THE STORY
We stopped by the I Brand & Family tasting room with our personal winery dog Mushu in July and stumbled upon a bunch of new releases! Today I am sharing all 10 wines with you. After this visit, we declared winery dog had had enough!
I’ve written about I Brand & Family many times in Decanting Monterey. The most recent full post was here: Popping into I Brand for a Quick September Update. The rest you can easily find by typing I Brand in the search bar.
THE WINERY
From their website:
“Wine, in its highest form speaks indelibly of place. We are singularly focused on the mountains, valleys and beaches surrounding the Monterey Bay. Ours is an exhaustive study of the past, present and potential of our home on this beautiful slice of the Central Coast.” You can read more about them here.
THE WINES
Today I am presenting 10 wines. Yikes! Winery notes in general come from the tasting sheet, their website or from the bottle label, unless otherwise indicated. Any errors are mine and mine alone!
2025 Paysan Jacks’ Hill Chardonnay, Monterey, 12.7% ABV, $24 (#1805)
Winery Notes: “Jacks’ Hill has been a cornerstone of the winery from the beginning. It has also been one of our longest continual works in progress. Vintage after vintage, we’ve kept refining it — learning what the wine needs, what it doesn’t, and getting closer to the Chardonnay, we always wanted it to be. Over the last few years, we feel like it has really found itself. There’s a completeness to the wine now — depth and texture, with the restraint and simplicity we spent years trying to find. (Ian pat yourself on the back) Jacks’ Hill has grown up with us. Right now, we think it’s drinking better than it ever has. People seem to have noticed.”
My Review: Wheat in color. Delicious nose of grilled pineapple and honeysuckle. Minerality is overwhelmed by a citrus punch at the end. July 2026
2024 I Brand & Family Melon de Bourgogne, Graff Family Vineyard, Chalone Appellation, Monterey County, 11.3% ABV, $33 (#1806)
Winery Notes: “Jack fruit and underripe pineapple mixed with casaba melon and oyster brine. Palate is broad and subtly rich with d’anjou pear and lemon rind mixed in seawater. The salinity draws through the finish, where it combines with the skin tannins to coat the mouth and linger.”
My Review: Pale yellow. Subtle grilled pineapple on nose. Lemon tart on the palate. July 2026
2025 La Marea Cachudo, Pierce Ranch Vineyard, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County, 13.4%ABV, $29 (#1807)
Winery Notes: “Cachudo is made from a single grape variety commonly grown in coastal Portugal but with no US equivalent name. Grown in a high hanging valley in the lee of the Ventana Mountains, this white wine displays redolent fruit and beautiful acidity from the warm California sunshine.”
My Review: Pale Yellow. A hint of caramel, toast and pineapple on the nose. Nice palate with round flavors on the finish. I liked this best of the whites. We selected this wine for our AWS holiday party. July 2026
2023 I Brand & Family Chardonnay, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, 12.7% ABV (#1808)
Winery Notes: “Aromatics of Meyer lemon and nutty pralines lead the way on the nose, quickly evolving into a beautiful floral bouquet of honeysuckle. Bright acidity starts things off on the palate with layers of fruit; including under ripe pear and granny smith apple, rounding out with a warmth reminiscent of quince. The bright acidity blends with well-integrated tannins, finishing neatly with toasted oak.”
My Review: Pale in the glass with a lovely nose of butterscotch and mellow pineapple. Mild citrus on the palate. July 2026
2025 Paysan Rosé, Central Coast, 12% ABV (#1809) 73% Mourvedre, 21% Grenache, 6% Cinsault
Winery Notes: “The 2025 rosé opens with lifted aromatics of wild strawberry, alpine raspberry, and underripe watermelon, layered with white peach and fresh nectarine. Floral tones of rose petal and orange blossom mingle with coastal notes of sea spray and crushed herbs. On the palate, Mourvèdre provides gentle weight and structure while Grenache and Cinsault bring brightness and lift. Flavors of cranberry and red currant carry through a core of stone fruit, framed by a mineral backbone and lively acidity. A subtle saline edge and citrus zest linger on a clean, refreshing finish that invites another sip.”
My Review: Ballet slipper pink in color. Mellow nose of peach and cinnamon. Sour watermelon on the palate. July 2026
2025 I Brand & Family Bloomy Tacos, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, 9.2% ABV, $20 (#1810)
Winery Notes: “Sometimes we get creative. I’ve seen all kinds of grapes done in a carbonic fermentation and largely they come out tasting more of the technique rather than the place and our entire raison d’être is to make wine of place. Cinsault is a funny grape. It falls into the ‘might be a table grape’ taxon along with things like muscat and mission – grapes that don’t necessarily reach the levels of sugar accumulation and acid retention to be real wine grapes but are used for wine nonetheless. On the other side of the classification are things like Sultana, AKA Thompson Seedless, which is definitely a table grape but it’s sometimes used for wine by unreputable producers. Regardless, the idea was to create something vinous and useful on the table at a lower alcohol. This is 9.6% alcohol and a joy to drink, crunchy and refreshing, great with a chill. Don’t mind the cloudiness or a light sediment. It’s natural wine!”
My Review: Purple-red in the glass. Grape Hi-Chew on the nose. On the palate, someone forgot the sugar in my grape! There is a lot going on in this unusual wine. I would pour it over ice cream for sure. Leave it to Ian to try something different to keep us on our toes. July 2026
2023 La Marea Grenache, Central Coast, 14% ABV, $32 (#1811)
Winery Notes: “Aromatic and savory, the nose shows black plum and red currant layered with bay laurel, dried herbs, and a touch of graphite. On the palate, ripe plum gives way to brighter red fruit tones — Bing cherry and wild strawberry — accented by thyme and cracked pepper. Mineral notes of river stone and crushed rock emerge with air. A floral lift of violet carries through the mid-palate, framed by fine, dusty tannins and a long, structured finish.”
My Review: Sweet Asian spices on the nose. Light, but meaty enough to be quafable. A standout among our local Grenache. July 2026
2023 I Brand & Family Gamay Noir, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, 12.7% ABV, $36 (#1812)
Winery Notes: “Fresh and aromatic, the nose opens with graphite, winter spice, boysenberry and orange-spiced cranberry sauce. Sweet notes of roasted chestnuts intertwine with hints of crushed granite, white pepper, and a touch of forest floor. Light to medium-bodied with lively acidity, the palate confirms the nose introducing pomegranate and tart cherry. Subtle spice and earthy undertones emerge, with a gentle herbal note and a whisper of clove from neutral oak aging. The wine’s silky tannins provide just enough structure without overshadowing its vibrant character. Clean and refreshing, the finish lingers with red berry brightness, a dash of pepper, and a mineral lift.”
My Review: Garnet in the glass. Warm nose with a decent palate and an acidic finish. July 2026
2024 I Brand & Family Pinot Noir, Merk Vineyard, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, 13.6% ABV, $48 (#1813)
Winery Notes: “I drove by the Merk Family Vineyard on the way to Massa for years. There’s a little shingle hanging over the one lane mountain road next to a locked gate. It garnered my interest because the road cut next to the gate is lily white marine deposit. The coastal mountains are scrapings of the pacific plate combined with granitic extrusions pushed into rugged folds as the North American Plate subducts the Pacific Plate. Because of the depth of the Pacific Ocean, limestone and calcareous soils, widely pursued for grape production, is far rarer on the West Coast than the Old Continent. I’d need to pour some hydrochloric acid on the Merk soils to determine their calcareous content but early returns remind me of young Chalone Pinot Noirs when Chalone was cooler and they had a winemaker at the helm that understood mountain fruit. I don’t choose to make Pinot Noir often, but when I do they are wild iterations.” Decanter 95; Dunnuck 94
My Review: Pretty in the glass. A lovely warm, yet fresh, nose. Intense fruit on the palate, balanced by a touch of acidity on the finish. July 2026
2023 I Brand & Family Cabernet Franc, Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains, 13% ABV, $48 (#1814)
Winery Notes: “Bates Ranch does not need much explaining. Old Santa Cruz Mountain vines, mountain exposure, and the kind of site that gives Cabernet Franc its spine before the cellar ever gets involved. Serious ground, serious farming, and a wine that feels like it came from somewhere specific.” “The bouquet is rich with aromas of dried red fruits and cocoa nibs. Hints of espresso and chocolate-covered cherry lead the way on the palate, rounding to strawberry. Coastal fir lingers with pronounced tannins that create a wonderful tension with the wine’s mellow acidity.” Vinous 93
My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Smokey pepper and stewed dark fruit on the nose. July 2026
THE TASTING ROOM
“Our tasting room is nestled in Carmel Valley Village. And like our wines, boasts its own cultural and storied history within the community. Once a bookshop named “The Encounter,” the building was once owned by the sister of Joan Baez and was a beloved venue that would frequently be visited by such legends as John Lennon and Bob Dylan.”
The I Brand & Family Tasting Room, located at 19 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. It is open Thursday – Monday, 11 am – 5 pm. Reservations are recommended – more information here.
© Decanting Monterey 2026
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