Tagged: Saunders Vineyard

Boëté – A Personal Milestone Celebration Inside the Winery!

I had a milestone birthday over the weekend and chose to celebrate with a private Boëté wine experience at Saunders Vineyard.  We have been members at Boëté since long before we moved back to California – they make big reds in the style I like and, IMHO, deliver the best single-varietal Cabernet Franc and one of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in the region.  Our tasting was very special – we were greeted by Jana Saunders, along with Oreo and Cabi, their dogs.  The winery was in full operation. Not only did we get to taste their current releases, but also sampled the not-yet-released 2018 Reserve Cabernet Franc and the 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon! We were privileged to get an education by John Saunders on some of the Library wines we have in our wine room, influencing our decision to open the 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for my birthday dinner!

  • A beautiful start to our afternoon!
  • This delicious food platter accompanied our private tasting!

Over the past few months at home, we have opened several Boëté wines, including an older vintage of the Cheval Rouge red blend, and both the 2015 and 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignons (vs. the reserves).

A rare photo of the 3 of us celebrating my birthday at Boëté! This is our half of the COVID Wine Pod!

I last published about Boëté wines in February here https://decantingmonterey.com/boete-valentines-event-marries-new-release-with-abstract-art/ and first introduced you to them in August here: https://decantingmonterey.com/boete-exceptional-cabernet-franc-from-carmel-valley/.  

Boëté 2015 Cheval Rouge, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.5% ABV, $32 (#334*)

The Cheval Rouge is a red blend comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

My Review: Ruby/purple in the glass.  Blackberry and plum on the nose.  Medium-to-full bodied, with flavorful dark berries on the palate, with a slightly chalky finish. Very nice. March 2021

Boëté 2014 Cabernet Franc, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.5% ABV, $50 (#335*)

This was the first vintage of the Cabernet Franc that took me to the moon – I have been a huge fan ever since!

My Review: Super dark ruby in the glass. Black plum and blackberry on the nose and palate. Still tastes young and not quite resolved. Super smooth. Went very well with our lamb dinner. April 2021

Boëté 2018 Reserve Cabernet Franc, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA (#336*)

Oreo made sure we were tasting wine properly: Pet the dog, sip the wine, pet the dog…!

My Review: Cherry on the nose.  Very smooth on the palate and quite young.  Will be glad to retaste this upon release! April 2021

Boëté 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $50 (#337*)

My Review: Garnet in color.  Fresh crushed berries and chocolate on the nose.  Vibrant dark fruit on the palate on the palate with lingering cherry and vanilla flavors. February 2021

Boëté 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $50 (#338*)

Wine Enthusiast rated the 2017 vintage 91 points: Quite dark in the glass, this bottling from a vineyard near Carmel Valley Village offers blackberry jam and leather on the nose. The palate is thick with firm tannins, delivering dark berry, dark cocoa and violet flavors. MATT KETTMANN, August 2020

My Review: Dark ruby/purple in the glass – nice legs.  Delicious blackberry jam with a hint of vanilla on the nose.  Mouthfilling dark berry jamminess on the palate – very smooth and drinkable at this young age.  Highly recommended.  Might have to buy more of this! March 2021

Boëté 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $?? (#339*)

An extremely special birthday wine!

My Review: Now this was a delicious wine – perhaps one of the best Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon wines we have ever tasted! Dark ruby in the glass with notes of menthol and nicotiana, maybe a little anise, on the nose.  Dark raspberry and plum on the smooth palate.  A little chewy and savory in a good way.  Would not guess this was a Carmel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!   May 2021

Boëté 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, not released (#340*)

Winery was busy while we were there!

My Review: Deep, rich nose.  Dark fruit and complex tannins, a bit tart.  This wine is so very young. April 2021

You can read more about the winery and purchase their wines here https://www.boetewinery.com/. You can also taste their wines by reservation.  For more information, please call 831-625-5040 or email boetewinery@comcast.net.

*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.    

Boëté – Exceptional Cabernet Franc from Carmel Valley

One thing I love is an excellent Cabernet Franc. The first place I saw it bottled as a single varietal was in Virginia, of all places. When I stumbled onto Boëté, I couldn’t have been happier. These are my favorite Cabernet Francs in all of Monterey County, done in a sophisticated Bordeaux style.

The highly regarded Saunders Vineyard is right next door to Parsonage in Carmel Valley and, at one time, the two wineries shared a tasting room in a quaint shopping center as you head into the valley.  They make their big red wines from estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from their 7 acres of grapes. 

The Lovely Boëté Winery in Carmel Valley – photo courtesy of Boëté

Some background on Boëté quoted from their website here : “In the early 80’s John Saunders made wine at his Soledad Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands. At first making wine was a hobby and when his wines became popular with many of his friends in the restaurant industry, he decided to create a winery. In 1994, John and his wife Jana traded their 250-acre citrus orchard in Soledad California for 15 acres in Carmel Valley; land that had gone uncultivated due to lack of water. The first water well John drilled had gushed enough water to irrigate his vineyard forever. In early spring 1997, they planted their first vineyard on their sun-drenched hillside…

“The result is the Saunders Vineyard and his own label, Boete (Bwah-tay). The secret of the wine, Saunders says, is in the quality of the grapes, and old world wine making techniques that utilize French Oak barrels…Today, more than 6,000 grapevines grow on 7 acres, producing fruit that is widely regarded as some of California’s best.”

2013 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $50

2013 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc: Jammy and Rich

WineEnthusiast rated the 2013 Reserve Cabernet Franc Reserve 91 points.  “This bottling from a winery whose owners are originally from Brittany shows peppery spice, tart red fruit, rose petal and lava rock scents on the nose. The flavors range widely from white pepper and dill to fresh-pressed strawberry and red plum, with a slight hint of caramel. Varietally pure and very fresh.” Matt Kettmann, July 2017

My Review: While Cabernet Franc is typically blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Bordeaux blends, we enjoy this as a single varietal. This one is definitely a bigger Bordeaux-styled Cabernet Franc vs. the leaner Loire Valley Chinon style.  We found this wine to be just about perfect – jammy dark fruit on the nose, a rich mouthfeel of deliciousness on the palate, with an ever so slightly darker, just barely cooked fruit on the finish, ever so slightly tannic.      

2017 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.5% ABV, $50

2017 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc: Leather, Cherry and Vanilla Bean

WineEnthusiast rated the 2017 wine 91 points:  “Deep and dark in the glass, this bottling from a vineyard just a mile east of Carmel Valley village shows rich aromas of black currant yet with a spicy licorice kick. That licorice and dark-berry combination soars on the palate as well, proving both hearty yet still offering the grape’s inherent spice.” Matt Kettmann 7/1/2020

My Review: Bright red in color, we detected smoke, leather and sweetness on the nose.  Cherry and vanilla bean on the palate.  This is an amazing Cab Franc done in a big California style.  My favorite Monterey County Cabernet Franc.  This is their current release.

You can obtain their wines directly from the winery here.   As of this writing, they are not doing tastings at the winery.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

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