Tagged: @boetewinery

Boëté Releases its Irresistible 2019 Cheval Rouge!

THE STORY

With an out-of-town friend in tow, we stopped into The Barrel Room in Carmel Valley Village to taste Boëté wines and pick up our allocation. The guys loved the setting – there was a tv screen to view the football game no matter where you sat! And we were served by both Dillon and Jana Saunders over the course of our tasting.  Always great to see them! According to my records, the only new wine was the 2019 Boëté Cheval Rouge.  I remember when the 2018 came out during the pandemic and I participated in their hearts painting activity over a Zoom call. How far we have come since those times.

The Boëté Cheval Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and, in this particular vintage, only a touch of Merlot.  This wine has an irresistible, dark yet sweet jamminess and as my favorite of the day. We served the 2018 vintage to friends in January and it has matured in the bottle to a point of extreme deliciousness.

I last wrote about Boëté Winery here: 2018 Boëté Cabernet Franc Revisit: Scrumptiousness in a Glass.

THE WINES

Today I am presenting the five wines we tasted in December, including the newly released 2019 Cheval Rouge. The rest of these have been presented before – over the lifetime of Decanting Monterey – but all have new, updated tasting notes. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2021 Boëté Reserve Merlot, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $50 (#1560)

My Review: Garnet in color.  Plum, black currant, and eucalyptus on the nose. Medium weight on the palate with a tart cranberry, red currant finish. December 2025

2019 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $54 (#1489)

My Review: Dark garnet in color. Eucalyptus, dark fruit, alcohol and some spice on the nose. Very dark berries and eucalyptus notes on the palate. One of the very best Cabernet Francs from Monterey County. December 2025

2021 Boëté Cheval Rouge, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $50 (#1704)

My Review: Very dark in the glass. Black plum, BBQ sauce, and stems on the nose. Sweet jamminess like raspberry jam on toast on the smooth palate. This was my favorite wine of the day. December 2025

2018 Boëté Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $52 (#1490)

My Review: Prune, bacon and hints of smoke on the nose. Medium palate with tasty cherry flavors and mild acidity on the finish. December 2025 (2019 has been released since I wrote this)

2017 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $80 (#339)

My Review: Dark plum, blueberry and cedar on the nose. Prune, blackberry, and blueberry with balanced acidity. Drinking well. December 2025

THE TASTING ROOM

You can taste and purchase Boëté wines at The Barrel Room every day (closed Wednesdays), 12-5 p.m. 5 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley Village. 

© Decanting Monterey 2025

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

2018 Boëté Cabernet Franc Revisit: Scrumptiousness in a Glass

THE STORY

We recently opened this astounding, impressive 2018 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc. After a bit of digging, I realized my initial writeup of this wine (Boëté – A Personal Milestone Celebration Inside the Winery!) was pre-release and at the end of a tasting, so I am bringing it back to you again, 4 years later.

I last wrote about Boëté Winery here: Boëté Presents Outstanding Carmel Valley Wines to the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society!

THE WINERY

Here’s a bit of their story from their website:

“…Working in the vineyard and at the winery is a family affair with sons Jesse, Sam, and Dillon working full-time alongside their dad. John makes all the vineyard and wine making decisions, with great attention to detail being paid throughout the growing season and the wine making process; from pruning to fermentation and aging, to blending and barrel selection.

“Today, more than 6,000 grapevines grow on 7 acres, producing fruit that is widely regarded as some of California’s best.”

THE WINES

Today I am presenting just one wine. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a matter of practice, I do not correct typos from winery websites.

2018 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $52 (#336)

My Review: Dark garnet, almost purple in the glass. Blackberry, cedar, coffee, and Coca Cola on the nose, all carrying over to a cassis-driven palate with a delicious dark cherry finish. I like this wine. July 2025

THE TASTING ROOM

You can taste and purchase Boëté wines at The Barrel Room every day (closed Wednesdays), 12-5 p.m. 5 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley Village. 

You can read more about the winery and purchase their wines on line here: https://www.boetewinery.com/our-wines-list/Our-wines-list/#close. For more information, please call 831-625-5040 or email boetewinery@comcast.net.

© Decanting Monterey 2025

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

Boëté Presents Outstanding Carmel Valley Wines to the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society!

THE STORY

AWS Members

The Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) had its April session on The Barrel Room’s patio where Jana Saunders of Boëté Winery introduced their wines to us.  As long-time members of their wine club, I was thrilled to finally make this happen for our members.  We were allowed to bring appetizers to share and – bonus – it was a beautiful, sunny and warm afternoon. The wines were all delicious and the hospitality, unrivaled. 

Member Steve and Chapter Chair Jacqueline

I last wrote about Boëté Winery here: Boëté Opens a New Tasting Venue Inside The Barrel Room!

AWS Board Members Janet and Damon

THE WINERY

Boëté makes such tasty wines from its Bordeaux varietals grown just beyond Carmel Valley Village. I pulled this short history from its website and encourage you to read the rest on its website:

“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 WINES

Today I am presenting just one new wine, as the others we tasted are available in the post linked above. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a matter of practice, I do not correct typos from winery websites.

2021 Boëté Merlot, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $50 (#1560)

Winery Notes: N/A

My Review: Ruby in the glass. Pleasant cherry dominates the nose. Tart palate with red cherry juice flavors. I would like to taste this new release gain – separate from an event. April 2025

THE TASTING ROOM

You can taste and purchase Boëté wines at The Barrel Room every day (closed Wednesdays), 12-5 p.m. 5 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley Village. 

You can read more about the winery and purchase their wines on line through their website.

© Decanting Monterey 2025

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

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