THE STORY
As the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod (minus one) departed our afternoon visit from Zabala Vineyards, deep in the heart of the Monterey Wine Trail, we pondered: head home or stop at a winery? With the new Monterey Wine Trail signs clearly guiding us (although my GPS said otherwise), we made a bee-line for Wrath.
It was a quiet, Friday afternoon in mid-March. Cynthia, our engaging tasting room host, was glad to see us. She gladly poured us what we wanted to taste, while pointing out the fact that Wrath and its 70-acre San Saba Vineyard are located in the Monterey AVA, while the cattle we could see out the front window were grazing in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Fun fact. You can read more about all the Monterey County AVAs here.
My last post about Wrath was here: Wrath Releases Its 2018 Syrahs! And my very first complete post about them was in 2020 here: Wrath: Harnessing Angry Fog and Screaming Winds to Create Great Wines. I’ve written about their wines a few times – just type “Wrath” in the Decanting Monterey search bar.
ABOUT WRATH – ON THE MONTEREY WINE TRAIL
From the Wrath website:
“The wrath of Juno sent Aeneas wandering the Mediterranean in Vergil’s Aeneid. For the ancient Romans, ira or wrath, was a tool of a god, an unstoppable anger driven by forces greater than man. One can argue that we see such fury in both the might of nature and the passion of art. Wrath appears in the edgy power of Robert Plant’s voice and the raw wail of Eric Clapton’s guitar. It is frozen into Jackson Pollock’s violent splatters of paint. Wrath is in the wall of maritime fog that rolls into the Salinas Valley and the relentless afternoon winds that scream through our grape trellises. Wrath wines represent a nexus of nature and an unbridled passion for winemaking. Welcome to Wrath.”
“Wrath produces site-driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc from our estate vineyard and respected properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our production is small, our distribution is limited and our wines reveal attitude, passion, and an inherent respect for what a vineyard can give us.”
THE WINES
Today I am presenting 8 Wrath wines from this March tasting. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website, unless otherwise noted. You can read more about each wine on their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ websites.
2021 Wrath 3 Clone Chardonnay, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $35 (#1292)
Winery Notes: “Expansive and rich, this golden-hued Chardonnay offers peach, baking spices, oak and a hint of butterscotch.” 91 points – International Wine Review
My Review: Light gold in color. This wine has a very tropical nose. The palate is full of tropical flavors, with melon predominant – classic. March 2024
2021 Wrath Falanghina, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 12.8% ABV, $25 (#1293)
Winery Notes: “A fragrant bouquet of orange blossom, jasmine and lemon leads to subtle flavors of honeydew melon and lychee with a hint of seat salt spray. Very refreshing and clean.”
My Review: Honeysuckle and peaches on the nose. Tart, like underripe kiwi on the palate. This wine will wake you up. March 2024
2022 Wrath Saignée Rosé, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 13.2% ABV, $23 (#1294)
Winery Notes: “The perfect aperitif wine; pink grapefruit and rhubarb flavors lead to a crisp, dry finish that is refreshing and delicious.” I swear they changed the vintage on the website as I was writing this post – these winery notes are for the 2023.
My Review: Ballet slipper pink in color. Watermelon on the nose, followed by a SweetTart finish. We like this wine and took some home! March 2024
2021 Wrath Pinot Noir, KW Ranch, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.3% ABV, $55 (#1295)
Winery Notes: “Aromas of blackberries and cherry cola blend with flavors of black cherry, vanilla and an earthy element that merge into a long, structured finish with lots of dark fruit.” 95 points – Wine Enthusiast
My Review: This wine exhibited tobacco on the nose. Chewy, with a little bit of a that cloying Pinot Noir palate, followed by a tart finish. March 2024
2021 Wrath Swan/828 Pinot Noir, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 14.2% ABV, $35 (#1296)
Winery Notes: “Dark cherry, raspberries and a touch of earthiness highlight the characteristics of our growing area.” 94 points – Planet Grape
My Review: Translucent dark cherry in color. The nose was brimming with cherry notes, followed by a rich palate of dark cherry fruit. We like this wine. March 2024
2020 EX Syrah, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 14.4% ABV, $12.50 (sale price) (#1297)
Winery Notes: “Full-flavored and savory, this wine has dark berries, black pepper and dried herbs all wrapped with velvet tannins.” 93 points – Planet Grape
My Review: This wine is surprisingly good for its sale price. Dark, intense berries brimming with jammy flavors. Unfortunately, that 2020 smoke on the finish detracts from its overall enjoyability. I will look to a different vintage for a future wine class, as the wine showed me its potential to be a really tasty wine. March 2024
2020 Wrath Destruction Level Red Blend, Monterey AVA, Monterey County, 14.6% ABV, $39 (#1298) 63% Grenache, 37% Syrah
Winery Notes: “Inky and intense, this blend combines dark fruit with soy and earth undertones, followed by a long, lively finish.” 95pts “Cellar Selection” – Wine Enthusiast
My Review: This wine was quite dark in the glass. The palate was brimming with dark, intense, crushed berries. I liked this wine and meant to take some home. Alas. March 2024
2018 Wrath Syrah, KW Ranch, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, 14.6% ABV, $39 (#856)
Winery Notes: “This wine is aromatic with aromas of black pepper, smoke, leather and cassis. The palate has a velvet texture and the finish is powerful and succulently juicy.” 92 points – Vinous
My Review: Very dark cherry color in the glass. This wine has a big delicious palate of dark berry and cherry flavors. I liked this wine quite a bit – we have some at home. March 2024
THE TASTING ROOM
Wrath has 2 places to taste their wines and we think they are both lovely. So handy to stop in at Carmel Plaza, but what a treat to drive out River Road to the bucolic setting of their winery – bring your lunch!
Winery Tasting Room: “Located at 35801 Foothill Road (at the junction of River Road) in Soledad, CA, 5 minutes west of Hwy 101. Open Fri-Mon from 11-5pm, closed Tue-Wed-Thurs. Direct: 831.678.2992”
Carmel Tasting Room: “Located in Carmel Plaza, downtown Carmel at the corner of Ocean Ave. and Mission St., ground floor. Open Fri and Sat from 11-6pm. Open Sun through Thur from 11-5 pm 831.620.1909”
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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