Tagged: #santaluciahighlands

A Taste of Monterey: Lovely Summer Tasting with a View!

THE STORY

In June, 2 of my neighbors and I decided to take a walk to A Taste of Monterey in historic Cannery Row to get in our exercise with a little fun at the destination. We each got to select the 5 wines we wanted to taste, tailoring our individual tastings to our own palates. From our seats at the bar, we had a delightful view down the water side of Canner Row to the west and north across the massive Monterey Bay.   I’m excited to announce that one of the wines just has been selected for the American Wine Society Monterey Chapter’s December holiday party!

2 smiling women at the tasting
My friend enjoying their wines!

A Taste of Monterey is under relatively new management.  We’ve met a few times since this tasting with owner Britt Talbert who is changing things up a bit there, expanding its wine holdings and food menu. It’s an exciting thing to see unfold.  Their new marketing director Gina Martin is fabulous to work with – and the new chef Bruce Finch has elevated the culinary offerings.  On another visit, we were presented a sample charcuterie board and everything on it was the finest quality and taste with a beautiful presentation. 

charcuterie board of olives, salami, array of cheeses, ad dried fruits front of 3 wine bottles.
Scrumptious Charcuterie Board!

You can read my last post about A Taste of Monterey here: A Taste of Monterey: An AWS Holiday Party to Remember!

THE WINES

Today I am presenting the 5 wines from my flight. They are all from Monterey County. Winery notes come from winery websites, unless otherwise noted. You can read more about each winery on its website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ websites.

NV Folktale Sparkling Rosé, Monterey County, 12% ABV, $45 (#1687)

Bottle label for the Folktale Sparkling Rose

Winery Notes: “Brilliant rose gold in color, the Rosé Brut sparkling wine opens with soft notes of watermelon, kiwi and a beautiful yeasty quality that invites you in. The palate is elegant, with cherry, floral, and a creamy texture that has a bright finish.”

My Review: I’ve presented this one before – it is just such a delicious sparkling wine from our region. Pale pink. Tiny bubbles. A touch of peach and yeast on the crisp palate. June 2026

2023 Cru Chardonnay, Smith & Lindley Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands , Monterey County, $25 (#1787)

Label of the 2023 Cru Chardonnay

Winery Notes: “This Chardonnay is a lovely representation of Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It opens with notes pineapple, peach and apricot that develop into flavors of honeydew melon and kiwi with a finish accented by vanilla and coconut. The wine is beautifully balanced with delightful acidity, mineral accents and a long, rich finish.”

My Review: Pale yellow and slightly viscous in the glass. Butter and grilled pineapple on the nose. Delicious palate of Meyer lemon, pineapple notes, very rich. June 2026

2022 Cru Pinot Noir, Smith & Lindley Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, 13.9% ABV, $25 (#1788)

bottle label of the 2022 Cru Pinot Noir

Winery Notes: “This lovely wine is a tribute to the Santa Lucia Highlands featuring both the earthy and fruit flavors that this region is so well known for. It opens with dark cherry, strawberry, pomegranate and cinnamon with beautifully balanced structure. It finishes with a hint of plum and chocolate on the long finish.”

My Review: Ruby in color. Coca Cola on the nose. Palate of tobacco and cherry, representative of SLH, but not my style of Pinot Noir. June 2026

2021 Le Mistral Joseph’s Blend, Monterey County, 14.2% ABV, $50 (#1789) 61% Grenache, 39% Syrah

Le Mistral: “Raspberry, blackberry jam, clove, hay, leather, lavender, and cherry cola notes. The wine is elegant and has juicy tannins from the soft oak influence. This wine would pair well with anything from chicken, pasta, steak, or lamb.” 93 points Wine Enthusiast

My Review: Dark garnet, almost purple in the glass. Brown sugar and dark fruit one the nose. Pretty delicious. This is the wine we just selected for our holiday party. June 2026

2022 Paysan Petite Sirah, Pierce Ranch Vineyards, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County, 12.8% ABV, $35 (#1309)

Winery Notes: “One way to beat the fall heat spikes of 2022 is to pick before they hit. Heat is a fact of life in the San Antonio Valley and the secret is to work with well adapted varieties. Thick skinned Petite Sirah is a lovely choice and on the fractured silicate and calcareous rock of Block One it yields a wine of surprising elegance and grace. I made the wines for Pierce Ranch for several years earlier in my career, so I know the vineyard well and this is one of their premier blocks. Fermented with 30% whole cluster and aged in neutral oak for 11 months.”

My Review: Damp soil and licorice on the nose. Dried dark fruit on the dry palate. I think this is worthy of a re-taste, as it should have been much fruitier, based on my previous reviews and expectations. June 2026

THE TASTING ROOM

A Taste of Monterey is located at 700 Cannery Row, Ste. KK (head to the back of the first floor and up the staircase), Monterey, CA – 93940 Phone: (831) 646-5446. Hours: Open Sunday-Thursday 12pm-6pm; Friday-Saturday 12pm-8pm.  Click here for more information on wine tastings and food. 

3 wine glasses with red wine with the Monterey Bay behind it

© Decanting Monterey 2026

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

Mark Bunter: Want to Know What’s in Your Glass?

THE STORY

Bunter Spring Winery held a members’ tasting in late May and I invited myself to attend.  We have been fans of Mark Bunter’s wines since we first discovered them many years ago.  This was a small, casual event at which everyone was made to feel like family.

Over the years we have known him he has made every type of wine, including crisp whites, fun red blends, experimental Syrahs and serious Cabernet Sauvignons. And listing every ingredient.  You need to know what you are drinking!

Mark isn’t making wine anymore, but everyone was encouraging him to get back in the game.  A selfish bunch, aren’t we! 

THE WINERY

From their website:

“Bunter Spring Winery is a small family operated winery in the Coombsville AVA in the southeast corner of Napa Valley.  We also have some production in Monterey.  Most vintages we make a few hundred cases of wine, mostly for ourselves, but also for sale to friends on our mailing list, and a few restaurants and wine shops.  Why make wine?  We just don’t care for many of the wines sold today. We make the kind of wine we want to drink: balanced, interesting, made with few or no additives, and low or no sulfite. We list all ingredients, the actual sulfite level, and the actual alcohol level on every label.  Incredibly, NO OTHER WINERY DOES THAT…”

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 7 Bunter Spring wines, some of which I have written up before. As always, winery notes come from the tasting sheet, website, or conversations with the winery.  Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.

2022 Bunter Spring White Wine, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Clara County, 13% ABV  $20 (#1480)

wine bottle with label for the 2022 white wine

Winemaker’s Notes: “Your basic dry white wine, like in the Southern Mediterranean. Good with fish.” 40 cases produced. 

My Review: Mark said this might be Sauvignon Blanc, but neither he nor we think so. Honey and lime on the nose. Acidic palate with a Meyer lemon finish. May 2026

2022 Bunter Spring Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Napa County (#1778)

wine bottle with label for the 2022 chardonnay

My Review:  Fresh Meyer lemon on the nose. Not like a Monterey Chardonnay at all. May 2026     

2021 Bunter Spring Pinot Noir, Monterey County, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1482)

wine bottle with label for the 2021 Pinot Noir

Winemaker’s Notes: “Mostly from a famous vineyard in SLH, plus a little lower Carmel Valley fruit.  French oaky, fruity, spicy, fun.”

My Review: This wine has aged a bit since my last review.  A brown-ness in the color. Cherry, plum and leather on the nose. Dark cherry, leather on the caramel-y palate. Still a bit heftier than your typical SLH Pinot Noir. May 2026

2018 Hippie Syrah, Napa County, 14.12% ABV, $30 (#1483)

wine bottle with label for the 2018 Hippie Syrah with a peace sin and orange background

Winemaker’s Notes: “Here, the ‘wild’ yeast behaved themselves during a peaceful anti-establishment fermentation. We added a little sulfite to the one third that underwent two weeks of carbonic maceration.   For a “Hippie” wine, it’s pretty square, with spicy American oak character and Napa depth of flavor, but it does have a little dank streak  any Deadhead could love. Ingredients: Organic grapes, water, sulfite. Not filtered, not fined.  At bottling: total sulfite 37 ppm, residual sugar <0.1 g/l (dry).

My Review: Purple in the glass Dark fruit, and a little smoke on the nose. The palate is still delicious. Continues to be one of our favorites of Mark’s wines! May 2026

2017 Bunter “Natur” Syrah, Coombsville AVA, Napa County, 12.86% ABV, $30 (#1483)

wine bottle with label for the 2017 Bunter 'nature' Syrah with a black shield featuring a leaping buck

Winemaker’s Notes: “50% carbonic maceration. Subtle, delicious, complex, with superb balance and a structure that complements many foods, and never overwhelms the palate. Definitely different from Cab, but familiar enough that any red wine lover could embrace it.  Ingredients: Organic grapes, water, sulfite. Not fined, not filtered.  At bottling: total SO2 39 ppm, residual sugar <0.1 g/l (bone dry).

My Review: Caramel on the nose, followed by an acidic palate. We’ve tasted this wine several times over the years and find it interesting as it matures in the bottle.  May 2026

2017 Bunter Spring “Supernatural” Syrah, Coombsville AVA, Napa County, 13.45% ABV, $30 (#1780) Organic, No Added Sulfites

wine bottle with label for the 2019 "Supernatural" Syrah

Winemaker’s Notes: “This wine meets all criteria to be labeled “Organic”.  Nothing was added to it.  It has a distinctive earthiness and toasted nut overtone, accentuated by a bourbon-like aroma and ripe red fruit flavors. The most “natural” of all our wines. Not filtered, not fined.  At bottling: total sulfite 4 ppm, residual sugar <0.1 g/l (totally dry).

My Review: Lots of berry fruit with a touch of blue cheese or soap on the nose. The fruit carries over to the palate with a sour finish. I’d like to try this one again with food. May 2026

2014 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County (#1780)

wine bottle with label for the 2014 Spring Cabernet Sauvignon featuring a red tulip

My Review: Delicious.  Mark knows how to make great wines. Sadly, this was not available for purchase! May 2026

You can sometimes find a pop-up tasting with Mark Bunter and Margaret Spring in the back room of the Big Sur Vineyards tasting room in Carmel Valley Village. Check out the Bunter Spring Winery Facebook Page and the Bunter Spring Winery Instagram page for more information.

© Decanting Monterey 2026

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

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