Tagged: Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

Holiday Shopping Leads to Discovery of Wrath New Releases!

Wrath San Saba Vineyard, 2019

Back in November, with the holidays rapidly approaching, I ventured out to Carmel Plaza.  Can’t go there without stopping at Wrath! As a huge fan of their San Saba Syrah, I was thrilled to learn the 2017 had just been released.  On a previous trip, I had done a side-by-side tasting of the 2016 San Saba and the 2016 Syrah KW Ranch.  With both the 2017 San Saba in hand and the 2016 KW Ranch in my cellar, time to drink some Wrath!

I last brought you Wrath back in September, with reviews of the 2015 & 2016 Wrath Syrah San Saba Vineyard, along with the 2017 EX Sauvignon Blanc here:  https://decantingmonterey.com/wrath-harnessing-angry-fog-and-screaming-winds-to-create-great-wines/.

2016 Wrath Syrah KW Ranch, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, 14.7% ABV, $39 (#232*)

From Wrath about the 2016 Syrah KW Ranch:

“KW Ranch is located in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands, southeast of McIntyre Vineyard and just northwest of Gary’s Vineyard. Planted to both Pinot Noir and Syrah in 2000 by Kirk Williams, the site features a well-exposed, gently-rolling hillside with gravely loam soils. Wines from KW Ranch tend to be intense and highly aromatic.”

“…Our 2016 KW Ranch Syrah is wildly aromatic with flashes of black pepper, smoked meat, blackberries, leather and cassis.  The palate is thick, powerful and succulently juicy.  Even though the tannnis are bold, the wine is still nimble, elegant and approachable.” 100% Syrah. 100% French oak, 30% new. 158 cases produced.

Critical Acclaim: 93 points Jeb Dunnuck;91-94pts Connoisseur’s Guide

My Review:  Deep ruby in color, white pepper, dark berry on the nose. Explosion of fruit blueberry, blackberry and cherry with a solid dose of pepper on the palate. A little licorice, medicinal, vegetal on the finish. Over time, a little tobacco on the finish. November 2020 

2017 Wrath Syrah San Saba Vineyard, Monterey AVA, 14.6% ABV, $39 (#233*)

From Wrath about the 2017 Syrah San Saba Vineyard:

“Our Estate San Saba Vineyard is set in a sheltered nook just below the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The estate consists of 72 acres of which 67.75 are planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Falanghina. This is a cool site with little rainfall and one of the longest growing seasons in the world. Our soils, Arroyo Gravelly Loam and Hanford Gravely Sandy Loam, provide a low-vigor, well-draining, disease- and pest-free medium for our vines. They also impart a subtle mineral quality to our wines…”

“Powerful and elegant, aromatics include blackberry, leather and peppercorns; the palate is rich and concentrated with graphite, cassis, and a hint of smoke.”  10 months in French oak, 20% new.  313 cases produced.

Critical Acclaim:  91 Wine Spectator, 93 Vinous

My Review: Dark purple in the glass, blueberry and a touch of barnyard/sulphur on the nose, intense blueberry and blacked berry on the palate – jammy and good. Vanilla on the finish. I do slightly prefer the 2016 vintage to this 2017. November 2020

You can buy these wines at A Taste of Monterey or directly from Wrath. 

Regarding Tastings: “As of Monday, Jan 25th, both Wrath tasting rooms are now allowed to open for limited outside seatings and tastings. New hours for Wrath’s winery tasting room are Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon from 11-5pm, closed Tues-Wed-Thur.  The winery patio is large so we can accommodate multiple visitor groups and still maintain 10′ plus spacings for safety.  Our Carmel tasting room is open every day from 11-5pm.” https://www.wrathwines.com/Visit

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.    

Morgan: “artisan, vineyard-centric wines” from SLH and Monterey

I belong to a virtual wine class with my Washington DC friends and a recent class was focused on Syrah – from anywhere.  I was at Andronico’s and found this 2018 Morgan Syrah G17 on sale for $23.  I don’t know Morgan wines as well as I should, so I picked one up to try. 

Distilled from Morgan’s website: Dan Morgan Lee was first “…hired as winemaker at Jekel Winery in Monterey County.  After serving his apprenticeship at Jekel, Dan moved up the road to Durney Vineyard where he continued to make Monterey wines…Dan aspired to craft his own label. It was at a meeting of the Monterey County Winegrowers Association that he shared his vision with a banker. In addition to becoming his business advisor, that banker would also become Dan’s wife…

After initial success and many awards, “…Dan eventually turned more of his attention to the Santa Lucia Highlands and single vineyard releases. Dan and Donna invested in their belief in the Highlands with the purchase of the Double L Vineyard in 1996. Today the Double L is one of the best known vineyards in California. Dan’s leadership and expertise in the district led to his being named the first Board President of the newly formed Santa Lucia Highlands’ winegrowers association in 2005.”

2018 Morgan Syrah G17, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, 14.5% ABV, $25 (#111*) 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache, 3% Tempranillo

According to Morgan Winery: The Morgan G17 “…is sourced primarily from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco Appellations of Monterey County. Cool to moderate daytime temperatures are mitigated by ocean breezes and cool nights – fostering acidity and balance. Here the fog burns off early, allowing ample sunshine to warm temperatures to the mid 80’s during the summer and fall. The warm air draws cool winds from Monterey Bay in the late afternoon. By night time, temperatures cool to the mid 50’s.”

While Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in SLH, I was delighted to see this Morgan Syrah made with grapes from these SLH and Arroyo Seco AVA vineyards: Paraiso, Double L, Tondré (SLH AVA); Griva and Ventana (Arroyo Seco AVA). 

This wine is named cleverly after G17, the California route number for River Road and beyond!

Winemaker’s Notes: “This Rhone-style blend has a garnet color, highlighted with purple edges. Blackberry, white pepper, graphite, and hints of smoked meat jump out of the glass. The wine is medium-full bodied with fine grained tannins, offering a mouthful of crème de violette and black fruit. Its weight and balance make it a perfect pairing with anything off the grill.”  It spent 10 months in 20% new French oak. 

Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 94 Points: “Lively aromas of black raspberry jam on French toast, dark hibiscus, tar and lavender show on the cool-climate nose of this bottling, which includes 3% each of Grenache and Tempranillo. The palate is vibrant with flavors of pepper, lavender and lilac, set against the richer black-raspberry and black-plum backdrop.”  Matt Kettmann, July 2020

My Review: Deep ruby in color, with a vibrant nose of dark berries and pepper.  A smooth, intense, deep palate of dark plum and blackberry, almost like an older wine in flavor, with a peppery menthol and leather finish.  To me, the spiciness is more reminiscent of some of the Shiraz wines I used to drink decades ago, a bit of a contrast to other Syrahs I’ve had from the Monterey (Salinas Valley floor), Arroyo Seco and Carmel Valley AVAs.  July 2020

Morgan is open for patio tastings at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel: Thursday – Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  For more information on making a tasting reservation, click here. You can find this wine on the winery webpage above or at our local Andronico’s and perhaps elsewhere locally.  You can also find it on www.wine.com and at  K&L Wine Merchants.

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

Rexford: “Unique Wines Crafted in Santa Cruz, California”

It was 68 degrees on a May afternoon.  For most of you, so what, right?  In our coastal town of Pacific Grove, it was one of the very few days of the year when it was warm enough to sit on our front porch, which never sees the light of day or warmth of the sun.  Our new isolation/Shelter-in-Place thing to do is for all of us – including our dogs – to enjoy a warm afternoon on the front porch, sunk into an old, comfy, rattan couch.  On this day, we played my husband’s favorite isolation game – Guess the Wine.

He brought us each a glass of pale yellow, very chilled wine.  My first guess was a Sauvignon Blanc, but there was way too much pineapple.  Chardonnay was my second guess.  Monterey County was a safe bet, but he wasn’t sure.  I wracked my brain trying to think of whose Chardonnay we had in our house.  Nope. Do they have a tasting room in Carmel Valley Village?  Yes, but we don’t go there often.  Hm…finally I start listing the tasting rooms we visit in order of geography…and finally hit upon Rexford. 

Rolling Vineyards Just South of the Santa Lucia Highlands

We are moving into the Santa Lucia Highland (SLH) AVA, where some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the county is grown at some of the county’s most famous vineyards.  You can feel the power and see the beauty of SLH while driving down the River Road Wine Trail. “SLH” on a label to me means a wine of distinction.  You would expect me to be presenting a Hahn, a Talbot, a Boekenoogen, or something from one of our renowned SLH wineries.  But, since I am presenting you wines we have consumed while Sheltering-in-Place by AVA, I am bringing you a Rexford. 

The Rexford Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village.

The Rexford Winery was founded in 2008.  It is known for its single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and other premium varieties.  This wine comes from the northern part of the SLH AVA.  Pretty sure we drove right by this vineyard on our April River Road trip.  We got to know Rexford from our many visits to the former White Oak Shopping Center, now home to some of our favorite wineries (we’ve already mentioned Parsonage, Chesebro, and I. Brand in this blog). The Rexford tasting room is closed.

2015 Rexford Winery Chardonnay, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, 14.7% ABV, $30 (#49*)

Winemaker’s Notes: The grapes were crushed and destemmed, then pressed immediately. Barrel fermented and aged sur lie.  “This wine was fermented and aged in French oak barrels then bottled without fining or filtration. It is a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay with an excellent balance of fruit and acidity. In the aroma are hints of oak and tropical fruits and in the taste flavors of citrus and melon.”  Only 98 cases were produced and it sold out quickly. 

The 2015 Rexford Chardonnay is bursting with flavor.

My Review: Light on color, brilliant pineapple on the nose and palate, with a touch of butter.  This higher alcohol Chardonnay is perhaps the biggest, most flavorful one I have ever tasted – just bursting with flavor.  It was refreshing after a long hike and was greatly enjoyed on our front porch on such a warm day. I would buy this again.  May 2020 

Check out Rexford here – their prices are mostly $30-35 per bottle and they are currently (as of 9/11/2020) offering free shipping with the purchase of 3 or more bottles.  Crazy good, eh? 

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

© Decanting Monterey 2020

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