with a nice minerality and racing acidity.”
My Review: Straw in the grass. A slightly sweet nose of grapefruit & melon. The nose follows over to the palate with a grapefruit twist on the finish. It’s a lot, in a good way. September 2023
2016 McIntyre Vineyards Block 3 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.5% ABV, $56 (#1290)
Wine Enthusiast – 92 points: “Roasted cherry and plum meet with turned earth and toasty oak aromas on the nose of this single-block bottling. The palate is wrapped in that savory oak flavor, which complements the dried sage and rich dark-fruit flavors, as strong tannins hold it all in check.” Matt Kettmann
Prince of Pinot – 91 points: “A combination of the Swan clone and the “Old Vine” Block. The crop was thinned to a maximum of three tons per acre or 1.5 lbs of fruit per foot of cordon. Indigenous yeast fermentations. · Dark garnet color in the glass. The nose offers aromas of blueberry-pomegranate and a compliment of toasty oak. An onslaught of purple and black berry fruits greet the palate. Not particularly nuanced but plenty of ostentatious fruit. Modest tannins, low acidity and a finish of modest length. The slightest warmth shows up on the finish.” July 2022
My Review: Dark ruby in color. Delicious nose of dark cherry. Palate is packed with dark, tart fruit like a dark cherry jolly rancher and some sandalwood. We liked this wine. March 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: Bright garnet. Subtle nose of crushed red and black fruit. The bright fruit on the palate mellows out on a soft finish. Really well melded and delicious. May and November 2023
2020 Scheid Arbolitos, San Lucas Vineyard, San Lucas AVA, Monterey County, 15.5% ABV, $40 (#1287) 28% Primitivo, 28% Barbera, 19% Charbono, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignan, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winery Notes: “Our 2020 vintage is intense and focused, with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, ripe plum and elderberry. Acidic, bright and medium-bodied, it is framed by soft tannins. A rich red fruit finish prevails with notes of vanilla and mocha.”
Wine Enthusiast – 91 points: “From a head-trained vineyard of “little trees,” this proprietary blend pairs black plum and purple flowers with peppercorn and soy on the nose. The palate is firm in texture, offering ripe blueberry and violet flavors.”
My Review: A Super Tuscan-style field blend. Cassis on the nose – intense delicious fruit. Very delicious. Jammy smooth complex palate. I really like this wine and selected it for my next class. February 2024
THE TASTING ROOMS
All of these wineries presented today have tasting rooms in one or more of our three wine tasting areas of Monterey County: Bernardus, Corral and Parsonage are in Carmel Valley Village. Scheid and McIntyre are in Carmel. Scheid also has a tasting room way down the Monterey Wine Trail.
You can see a map of Monterey County wine tasting rooms and get more information here.
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