Monthly Archive: May 2026

I had a milestone birthday earlier this month – and no better place to spend it than with my American Wine Society Monterey Chapter friends at Shale Canyon. We were greeted by the energetic staff who gave us a fabulous overview of the winery and its owner, Keith Prader. And we tasted six of their big reds. The layout of the tasting room was perfect for our group and the vibe was vibrant – we had a fabulous time.  We missed you, Keith!

In addition to purchasing some of the wines we tasted, I took home some of the 2018 Shale Canyon Petite Sirah from the Paicines AVA, San Benito County. So delicious. For $35 that wine is a bargain! Winery Notes: “The nose on this is fruit, dark fruit, and lots of it. Blueberries, plums, blackberry, black tea and chocolate on the palate. Medium to firm tannins. 100% Petite Sirah.”

The last time our group visited their tasting room was in 2023 – you can read about it here: Monterey AWS “Squeezes in” a Tasting at Shale Canyon! Funny, we had the same number of people this time and we didn’t feel crowded at all!

THE WINERY

About Shale Canyon from their website:

“Shale Canyon Wines started vinting small lots of hand crafted varietals in 2008…Currently Shale Canyon Wines is comprised of Keith Prader, the winemaker, and Tim Prader tasting room and vineyard manager.

“Current production is about 1000+ cases per year with our main focus on producing wines that have outstanding nose, mouth feel and finish.  For the Estate wines we   are currently growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre.  We source fruit from larger, well established vineyards whose farming practices are exemplary in the industry and whose fruit is second to none.  The varietals include Syrah, Malbec, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah.  We enjoy making classic and unique blends as well .  Our Consortium is a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  The Striation is 75% Zinfandel and 25% Mourvèdre, a wonderful floral wine.  And Amalgamation, a very interesting blend of Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah. Quality is our main goal.  Quantity is always secondary. We hope you try and enjoy our wines!”

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 6 Shale Canyon wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ notes. I was given a “pass” on taking notes that evening due to my big celebration.  I’ve included some from past tastings where I have them.

2015 Shale Canyon Mourvèdre, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.7% ABV, $30 (#499)

Winery Notes: “A bouquet of dark berry, violet and earthy aromas of black pepper, thyme and a hint of citrus. Bright fruit characteristics, with fresh strawberry, raspberry and subtle cherry. Smooth tannins with hints of cedar and a drawn-out finish with late fruit.”

My Review: Dark ruby in glass. Very dark fruit but lean on the palate. September 2021              

2019 Shale Canyon Cabernet Franc, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.4% ABV, $45 (#1543)

Winery Notes: “Our award-winning varietal starts with aromas of dark fruit, slight oak and a touch of floral. Distinguished flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and cassis envelop the middle. The finish of leather, vanilla and medium firm tannins complete the experience of our flagship wine.”

My Review: One of the group’s favorites from this tasting. Year over year, a consistent favorite of mine. Rust in color. Cranberry, leather, deep plum, eucalyptus and cassis on the nose. Juicy palate of blackberry, cherry, a touch of prune and anise on the finish. Medium to full bodied. February 2025

2015 Shale Canyon Malbec, Pedregal Vineyard, Paicines AVA, San Benito County, 14.7% ABV, $32 (#1754)

Winery Notes: “This gorgeous Malbec is loaded with flavors of blackberry, plum and a hint of chocolate. This wine has a very inky purple hue with silky tannins on the finish.”

My Review: Prune on the nose. Rich, dark palate of slightly overripe fruit with licorice notes on the finish. December 2025

2016 Shale Canyon Consortium, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14.8% ABV, $50 (#951)

Winery Notes: “A classic blend of Bordeaux varietals. There is a distinctive cherry note on the nose. It is a very elegant, yet a complex wine with black berry, dark cherry and raspberry on the palate. It has a long finish with wisps of cedar, vanilla and silky tannins. Estate blend of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot.”

My Review: Beautiful ruby color.  Smooth, dark berries and mild baking spice on the nose. March 2023

2015 Shale Canyon Tempranillo , Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 13.8% ABV, $30 (#503)

Winery Notes: “Subtle berry & cherry bouquet. Flavors of black cherry, plum and cranberry grace the middle. A touch of spice and leather with firm structured tannins on the finish.”

My Review: This was one of my personal favorites from this tasting.  It has matured and mellowed into a delicious wine.  Here’s what I said 5 years ago: Spicy on the nose. Delicious fruit yet lean (tannic) on the finish. Pretty amazing. September 2021

2019 Shale Canyon Syrah, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $35 (#1755)

Winery Notes: “A complex, fruit forward, wine that is ruby-purple in hue. It has aromas of dark berry jam with flavors of blueberry and blackberry, along with medium plus tannins.”

THE TASTING ROOM

“Please visit us and try our wines. We are in the Paseo San Carlos Courtyard Westside San Carlos Between Ocean and 7^th Carmel-by-the-Sea” Open Sun – Thurs: 1 – 5; Fri, Sat: 1 – 7 (831) 250-7603 reservations@shalecanyonwines.com

© Decanting Monterey 2026

*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

THE STORY

In last week’s post, I told you about my attendance at The Perfect Pair – a Cabrillo College Culinary & Wine Showcase.  Today’s post is about the second flight of wines at the pre-event seminar:  Pinot Noirs from Soquel Vineyards.

At the food pairing portion of the event, we tasted many wines.  Some standouts for me were the 2022 Storrs Rusty Ridge Zinfandel (presented in last week’s post), the 2014 Silver Mountain Alloy, the 2021 Regan Merlot, the 2021 Wrights Station Cabernet Franc, and the 2019 Quinta Cruz Sparkling Souzão. I loved the food pairing of the sparkling red with the culinary students’ Raspberry Mocha Delight. I managed to take a bottle home with the idea to serve it to the AWS Monterey Chapter Board with my own dark chocolate-raspberry dessert. As I said last week, this annual Santa Cruz Mountain AVA and Cabrillo College Culinary event is not to be missed!

You can read last week’s post here:

THE WINERY

From their website:

“Welcome to Soquel Vineyards. Our small, family owned and operated winery is nestled on the coastal side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We are committed to producing extraordinary wines with an emphasis on integrity and sense of place.”

Soquel Vineyards was founded by Peter and Paul Bargetto, in partnership with Jon Morgan back in 1987. They wanted to make wines focused on the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA. They began building their current winery location in 2001. Today they are considered among the most renowned wineries in the AVA.

Their website is full of history and information about each vineyard from which they source fruit. Read more about them here: Our Story.

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 4 Soquel Vineyards wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ notes.

As with last week’s wines most of these wines have not yet been released and these Pinot Noirs do not taste like Monterey’s famous Santa Lucia Highlands Pinots.  They displayed, in general, a richer flavor profile.

2024 Soquel Vineyards Ascona Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, $60 (#1750) 94 points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: Translucent Ruby with a clear rim. Stemmy, warm nose. Light on the palate. Tart on the finish. April 2026

2024 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir, Lester Family Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, $50 (#1751) 97 Points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: Pretty ruby with a peachy rim in the glass. Rich bright cherry, plum, raspberry on the nose. A big wine with a fruity underpinning. April 2026

2023 Soquel Pinot Noir, Coast Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, 13.1% ABV, $50 (#1752) 94 points – Wine Enthusiast

Winery Notes: “A solid core of cherry, cranberry and raspberry on the nose of this single-vineyard expression is bolstered by a cardamon pod spice. Floral flavors range from rose to lavender on the palate, where cran-cherry and peppercorn flavors are wrapped in a solid tension.”

My Review: Ruby with a pale rim. Nose is harsher, stinky, plum. Earthy. Palate makes up for the nose. Tobacco on the finish. April 2026

2024 Soquel Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1753)

My Review: Ruby with a clear rim. Faint nose of sweet tart and vinegar. Rich and tasty palate. My preferred Pinot Noir of this flight. April 2026

THE TASTING ROOM

“Our winery is open for tastings Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Come join us on the patio for a flight or a glass and enjoy panoramic views of the Soquel hillside and Monterey Bay.” Tasting fee is only $15! Located at 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, CA 95073. Call them at 831-462-9045 to reserve your spot.

© Decanting Monterey 2026

*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

THE STORY

When some of my American Wine Society Monterey Chapter Scouting Party buds invited me to join them on an outing, I said yes. Not an ordinary outing, but an extraordinary one called The Perfect Pair – a Cabrillo College Culinary & Wine Showcase.  Hosted by Prudy Foxx of Foxx Viticulture, this event showcased the students’ talent in designing dishes to match specific Santa Cruz Mountain AVA wines. And boy, are they talented! I’ll be coming back next year! The scallops over fettucine, short ribs over mashed potatoes with slivers of spiced sugar glass, and the raspberry mocha delight were 3 of my favorite dishes.

We also attended the pre-event seminar, Ocean to Summit: A Tasting Journey through the Multiple Micro-climates of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was interesting to hear about viticulture from across the bay – the terroir, the grapes, the wine. The mountainous terrain above the fog line is influenced by the frigid Monterey Bay – much like we are down in Monterey County. The soil is very different. The difficult mountainous terrain composed primarily of Franciscan Shale differs from our loamier soils. And, to my palate, that distinctive Monterey minerality was more muted in the Santa Cruz Mountain wines. Of course, the winemaker has so much to do with the end product – beyond the terroir and fruit themselves.

Today’s post will be about the Storrs Winery wines we tasted that day. I’ll be presenting the wines from the seminar and a few others over a couple of posts. While I haven’t gone wine tasting yet in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I’ve written about many of them over the years – just type “Santa Cruz Mountains” in the Decanting Monterey search bar.

THE WINERY

From their website:

Handcrafted Wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains

“Stephen Storrs and Pamela Bianchini-Storrs began Storrs Winery with the harvest of 1988.  Both trained as winemakers at UC Davis, they had worked and consulted for a number of wineries prior to starting their own, including Domaine Chandon, Felton Empire Vineyards, and Almaden.  Consulting duties also included serving as the first winemakers for Scheid Vineyards of Monterey whilst in the early stages of their own emerging winery. Beginning with their very first vintage, they focused on the Santa Cruz Mountains – the cool-climate, marine-influenced appellation in their backyard.  Having worked in this terrain for years, they knew there was no better climatic match in California for the classic Burgundian varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir…” I encourage you to read the rest of their story here: Storrs Winery & Vineyards: About Us.

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 4 Storrs wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ notes.

I will say up front that these not-yet released Chardonnays didn’t taste at all like our Monterey Chardonnays.  They are much more complex with a different flavor profile.

2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1746)

My Review: Golden wheat in the glass. Peach, honey, lychee, butter on the nose. The flavorful citrus palate is balanced by a solid mellow grounding. Lightly oaked. So delicious – I would buy this wine. April 2026

2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Hidden Springs Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1747)

My Review: Pale golden in the glass. Pineapple, honeydew and a touch of butter on the warm nose. A lighter palate with a citrusy finish. April 2026

2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Christie Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1748)

My Review: Rich golden in the glass. Butterscotch, toast and perfume on the nose. A perfect palate with some oak and mellow citrus leading to a slightly bitter yet warm and toasty finish. Biggest of the 3. I like this wine. April 2026

2022 Storrs Old Vines Zinfandel, Rusty Ridge, Santa Clara, 14.2% ABV, $36 (#1749)

Winery Notes: “Big, Rich & Bold! Filled with abundant aromas of raspberry, ripe plum, a touch of spice and violets on the finish. Created from the fruit of old-vine vineyards – this wine will age gracefully for several more years.”

My Review: Peppery nose with dark cherry notes. Delicious palate. I was unable to take more detailed notes at the event. I would buy this wine. April 2026

THE TASTING ROOMS

Storrs Winery has 2 locations to taste wines – get more information and reserve your tasting here!

A dream comes true…  a beautiful, sustainable facility… Winery @ the Quarry – Corralitos

“In 2018, we opened the doors to our new winery and tasting room located in the Pleasant Valley district of historic Rancho de los Corralitos. Overlooking our organically-farmed estate vineyard – Hidden Springs – the winery is nestled into a former quarry. We invite you to sample our award-winning wines and to enjoy this serene setting.” Open for Winetasting on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.  1560 Pleasant Valley Road, Aptos, CA  95003

It all began with an idea… to create world-class wines from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

“In 1988, we began our winemaking operations at the historic Old Sash Mill in Santa Cruz, and opened our first tasting room in the rustic artisan complex. Open Thursday – Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm. Walk-ins welcome.” The Old Sash Mill, 303 Potrero Street, no. 35, Santa Cruz, CA  95060

© Decanting Monterey 2026

*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

THE STORY

We recently had a wine pick-up out in Carmel Valley, so we packed up our extremely large pup and headed out. We started our day at Corral Wine Co. The tasting menu had plenty of new things to try – plus a revisit of previous favorites – their 2024 Sauvignon Blanc and 2022 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. Today’s post will be focused on the new wines we tried.

And – newsflash – we finally joined their wine club! While Corral is one of the wineries which has generously recognized my industry status, I was not invited to their member parties. Out of respect for their wines and those elusive parties, we are now members! We had been talking about it for years, and this tasting sealed the deal. 

My last post about Corral Wine Co. was here: American Wine Society Monterey Chapter Scopes Out Corral’s Fabulous New Outdoor Space! I’ve written about them several times – just type “Corral” in the Decanting Monterey search bar.

THE WINERY

From their website: “In 2017, in a barn in Corral de Tierra, California, we barreled our first batch of estate Pinot Noir. We’re still in that same barn, but we’ve made even more varietals from some of the best grapes on the Central Coast.

“We’re a family-owned operations – we’re not fancy, but we make good wine.”

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 5 Corral Wine Co. wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ notes.

2024 Corral Estate Rose of Pinot Noir, Bell Ranch Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, $36 (#1741)

Winery Notes: “Vibrant aromas of strawberry, raspberry tea, honeydew melon, and white peach with hints of ed fruit. The aromas lead way into flavors of watermelon, passion fruit, and citrus with hint of white peach and mandarin on the palate.”

My Review: Pale peach in the glass. Mellow nose, with melon, citrus, and rose petal notes. Slightly tart on the palate with a slightly citrusy finish. March 2026

2023 Corral Chardonnay, Monterey County, $44 (#1742)

Winery Notes: “Aromas of grilled pineapple, lemon custard with hints of apple and pear. Subtle notes of baking spices, toasted vanilla, and roasted nuts. On the palate, Meyer lemon, green apple, and white peach. Hints of honey and vanilla with a creamy texture enhanced by a nice long oily finish.”

My Review: Golden in the glass with toast and caramel on the nose. Heavy toast on the palate, slightly bitter finish. March 2026

2022 Corral Pinot Noir Canyon Springs, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, $64 (#1743)

Winery Notes: “Aromas of dark fruit, dried fig, and earthiness complimented by cedar with hints of sweet baking spices and hazelnut. The use of French oak barrels integrate soft tannins on its long finish.”

My Review: Such different fruit and terroir after just tasting the SLH Pinot Noir. Caramel on the nose. A leaner palate and slightly vegetal with a tannic finish. March 2026

2022 Corral Tres Amigos Red Blend, Central Coast, 14.2% ABV, $56 (#1744) 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petite Sirah

Winery Notes: “With aromas of Strawberry, plum, baking spices, black pepper, and sage finishing with a dark toast. This wines soft, fine grained tannins bring the structure and toasty aromatics and flavor.”

My Review: Rose petals, orange and cranberry on the nose. Rich palate of crushed fruit with a nice mouth feel and a slightly bitter finish. I guessed it had some grenache in the mix. A tasty blend. March 2026.

2022 Corral Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles AVA, $87 (#1745)

Winery Notes: “Aromas of bing cherry, plum, and spices with hints of peppercorn, cedar, wilder herbs, leather, and a dusty finish. With rich flavors of plum, blueberry cobbler, dark chocolate, violets, and hints of tobacco leaf.”

My Review: Purple in the glass. Clove on the nose. Rich palate with eucalyptus notes. I like this wine. March 2026

THE TASTING ROOM

VISIT US

“We’d love to pour for you at our Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village: 19 East Carmel Valley Rd. Suite A, Carmel Valley, CA”

Open Sunday – Thursday 12-5 p.m., Friday – Saturday 12-6-ish p.m.

© Decanting Monterey 2026

*FOLLOW ME ON Instagram, Facebook, and CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon