A few weeks ago, Jana Saunders ofBoëté Winery sent members an email announcing their new tasting room location. I was very happy to receive this news, as we’ve been enjoying their wines almost as long as those from their estate neighbor, Parsonage. In fact, long ago (about 20 years ago?), they shared the same tasting room space in the Wagon Wheel Shopping Center off Carmel Valley Road. Yes, that’s how long I’ve known their wines. We became instant fans of their Cabernet Franc and their reserve wines. Once they closed that location, we trekked up to their winery a few times to taste and pick up our wines, but just as often, especially in the pandemic, we waited for home delivery. But, I digress.
In December, Jana and John Saunders’ sons Dillon and Jesse opened The Barrel Room at 5 Del Fino Place in Carmel Valley Village, the former location of the Village Wine & Tap Room. While primarily a sports bar featuring beers and local wines, they are offering Boëté wine tasting from 12-5 daily for $30. The tasting includes their current releases and reserve wines. We even got to taste a new Cabernet Sauvignon their sons created!
Today I am presenting 4 wines for the first time in this blog. Winery tasting notes come from their website, the tasting sheet, or conversations with the tasting room staff. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a matter of practice, I do not correct typos from winery websites. I had previously written up the 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – it is drinking extremely well – that is a must buy wine!
2019 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $54 (#1489)
My Review: Mocha and warmth (sweet and smoky like the comfort of a campfire) on the nose. Delicious palate of purple fruits – boysenberry and blueberry. I liked this wine. December 2024
2018 Boëté Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $52 (#1490)
My Review: Ripe on the nose, finishing with stewed fruit. So soft on the palate with a full fruit finish. Was opened the day before, so it had the opportunity to fully open up. December 2024
2019 Boëté Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $54 (#1491)
Winery Notes: New release.
My Review: Marshmallow, brown sugar, vanilla maybe camelia blossom (all in a good way), dark plum and subtle sweet tart on the nose. Palate is bright with red fruits including bing cherry and an herbaceous note in the finish. This is dang delicious. 😋
2022 “Saunders Brothers” Cabernet Sauvignon, Dorcich Family Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, $30 (#1492)
Winery Notes: Made by sons Dillon and Jesse, this wine will be sold only in the tasting room and will serve as one of their house wines. Expecting a label soon.
My Review: Beautiful nose of primarily red fruits, followed by a delicious palate. Very drinkable now. These young men know a thing or two about wine! December 2024
THE TASTING ROOM
You can taste and purchase Boëté wines at The Barrel Room every day, 12-5 p.m. 5 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley Village.
Bunter Spring Winery held a pop-up tasting about a month ago. I had not been in his pop-up space since he took it over and it felt like we were walking into someone’s living/dining room with friends. Surrounded by Mark Bunter and Margaret Spring’s close friends and their dogs, this felt more like a small party in someone’s home. Mark shared some novel wines, demonstrating his winemaking prowess, and some fabulous sale prices, to boot!
THE WINERY
From the Bunter Spring website:
“Bunter Spring Winery is a small family operated winery in the Coombsville AVA in the southeast corner of Napa Valley. We also have some production in Monterey. Most vintages we make a few hundred cases of wine, mostly for ourselves, but also for sale to friends on our mailing list, and a few restaurants and wine shops. Why make wine? We just don’t care for many of the wines sold today. We make the kind of wine we want to drink: balanced, interesting, made with few or no additives, and low or no sulfite. We list all ingredients, the actual sulfite level, and the actual alcohol level on every label. Incredibly, NO OTHER WINERY DOES THAT.”
VINEYARD Update
In his recent email, Mark informed us that the vineyard had been torn out and is replaced by a field of flowers:
“When Dad decided it was time to retire, I realized the winery would not be going forward. Vineyards require a lot of upkeep. An abandoned vineyard becomes an unsightly weedy jungle or desert, depending on rainfall. It breeds fungi which hurt your neighbors vines. So…”
THE WINES
We really enjoyed this Bunter Spring tasting event, as we were able to taste two wines made very differently from the same (somewhat suspicious) grape. It’s like an on-the-spot lesson in winemaking. Also, Mark dares to break from the expected in terms of what (as an example) a Santa Lucia HighlandsPinot Noir is expected to taste like by making one with enough juice from Carmel Valley to completely change its taste profile.
As always, winery notes come from the tasting sheet, website, or conversations with the winery. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
2022 Bunter Spring White Wine, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, 13% ABV $20 (#1480)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Your basic dry white wine, like in the Southern Mediterranean. Good with fish.” 40 cases produced.
My Review: Mark said this might be Sauvignon Blanc, but neither he nor we think so. More like a lighter white without any distinctive flavors. It is a pleasant wine – nice and dry, worthy of serving at a party. November 2024
2022 Bunter Spring Macerated White, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, 13% ABV, $20 (#1481)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Same grapes as above, fermented on their skins for extra aromatic punch and exciting texture.” 20 cases produced.
My Review: Slightly orange, golden in color with nice legs. Perfume on the nose and palate, followed by a mélange of bold flavors. Quite delicious and interesting. I would serve this to guests. November 2024
2021 Bunter Spring Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1482)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Mostly from a famous vineyard in SLH, plus a little lower Carmel Valley fruit. French oaky, fruity, spicy, fun.” 50 cases produced.
My Review: This was a surprise to me. This mostly SLH (Santa Lucia Highlands) fruit does not taste like the typical SLH Pinot. A richer, smoother, fruitier Pinot Noir, with caramel on the finish. We took some home. November 2024
Winemaker’s Notes: “Subtle, complex, fresh herbs, berries, floral, meaty, earthy. Superb balance, not BIG SYRAH. That’s OK with me- I like it.” Organic grapes. 50 cases produced.
My Review: This wine was another pleasant surprise. We had for sure tasted a previous vintage – the 2014, I believe. This one has settled down in the bottle and is ready to drink. We took some home. November 2024
I have been curious about Comanche Cellars for years, with their interesting name and trendy, downtown Monterey tasting room. I first had the chance to try one of their wines when a neighbor and I stopped into A Taste of Monterey last March. I previously brought you the 2020 Comanche Cellars Tempranillo here: Spur of the Moment Wine Experience at A Taste of Monterey. My slightly updated tasting notes say, “Almost garnet in color. Blueberry and chocolate on the nose. Spicy mouthful of berries and dark cherry. Lively palate. Updated October 2023.”
We needed a place for the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society(AWS) to hold its October First Friday WinedUP event and Comanche Cellars was gracious enough to host us. My husband and I stopped by in late September to do a little pre-taste and make sure they were ready for us. SOme of my notes are from that tasting and the rest are from the AWS event.
The Comanche Tasting Room, located at 412 Alvarado Street, was such a fun venue for our AWS Chapter. Our group likes to explore different wineries and this setting was spacious enough and decorated in such a cute way, leaning into the “Dog & Pony” theme. And they allowed us to go “off menu” and try some of their bigger reds. We were very happy for our experience and many of us went hope with bottles of their wines.
We were so fortunate that vintner/owner Michael Simons came to meet our group and shared that he had struggled to come up with a name for the winery. His kids were the ones who came up with Comanche, the name of his beloved childhood horse. In addition to Michael, we’d like to thank in particular Christina who helped us secure the date, and Gabriel and Bree who helped us go “off-menu” and were so knowledgeable about the wines. We didn’t get to try their cheese and charcuterie boards, so will have to go back another time. Michael said the winery had a great time getting to know our group and might have had even more fun than we had!
“My name is Michael Simons, and what started as a love affair with wine has turned into a passion for producing small lots of very handcrafted wines from neighboring vineyards. Our tiny (1,800 cases) winery is named after Comanche, my horse when I was ten years old. He was an important part of a young life, and I use his name as a loving tribute to this old friend. These days, I ride a bicycle, and since this love affair with wine turned into a full-blown obsession, finding time for riding anything can be tough. But I still think of Comanche often, and am proud that his name and shoes are on every bottle of my wine. Maybe those horseshoes will bring you some good luck!
“Comanche Cellars is on California’s Monterey Peninsula, where we take advantage of the incredible wealth of vineyards that can be found in almost every direction. All throughout the Santa Lucia Highlands, Arroyo Seco, San Antonio Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains AVA’s, there are winegrowers and winemakers producing incredibly beautiful wines that, we think, can and will rival the best the world has to offer. We’re happy to be in the sweet spot right now, as Wine Enthusiast recently named Monterey as one of the Top 5 winegrowing regions worldwide!
“Saddle up, come along for the ride, and see for yourself what all the buzz is about. Just give us a call or drop us an email.”
THE WINES
I have 10 wines to present to you today from Comanche Cellars. Winery notes come from their website, bottles or the tasting room, unless otherwise indicated. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2022 Comanche Cellars Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (Pet Nat), Dorcich Family Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, 11.5% ABV, $30 (#1156)
There is a story about this wine. It was supposed to be a still Sauvignon Blanc, but the sugar and the yeast got out of control and secondary fermentation occurred. It is a happy outcome and a very fun wine. They took their Sauvignon Blanc bottle and slapped a Pet Nat (Pétillant Natural) sticker on it! This is new on their tasting menu! I hope you get to try it!
Winery Notes: “N/A.”
My Review: Pale sparkly in the glass. White peach and honeydew on the nose. Crisp on the palate finishing with subtle notes of grapefruit and a touch of yeast on the finish. September 2023
2022 Comanche Cellars French Oak Chardonnay, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.4% ABV, $30 (#1157)
Winery Notes: David let us taste this barrel sample in the middle of active winemaking operations. My garbled notes say he considers this wine to have good complexity and an intrigue that he just loves.
My Review: Touch of oak. Butter and vanilla on the nose. Like caramel popcorn. Vanilla and butter carry over to the palate. Lots of oak. It’s a big Chardonnay with lime twist on the finish. September 2023
2021 Comanche Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Gimelli Vineyard, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 14.85% ABV, $30 (#1158)
Winery Notes: “This beautifully-hued rosé will quickly impress you with the aromas of candied apple leading to flavors of maraschino cherry and passionfruit. The crisp, pleasing acidity makes you want to savor each and every sip while it transports you to a French sidewalk café in the summertime.”
My Review: Very pink, intensely almost orange. Watermelon and maraschino cherry on the nose. Light palate of strawberry, like a Pinot Noir – with a fruitier twist. Not exactly fruit forward to us. I preferred this rosé to the 2022 vintage. September 2023.
2022 Comanche Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Gimelli Vineyard, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 13.4% ABV, (#1159)
Winery Notes: N/A
My Review: Rich pink in the glass – dustier pink than the other one. Spice on the nose. Tart and spicey on the palate. Like Asian spice – perhaps jalapeños on melon – in a good way. September 2023.
2020 Comanche Cellars Dog & Pony La Niña, Central Coast, 12.9% ABV (#1160) 65% Tempranillo, 35% Grenache
Winery Notes: “This intriguing duet of Tempranillo and Grenache brings flavors of spiced fruit compote
wrapped in a tapestry of soft tannins and juicy acidity to create a beautifully balanced, easy to enjoy wine.”
My Review: Dark purple. Deep plum and blackberry on the nose. Smoke front palate. Nice smooth palate with a smooth, tannic finish. During our pre-tasting, this was my favorite wine. September 2023.
2021 Comanche Cellars Sagrantino, Calleri Vineyard, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 11.7% ABV (#1161)
I had never heard of Sagrantino until this day – then saw it in an Umbrian Montefalco Rosse just a few days later – lots to learn about it! The tasting room told us that 3,000 acres of Sagrantino grapes are planted locally!
Winery Notes: N/A
My Review: Translucent garnet in glass. Vegetal notes with candied cherry and nutmeg on the nose. Asparagus. The nose to me is reminscent of the vegetal I get from Petit Verdot. Mouth-filling, candied cherry fruits and sour cherry finish. Wow! This is such an interesting wine. September 2023
2020 Comanche Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Tres Pinos Creek, San Benito AVA, San Benito County, 12.4% ABV (#1162)
Winery Notes: N/A
My Review: Dark in the glass. Dark fruit, almost stewed prune, on the nose. Light on the palate. The nose over promises the palate. September 2023
2018 Comanche Cellars Merlot, Medeiros Family Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, 14.3% ABV, $34 (#1165)
Winery Notes: “Delicious rich berry cola on both the nose and palate layered with smooth blackberry jam. These beautiful flavors are complemented by notes of leather, cedar and licorice.”
My Review: Plum and blueberry on the nose. Add some cranberry to those and you have a nice wine! Some anise on the finish. October 2023
NV Comanche Cellars Dog & Pony Tre Zingari, Central Coast AVA, 14.2% ABV, $30 (#1166) 40% Barbera, 40% Merlot, 20% Carignane
Winery Notes: “This Old World bellezza tells the tale of three timeless gypsies; the cinnamon red
cherry pie and rose petals of Italy’s Barbera, the dark blueberry-cherry-sage of France’s Merlot and the clove tinged onion jam of Spain’s Carignane. Let fly the Romani wanderlust, if for only a short while.”
My Review Powered bytèr·ra·ve·nos: These are Erin’s notes: “Deep ruby with pronounced aromatics. Jammy black fruit, dark cherry and plum, with some orange peel. This wine has an earthy quality with black licorice and a little rose petal. Alcohol and grippy tannins on the palate, with a delightful finish of violet and black fruit. Good depth.” My favorite wine of the day. October 2023
2019 Comanche Cellars Petite Sirah, Pierce Ranch Vineyard, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $38 (#1167)
Winery Notes: “Petite Sirah has deep rich flavors and velvety tannins. New to our portfolio, this
single varietal wine is big, bold and full bodied with aromas of dark fruit, vanilla and bayleaf. It truly is a unique grape, just don’t confuse it with Syrah!”
My Review Powered by tèr·ra·ve·nos: Inky purple in color. Rich, crunchy black and blue fruits, with violet and licorice laced with alcohol on the lovely nose. Add all those flavors and a touch of prune on the palate. A good steak wine. I took one home for an upcoming class. October 2023
THE TASTING ROOM
“Join us in downtown Monterey for tasting flights, wines by the glass and our famous cheese & charcuterie boards!”
The Comanche Cellars tasting room is located at 412 Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey. 831-747-2244. Their hours (according to their website) are Tues-Thurs 4-8 pm, Fri 3-9 pm, Sat 1-9 pm, and Sun 1-6 pm. It is a popular venue and no reservations are required!
They also have fun and/or educational events such as vertical tastings and Wednesday night bingo! Check their home page for more information!
Our third and last River Road Wine Trail stop with our COVID Wine Pod in mid-March was at Odonata. I had given Denis Hoey a heads up that we were coming, yet we had no idea what to expect. And we were late. Which his guy Eric pointed out to us. Heh. We also didn’t understand the format – we were used to seeing a tasting sheet and picking the few wines we would taste. When we were presented with the sparkling Grenache, followed by a tray of beakers, we were worried we wouldn’t get to taste the big reds we love. We actually got to taste everything! We finally relaxed and Eric, as he had time, sat with us to give us more information on the wines and the winery. I ask a lot of questions!
Located at the former Marilyn Remark winery spot, the outdoor setting was lovely – we sat right in the middle with couches surrounding a round table. The tasting menu was virtual, so bring your smart phone! It would be a fabulous picnic location, so we are definitely going back. And we will go back as our first and only stop – would be so worth it.
We were a couple of wines in when one Wine Pod member asked another what he thought of the wine we were tasting. The response was, “It’s our 19th wine.” Enough said. Wine tasting notetaking discipline went out the window. Luckily, we had designated drivers to get us home safely.
COVID Wine Pod happily arrives at Odonata – the final stop for the day!
About Odonata: “Odonata Wines is a small family winery owned and operated by winemaker Denis Hoey. Located on the California coast, farming vineyards around the Monterey Bay Area. Odonata produces small batches of each of their wines and focuses on local grapes that are organic and grown sustainably. Hoey works closely with local growers to ensure the highest quality wines from the vines to the glass.” “The credo we subscribe to is blending of old world winemaking methods and attitudes with new learning and a continuous search for improvement. We always want it to be interesting and exciting when you come to the tasting room or winery.” While they own some vineyards, they also source grapes from others well known and maybe not so well known throughout the Central Coast AVA. Odonata is the Greek word for dragonflies and damselflies.
A celebratory welcome with this sparkling Grenache!
Odonata Tasting Notes (website): “Strawberry in color, fresh baked bread, guava, and peaches on the nose. The palate is filled with texture! It finishes with under ripe tropical fruit that brings fresh acidity to balance out this bubble.”
2019 Odonata Viognier, Marin’s Vineyard, San Antonio Valley AVA, 14.3% ABV, $25 (#312*)
Odonata Tasting Notes (website): “Notes of creamsicle, peaches and other stone fruit provide a tropical lift to the nose. The palate is lush and creamy, and is accentuated by moderate acidity through the mid-palate.”
My Review: Pear, apricot and peach, with burnt honey, taffy and toasted marshmallow – not your typical Viognier!
Odonata Tasting Notes (website): “Our first time ever making a “sauvi-b” and we couldn’t be more excited about the outcome! This wine has it all! Vibrant and fresh, with notes of key lime, grapefruit and melon. The palate is filled with fresh acidity, and is balanced out by passion fruit and kiwi!”
2016 Odonata Remembrance, Circle B Vineyard, Paso Robles AVA, 12% ABV, $28 (#314*) 75% Petite Sirah & 25% Grenache. “All Proceeds from this wine are being donated equally to three important causes. 1) Alzheimer’s Research 2) Cancer Research 3) Our local Women’s shelter.”
Winery Notes: “Ripe and luscious on the palate. Pleasant texture, with a lengthy finish. This wine is an easy drinker that will pair perfect with any grilled meats, Italian fare, etc. Pretty versatile all round fun glass of wine.”
2019 Odonata Cote-Du-Denis Carbonic Carignane, Circle B Vineyard, Paso Robles AVA, $28 (#315*)
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “Winemaker Denis Hoey hops on the carbonic train with this elegantly labeled bottling, and it hits all the marks. Bright raspberry, hibiscus and rainy cement aromas lead into a zesty palate of plum, strawberry and more wet rock flavors.” Matt Kettmann, September 2020
My Review: Beautiful translucent red in the glass, sweet on the nose, light cherry on the palate.
Winery Notes: “Vibrant and lively on the nose with alluring nuances of fresh flowers and berry fruits. On the palate you’re treated with pepper herbs, fresh minerality and delightful tannin. The richness and depth of this Grenache erupts with every sip, while conveying texture and balance.”
My Review: A nice red color in the glass with a touch of bitterness on the finish.
2017 Odonata Sangiovese, Machado Creek Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley AVA, $32 (#318*)
Winery Notes: “Cool nights and warm days make this marvelous complex wine. It starts with darker berries, met with sweet strawberry notes. finishes with a smooth rustic and smokey nose. On the palate, I make this wine to embody the true Italian varietal that Sangiovese is. Earth and spice driven, with subtle fruit drive this wine to pair wonderfully with any Italian dish!” We liked this wine!
2018 Odonata Zinfandel, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley AVA, San Benito County, 15% ABV, $32 (#319*)
Winery Notes: “Aromas of sweet blackberry jam, strawberry puree, and loamy soil on the nose. The palate is held together by bright acid and tannins, offering flavors of violets, blueberry, and black licorice.”
My Review: I have yet to find a Monterey/San Benito County Zin I love. This one was OK! Worthy of a re-taste soon!
Winery Notes: “Elegant cherry fruit, red berry, cinnamon and spices on the nose. Bountiful fruit with opulent texture smooth out the palate. Enjoy this classic S.L.H. Pinot on its own or with a wide variety of food!”
My Review: Purple in the glass, a bit smokey with cherry on the finish.
2016OdonataPetite Sirah, Machado Creek Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $28 (#321*)
Winery Notes: “Opulent fruit, herbs and spices on the nose. The palate is perfectly balanced with loads of dark fruit, tannin and graphite.”
My Comment: This was our favorite so far of all the wines we tasted on this day!
Winery Notes: Sweet berry, mocha, and touch of sage. This is a very balanced expression of Dessert Wine, which allows it to be enjoyed on its own or added to any dessert you like!
My Review: It was a very good dessert wine! I would pick up one of these if we were still doing dinner club and I needed one!
We picked up the Brunello and the Spiketail for a future review!
Visiting Odonata (from their website): This winery is very easy to drive to from many points – not far off Hwy 68!! “Nestled at the northern edge of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA and at the beginning of the River Road wine trail lies the Odonata winery and tasting room. We hope you will stop by our tasting room and sample a selection of our current releases. We are open 7 days a week and no appointments are necessary.”
*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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