We discovered Mercy Vineyards when they opened a tasting room in Carmel Valley Village – they were the very first tasting room as you come into the village. We would often see the Mark Dirickson sitting out front with his lunch and a glass of white wine. All of their wines are from the Arroyo Seco AVA. Why? The dry, cobblestone (“Greenfield Potatoes”) riverbeds of granite and shale and the extreme climate of chilly winds and fog make it an ideal growing area for wine grapes.
photo from Mercy Wines website
From Mercy Wines: “Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco AVA is many things: windblown, numbingly cold, fog laden, semi-arid, rock strewn, austerely beautiful. In essence, the perfect grape source for Mercy wines…the wines are sourced from three contiguous vineyards, all located in a specific part of the appellation – The Ancient River Channel…Found along the banks of a now seasonal creek, this unique riverbed corridor features ideal maritime climate with rocky, meager surface soil and hardpan just feet below ground. Low yields, unique soil attributes and meticulous farming combine to produce flavorful and distinct grapes. Grown in such a dramatic setting, the wines truly are at the Mercy of Mother Nature.” (The vineyards are Cedar Lane, Griva and Zabala.)
We were impressed from our first meeting with Mark and winemaker Mike Kohne, who were also running their nascent tasting room. They also were producing a dry Riesling, something not seen much around here. While most of their wines are Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, they had me at Syrah – my favorite Mercy wines. I featured their 2017 Riesling at my Spring 2019 Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar (WWCS) class, and their 2016 Syrah in my Fall 2019 Northern Virginia AWS seminar. I had planned to presenting their Sauvignon Blanc and the 2016 Syrah at my 2020 Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar, which is on hold indefinitely. My DC friends got to consume those wines! And I have to say we are really enjoying their Pinot Noirs – it took the pandemic for me to realize I might actually like Pinot Noir!
The truly sad news is that Mercy Vineyards is now closed. Their website www.mercywines.com is still operational. We love these guys and are sorry to see them go.
Today I am presenting 7 of their wines – some tasted before I was writing my own tasting notes, some for which there is little-to-no published information. 6 of these were tasted during the Shelter in Place order. If you gotta stay home, drink good wine!
2017 Mercy Dry Riesling, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, ABV, $21
Aspiring to make a dry, old-world style Riesling, Mercy sourced Germanic clones from vines set in extremely rocky, low-yielding topsoil.
From Mercy Wines: “Fermented dry, with just the slightest touch of sweetness added back for texture, this “troken” style Riesling showcases aromas of orchard fruit as nectarine and pear notes mingle with honeysuckle, fennel, pollen and minerals in the bouquet.”
2017 Mercy Sauvignon Blanc Zabala Vineyard, 13.8% ABV, $24
I needed a good white to cook with in April and, since we bought this wine for half price, I didn’t feel too bad cooking with it – and even got to enjoy some with my meal. Just like many Mercy wines, this one is from the Zabala Vineyard – man, that place produces great fruit. I’m going to have to lean on my friends to find out which other wineries buy from Zabala or get to know the grower.
From Mercy Wines: “This Sauvignon Blanc is comprised exclusively of the low-yielding, Musque clone (FPS 27) from vines at the Zabala Vineyard. Set in the Arroyo Seco AVA’s ancient river channel the property’s locale features granitic topsoil arrayed on cobblestone beds. Such meager soil further diminishes yields and in concert with strong winds and dense fog combine to provide an environment ideal for compelling fruit.
“Hand-harvested in early September 2017, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes were crushed into stainless steel for fermentation. Racked to small mueller, steel barrels the wine aged for 6 months until being bottled on April 26, 2018. Innately racy, the straw colored wine features a bouquet with exotic aromas of melon, pineapple and star fruit, as well as lemon blossom, fresh cut hay and mineral characters. Replete with acidity, this aromatic wine has, due to the clone, a nice weight while remaining bright and refreshing.”
2012 Mercy Pinot Noir Zabala Vineyard, 14.6% ABV, $38 94 Points, Wine Enthusiast
In the spirit of creating some isolation fun, Charlie decided we would taste this wine blind – he poured me a glass and made me guess what it was. This was a big red with a spicy bouquet. Zinfandel! Nope. Joullian Retro Rouge? Nope. He confirmed it was a Monterey wine. Then he said that it is not one of my favorites – which jumped me to Pinot Noir! I guessed based on its heft that it must be the Parsonage Hawk Reserve Pinot Noir! Wrong again – close, but no cigar.
On one of our 3 trips to Mercy in February 2020, the tasting room was boasting it had found these 2012 Pinot Noirs from the Arroyo Seco AVA, tucked away at the winery. They let us taste it and we bought a bunch.
This is a full-bodied Pinot Noir, once again a wine hailing from the fabulous Zabala Vineyard. The label describes this wine as follows: “Wind blown, Zabala Vineyard bears the brunt of regional maritime elements. This small-lot Pinot Noir hails from the “South Pointe”, a section of vineyard blocks nearest the seasonal creek. From this rocky locale, Mercy sources “Dijon” clones 115 and 667, as well as a touch of Pommard clone.”
From Mercy Wines: “A barrel selection of nine distinct barrels, this wine showcases the dense, juicy berry-nature of Pinot Noir grown on the Zabala ranch. Aromas of black berries and cherry mingle with notes baking spices, violets and earthy-mineral tones. Richly textured, firm tannins enhance the fruit flavors on the palate and melt away as part of the long finish.”
If I could get my hands on more of this, I would. We had this wine for Sunday night dinner with steak and a flavorful barley risotto. It was a fabulous combo. It is making me re-think my views on Pinot Noir!
2014 Mercy Pinot Noir, Cedar Lane Vineyard, 14.4% ABV, $32 (Outbreak Wine #120)
About Cedar Lane Vineyard from Mercy Wines: “Located against and somewhat sheltered by a natural bench, a 40-foot palisade of bedrock along its northern border, this 60-acre vineyard is owned by Mark Chesebro and farmed by Michael Griva. Found at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountains the sand as well as shale and granite cobblestone topsoil are meager with little nutrients, ultimately helping to diminish yields. The vineyard is planted to multiple varietals, including 7 different clones of Pinot Noir of which Mercy Vineyards sources two (“Pommard” clone 4 and clone 667).”
Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 89 points: “Concentrated lavender and incense aromas make for a woody perfume on the nose of this appellation blend, giving lots of character to the core of cherry syrup. The palate shows the same levels of intense incense and purple flowers, which nearly overpowers the cranberry and pomegranate fruits.” Matt Kettmann October 2017
My Review: Beautiful crystalized cork. This wine has a dark robe, slightly brownish. Musty, blackberry with cedar notes on the nose. A palate of blackberry, cherry and a little leather, giving a slightly bitter finish – perhaps a little raisin. This is a very rich and full-bodied Pinot Noir. I do like my wines made from Cedar Lane grapes! August 2020
2009 Mercy Syrah, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 13.9% ABV, $28 (Outbreak Wine #121)
My Review: We tasted this wine last after a series of big wines – I did not capture good tasting notes. Very dark in color, this wine has lost some of its fruit and beyond its prime. Nevertheless, it was a terrific wine.
2012 Mercy Syrah, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.1% ABV, $28
According to their website, “Mercy sources three clones from the Zabala family (clone 7 an Aussie Shiraz clone, and two French ENTAV clones 470 and 877). All get co-fermented in small open top bins and ultimately the wine spent 18 months in French oak barrels (11% new) prior to bottling.”
Wine Enthusiast gave it 93 points with this review: “Ripe and plump blackberries shine through in a showcase of fruit purity, lifted by dried fennel, hot black gravel, peppercorns, toasted sesame and soy. There is tremendous structure and acidity on the sip, with black pepper and black-sesame nuance plus juicy boysenberry character to the midpalate.”
My Review: Almost 4 years later, this wine is drinking beautifully – blackberry and mocha with a touch of spice, full and smooth on the palate. Yum. Tasted March 2020
Mercy 2016 Riverbed Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, 14.5% ABV, $30
I presented this wine at the October 2019 Northern Virginia AWS class as a compare and contrast of wines from the same 2016 vintage, different AVAs, to show how the Soberanes Fire affected wines from Carmel Valley but not from the other Monterey County AVAs.
Regarding the 2016 Riverbed Syrah from Mercy Wines: “The progeny of grapevines located in the ancient, dried riverbed corridor of the Arroyo Seco AVA. This wine combines fruit from vines set in meager, nutrient-deficient topsoil which feature cobblestone beds of granite and shale. In addition to the distinct and finite terrain, the riverbed channel location is also is noted for its extreme climate as forceful winds and dense fog persist throughout the growing season. All these factors combine to create a distinct environment that is suited for Rhone varieties.
“Harvest in late October the grapes were transported to the winery in the early morning. At the winery the fruit was crushed with the ‘must’ racked to small bins for fermentation. Once dry, the wine was pressed off and transferred to neutral (1 and 2 year old) French oak barrels. Ultimately, it was aged 20 months before being bottled. The resulting wine shows aromas of juicy late-summer plum, cherry, lavender, sagebrush and holiday spices.”
My Review: Raspberry, blackberry and cassis on the nose. An explosion of berry and cassis on the palate, and a lingering finish. Smooth and delicious. May 2020
© Decanting Monterey 2020
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