Days 9 & 10 – from Napa to Monterey, then into the Santa Lucia Highlands

We left Napa with regret on Sunday morning and hightailed it to Monterey. We checked into our hotel, The Spindrift Inn right on Cannery Row, just the most idyllic hotel room ever, highly recommended if you want to be in on the action along the ocean front. Mark had to go and register for his conference, so I caught up with e-mails and planned my Monday in Monterey County.

Chateau Julien – European elegance in Carmel Valley

First stop on Monday morning was Chateau Julien in the Carmel Valley, a highly chic, European-inspired, set-up where I was welcomed by Barrie. This is a 16-acre, full production wine estate, complete with Chateau, chai, vineyards & cellar operations and they make 2 additional brand labels here, Emerald Bay and Hawk House. Owned since the 1970s by the Browers, winemaker Bill Anderson has been there from the very first vintage in 1985, making up to 60,000 cases now per annum, from the 16 acres in situ planted to Sangiovese, plus a further 250 acres “elsewhere in Monterey County”. Merlot is their flagship varietal, but we started the tasting flight with a 2010 Pinot Grigio, fruit-forward, floral aromas, dry (100% stainless steel fermentation), lively acidity, light & fresh with honeydew melon on the palate, $25. Next up their 2010 Reserve Sur Lie Chardonnay @ $32, a limited production wine produced from selected lots in the North Salinas valley, enabling long hang-time, giving this wine intense fruit and good acidity, yet maintaining the creaminess and texture you’d expect, great with salmon. Onto the reds (by the way, they do make a Rosata Sangiovese, but this wasn’t available). A 2009 Sangiovese single-varietal was a bit short on the nose, despite 16 months on half new French and half American oak, but full-bodied with great black cherry & spicy notes, good length and finish, $25. Their 2007 Private Reserve Merlot @ $42 was robust with pepper and cassis on the nose and palate, full-bodied, moderate tannins, ripe fruit, aged for 2+ years on new French oak, imparting a colour and complexity that will only improve over the next 10-20 years. As well as their Private Reserve wines and Barrel Selected wines, they also produce a Vintner’s Collection, and the 2007 Black Nova III from this special edition was extraordinary. $55, only 300 cases made, Bob Anderson makes a different blend each year – this vintage is 50% Malbec, 50% Syrah, aged in new Missouri oak barrels. The colour is inky black, bursting with bramble fruit, 15% ABV, complex and finishing nicely, hold on to this one.

Into the Santa Lucia Highlands

I had no idea what I was about to let myself in for. I drove over the top from the Carmel Valley road to join the Monterey-Salinas Highway, then branched off onto River Road, heading South down the Salinas River Valley. This is agriculture and vegetable-growing on a scale I have never seen before. Dole and Constellation Wines have huge operations here, packing and shipping lettuce, celery, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli, and of course, grapes and wine. Fog and ocean breezes off Monterey Bay create a cool, Region I climate here, allowing slow, gentle ripening and a long growing season. Approximately 5,000 acres of vinefera are now under cultivation since the first commercial plantings back in 1973 (before that, there had been a history of wine-growing on the back of the Spanish missions), with 46 vineyard properties in total. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the predominant varietals in the Appellation. Even on an overcast February day, the valley was spectacular, warm and windy, with vines growing on the elevated terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range, but with cattle ranches and tree-covered hills climbing up behind them.

Paraiso

My first port of call was Paraiso, perched high above the valley floor, owned and managed by three generations of the Smith family – one of the son-in-laws, David Fleming, is their winemaker. The estate vineyard is the first in the region to be SIP Certified Sustainable and is a large operation, with 460 acres right here on site and some small parcels elsewhere. They make in the region of 20,000 cases p.a.. The smell in the tasting room was a little-off putting, heavy on the aromas from the products on sale in the gift boutique, but Danielle was very welcoming and professional. Switching between the Estate Series and Single Vineyard series tastings was fun. First up was their 2009 Chardonnay, 85% MF, rest in stainless steel, so a little butteriness, but still steely and crisp, nice floral & blossom aromas, apple pie, good quaffing, $18. The 2008 Eagles’ Perch Chardonnay is from a single vineyard high on the property, a wonderful wine, complex on the palate with apple, pear, rounded, full and a long finish, $35. The 2008 Riesling reflects it’s cool climate heritage, dry, Alsatian style, clear and clean, fresh acidity, $16. The 2009 Pinot Noir is a blend of 4 different clones grown on the estate, Burgundian in style, youthful, soft acidity, raspberry and cherry, $25. Showing even better is the 2008 West Terrace Pinot Noir, only 407 cases made, a complex yet delicate wine, very typical of a Santa Lucia Highlands PN apparently, $40. Their 2008 Syrah is sold out, but the 2006 Wedding Hill Syrah is a good Rhone-style, made from the oldest planting of the varietal in the SLH. High quality, dark berry fruit, peppery, great structure and finish, $45. Then a bonus 2009 Irie Zinfandel, made by a cousin of the family down near Paso Robes, with a little Petite Syrah blended to balance the spiciness of this hot Zin, $30, a friendly Zin. I must track their wines down back East, Balducci’s in McLean and Cheesiteque in Del Ray both stock apparently.

Scheid

Next a lovely spot beside the highway South near Greenfield, mid-Salinas Valley, where Dave welcomed me into the small, but perfectly formed, tasting room. I was in luck as some wine members had been in over the weekend and several bonus bottles were open. This is a big operation, they have 5,300 acres planted, and only keep approximately 10% of the yield for their own label, making 10-15,000 cases p.a.. Back when it was founded as a dairy operation making cheese, this was and still is very much a family operation, with several Scheids still on the board. It is all about location, location, location here, with their wines coming for 4 primary growing regions of their 10 estate vineyards – so everything from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Region 1, to Petit Verdot, Malbec and Mouvedre in Region 4. This is reflected in the colour of the labels on the bottles – see their website for further explanation! Winemaker Dave Nagengast is able assisted by two assistant winemakers.

Their first vintage was produced in 1972, all from estate-grown vineyards and that continues to this day. We started with a 2008 Isabelle Sparkling Wine, named for the matriach of the family, dry, methode champenoise, elegant and complex, great peach colour, bright fruit, nice acidity, only 200 cases p.a., $45. Then onto a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, full of zing and life, lively melon fruit, smooth on the palate, good acidity, $18. A bonus 2009 Gewurtztraminer was surprisingly lacking in aroma, may have been opened too long, a little sweetness (1.1% residual sugar), strangely spicy mid-palate, not showing well, $16. Onto their 2009 Chardonnay, smooth, pineapple, fruit-forward, lively on the palate, 8 months sur lie, 38% oak/62% stainless steel, delicious tropical notes, $22. Next up was their 2009 Syrah Rose, dry and refreshing, very light and crisp, strawberries, elegant finish, $16. On to the reds. A 2008 Pinot Noir was bright red coloured, vivid bramble, spice on the mid-palate, lush and full-bodied, good length, $32. Even more elegant was the 2007 Pinot Noir Reserve, selected from their best 15 barrels, silky smooth, long fruit tones, a little spice, medium length, $50. Next a single-clone, single-vineyard bottling, 2008 Pinot Noir Clone 667 Reserve, producing flabbergasting colour, rich ripe fruit, exquisite balance, a glass and a half of deliciousness, $65. I found their 2007 Syrah a little too jam-packed for my taste, it’s a real mouthful and definitely needs food, $22. Likewise, the 2007 Petit Verdot Reserve, Napa Valley, is from the Rutherford AVA, strong and heady, intense, almost astringent, needs to mellow and age, $65. Their 50/50 Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend would be right up Mark’s street, with all the structure and jamminess you’d expect from these varietals, dark plum and vanilla, powerful stuff, $26. Lastly, the 2008 Closing Bell, a port-style wine made with a blend of Portuguese (Tinto Cao & Touriga) and Spanish (Tempranillo & Grenache) grapes, lush and full of black fruit, hint of chocolate, only 100 cases produced, $39. This one will fly off the shelves, get in there early! This is a fun place, I would love to have done one of their tours, but had to make do with a wander through their display gardens, past the demonstration vineyard showing different trellising techniques, with views across to the winery buildings.

Pessagno

Pottering along the River Road back up towards Salinas, I spotted this low-key tasting room and remembered my husband had enjoyed his Pinot Noir from here the previous evening whilst dining at The Fish Hopper in Monterey. The owner’s son, Anthony, welcomed me into the converted milking parlour, a low-ceilinged, long room, made to party in. They sell about 800 cases direct from here, the remaining 1,500 cases via their wine club and local distributors and restaurants. The tasting room is part of the 80+ year old former Swiss-Italian dairy farm that was on the site. An old vinyl record was playing on the turntable, barrels with chairs abound, all in all a convivial place, although I was the only customer that day. 21 years ago, owner Stephen Pessagno “fulfilled his dream to produce limited quantities of luxury wines from single vineyards throughout Monterey and San Benito counties”. We started the tasting with their 2009 Riesling which was dry, crisp, 5 months on French oak, German-style, apricots & honey, good with Asian food with a kick, $16. Then I asked to taste through their single vineyard Pinot Noirs, starting with a 2009 Central Avenue from Monterey, great nose, fruit-forward, strawberry & cherry, earthy finish, 9 months on French oak, $21. Then the 2009 Lucia Highlands Vineyard SLH Pinot Noir, up front berry flavours, good texture, silky tannins, $28. I loved the 2009 Idyll Times Vineyard from San Benito County (from a great-uncle’s lot, planted in 1997) earthy, complex, tingling, packed with flavour, full-bodied to bursting, smooth and mature, $40. Lastly, a 2009 Four Boys Vineyard, named for Stephen’s four sons, their flagship Pinot Noir, $55; absolutely fabulous, huge structure, well-balanced, dark-coloured, jammy, spicy, multi-layered, great finish. Wow. Track these wines down if you can, you would be hard-pressed to find better.

I finished my exploring of the valley with a brief visit to the John Steinbeck National Museum in Salinas, well worth the trip, went a long way to explaining the man and his inspirations. Next door (conveniently) is A Taste of Monterey where up to 45 boutique wineries display their wares – it was about to close, but I resolved to visit their sister operation in Monterey the following day.

I had a 2010 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc with my supper of prawns and scallops – too fruity and off-dry for my liking, so no need to rush there at least.