The Appellation Defining Wines of the Monterey Region

A look at the whys and wherefores of the Best-of-Appellation™ Wines.

by Clark Smith
September 17, 2008

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t one level of conversation it is useful to talk about “Monterey” as a winegrowing region, just as, for example, we speak of “Bordeaux”. But to truly understand the many layers of virtue to be found in “Monterey” wines, it is necessary to map the diversity of the wines, which is inherent in the complex patchwork of terroirs and wine producing cultures spread across the county.

Place defines character, and as Bordeaux’s richness is derived from having a Medoc, a St. Emilion, along with a Graves and an Entre d’Mer, and a host of other ecologically distinctive zones of wine production; so too is a real appreciation of Monterey to be found in differentiating the distinctive wine character profiles of it’s nine AVAs. From the pinnacles of Chalone to the sea level riverbed of Monterey (Salinas) and the elevated valleys of San Antonio, San Lucas, Hames and San Bernabe, or up the benchlands of Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco, and over the mountain down through the coastal crevice of Carmel Valley, our aim is to map the differences that make every crook and cranny of “Monterey” an exciting venue of vinous exploration.

As always, our method of evaluation is focused on identifying patterns of typicity, which mark both the wines and production technologies of each region. From this reference point, appellation-by-appellation, varietal-by-varietal, we pursue the proposition that:

The best wines are defined by place,
and the character of each appellation is defined by its best wines.
Here, then, is the first round of findings in an on-going process of profiling the distinctive wine
characters of the Monterey appellations. The exemplary wines cited below are among those advanced to Best-of-Appellation™ standing.

-- Chardonnay --

Monterey AVA: The standard profile for valley floor Chardonnay is a rich, straightforward apple / pear fruit aroma and jasmine floweriness without any citrus element, followed by a lush natural sweetness in the mouth offset by crisp acidity. These wines do not normally see wood or undergo malolactic fermentation. With extensive hangtime, a second variation emerges with lower acidity and aromas of marigold and orange.
* Carmel Road, 2006 Chardonnay
* Estancia, 2007 Chardonnay
* Jekel, 2006 Chardonnay

Arroyo Seco AVA: Here we found two distinct profiles. The “Ripe & Fruity” style embraces the region’s instantly recognizable ripe nectarine aroma and guava / stone fruit features in the mouth through restrained oak and minimal intervention. Sometimes a buttery finish contributes a variation which plays appealingly with the stone fruit flavors. Grown mostly on the exposed alluvial fan on the east side of the AVA, they owe their racy acidity and natural sweetness to the daily cooling winds from the north, and achieve generosity from their rocky sub-soils and relatively southerly location.
* Carmel Road, 2006 Chardonnay (Clark Ranch)
* J. Johr, 2006 “October Night” Chardonnay

In the alternate profile, these traits are suppressed in an effort to make a more serious wine, exactly as in expensive white Bordeaux, and techniques such as assertive wood, prolonged barrel ageing and extensive lees stirring produce a Meursault custard impression resting on integrated, complex flavors.
* Cobblestone, 2006 Chardonnay (Estate)

Chalone AVA: Utterly distinctive, and without any of the natural sweetness or ripe fruit of the valley floor Chardonnays. Intense grapefruit aromas typical of high altitude and lean but assertive ripe pineapple flavors, charged with intense minerality from limestone and from minimum tillage living soil practices. Because of their energy, these wines often require extensive age to mature and may exhibit excessive reductive strength when young.

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: It is difficult to describe the allure of these Chardonnays. Unlike their valley floor neighbors, they are not lush or oversized in any way, and this hollowness gives rise to a potential for alcoholic imbalance. Yet you put them in your mouth and you know you are in the presence of something that is all about class. The complex yet ethereal aromatics found here and nowhere else can be summed up in a word – rum. Other descriptors include molasses, lemon peel, ginger, jasmine and fig, usually accompanied by ample, well integrated oak, since one to two years’ barrel ageing is essential to development. The mouth is characteristically austere and hollow, often with a trace of heat, and the finish contains a mineral intensity, which somehow marries delicacy and power.
* Downhill Winery, 2006 Chardonnay
* Manzoni, 2005 Chardonnay (Estate)
* McIntyre, 2006 Chardonnay (Estate)
* Morgan, 2006 Chardonnay (Double L Vineyard)
* Paraiso, 2005 Chardonnay (Eagles' Perch Vineyard)
* Pessagno, 2006 Chardonnay (Sleepy Hollow Vineyard)
* Pessagno, 2006 Chardonnay (Intrinity Vineyard)

-- Sauvignon Blanc --

Monterey County: True to form, to eliminate the dreaded veggies, Sauvigon Musqué clones are commonplace throughout the County - thanks to pioneer Doug Meader - producing lush jasmine nuances. Neutral barrel fermentation and stirred lees may also be employed to integrate the herbal elements.
* Bernardus, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

Monterey AVA: Admirably, the large Valley wineries have accepted their fruit’s sauvage tendencies by producing simple, straightforward wines through cold fermentation in stainless steel which can be delicious and charming. Besides snap pea and green chilis, we find abundant ripe melon aromas and refreshing acidity.
* Scheid Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

Arroyo Seco AVA: Our only example to date is a stylized white Bordeaux profile which integrated grassy tendencies through extensive barrel age and extensive lees stirring. Licorice and peach accents were present, holding the weediness very much in the background.
* Silverstone, 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Cedar Lane Vineyard)

-- Pinot Gris --

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: This varietal is markedly dissimilar from the Highland Chardonnays. Rather, Pinot Gris here expresses itself with density and natural sweetness, and none of the haunting hollowness, which is so unique to Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay. However, we found fennel and the same orange peel aromas and appetizing bitterness as in the region’s Pinot Noirs. And, as with the Pinot Noirs, the Monterey County Pinot Gris are delivered in two distinct profiles. The “Elegant” style, which carries a more pink cast and a tannic palate, resulting from skin contact, with occasional reductive tendencies:
* Hahn Estates, 2007 Pinot Gris

And a more “Structured” style, pale straw in color and riding oily and lush on the palate:
* Five Rivers, 2007 Pinot Grigio

-- Riesling --

Arroyo Seco AVA: Ever since the groundbreaking Wente Bros. 1972 Riesling Spatlese, Arroyo Seco has been iconic for California Riesling. Rich jasmine, rose and honeysuckle are complemented by a characteristic green tea signature and a crisp raciness not found otherwise in California except at high altitudes.
* Ventana Vineyards, 2007 Riesling

-- Roussanne --

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: Our first example of a SLH Rhone white blend contained 70 percent Roussanne and 30 percent Viognier. Roussanne’s licorice aromas are set against peachy/lychee elements from Viognier, resulting in a fat but angular palate impression, which displays characteristic mineral energy softened by a rich oiliness. The yeasty elements from lees stirring produced a stylized wine which may point to an interesting direction for local vintners.
* Pelerin Wines, 2007 “Les Tournesols” Roussanne

San Antonio Valley AVA: Our single example showed clearly the potential for this varietal in the San Antonio Valley. High altitude growing conditions render expressions of wet stone and white pepper, and adequate light and heat delivers ripe characteristics such as honeysuckle, ginger and sandalwood incense. The Roussanne profile here is also marked by plenty of minerality and one can expect some heat from elevated alcohol.
* Line Shack, 2007 Roussanne

-- Pinot Noir --

The BOA Evaluators identified three distinct Pinot Noir profiles more or less running across Monterey County and the sub-appellations:

1. "Blended" style: Standard wines with at least medium color, aromas of plums, berries, herbs and/or leather with round, ample structure, usually blended with Rhone varietals. These wines are also less restricted in out-of-appellation and other-vintage blending, giving additional flexibility to the winemaker. As a result, the wines are not blends for the purist or beacons of “somewhere-ness.” But they sometimes offer some of the state’s best values in workaday Pinot.

2. "Hangtime" style: Brick edge to the color, forward, pruney aromas, high impact in the mouth combining heat, aggressive tannins, forward sweetness and low acidity.

3. "Purist" style: Using the appellation for blending freedom or some other purpose. May include experimental regions outside existing AVA’s. So far these have tended to light color, more perfumey than fruity, with ephemeral flavors but palate length which occasionally invites ageing.

Monterey AVA: Sideways-style, competitively priced Pinots for the reformed Merlot drinker are better grown here than in almost any other economical region. Color can run from very light ruby to very dark, probably due to unabashed blending with Syrah and/or MegaPurple. Rather than the cooked aromas of over-warm Central Valley sites, this region’s cool conditions preserve frank, uncomplicated aromas of rose petal, lavender and cherries, which in some cases are embellished with vanilla, spice and smoke. Mouth tends to be quite feminine in its tannins, round, fat and low in minerality.
* Scheid Vineyards, 2006 Pinot Noir

Arroyo Seco AVA: The regional profile here is more focused, with garnet hues and spicy strawberry aromas, combined with an herbed tomato element strongly laced with coriander. The sweet core flavor invites current drinking.
* Ventana Vineyards, 2006 Pinot Noir

Chalone AVA: Expect spiced cherry and pomegranate aromas typical of high elevation granite, and the violet bouquet one finds on limestone from Beaune to Barberesco. Mouth is sweet and extremely minerally, perhaps too austere for some palates.

Carmel Valley AVA: The combination of warm sites and extended hangtime practices results in wines of fragile but pronounced forward prune and raspberry fruit, which demands current drinking.

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: A convincing case for appellation distinction is the marked similarity of all the Pinots along this narrow 16 mile strip, as well as their complete separation from the same varietal grown on the adjacent valley floor. The entire group in this tasting was marked by dense color, violets, blackberries, mineral interest, a leafy weediness (other descriptors included rhubarb, celery seed and mustard) and a characteristic orange peel aroma with corresponding bitterness relieved by energetic length in the finish. However, the SLH Pinots are not uniformly refined wines, and purist Burgundy lovers may have trouble with them, though they clearly have a recognizable, terroir-driven signature which runs throughout. The area is also given to vintage variability, with 2005 a recent standout.

Among the 31 Pinot Noirs we tasted from SLH, we identified three character profiles. The “Structured” profile wines were the darkest in color, and resembled Côte D’Or in having fruit aromas, full tannins and solid structure and the most tendency to greenness.
* Pelerin Wines, 2005 Pinot Noir (Rosella's Vineyard)
* Morgan, 2006 Pinot Noir (Double L Vineyard)
* Paraiso, 2006 Pinot Noir
* Siduri, 2006 Pinot Noir (Rosella’s Vineyard)
* Tamayo Family, 2006 Pinot Noir (Sleepy Hollow Vineyard)
* Hahn Estates, 2006 Pinot Noir

The “Elegant” profile was more perfumey than fruity, with oiliness rather than tannin; more reminiscent of Côte De Beaune.
* Cima Collina, 2006 Pinot Noir (Tondre Grapefield)
* Paraiso, 2006 Pinot Noir (West Terrace Vineyard)
* Pelerin Wines, 2006 “Cuvee St. Vincent” Pinot Noir
* Siduri, 2006 Pinot Noir (Garys’ Vineyard)
* Tamayo Family, 2006 Pinot Noir
* Tantara, 2006 Pinot Noir (Garys’ Vineyard)
* Tantara, 2006 Pinot Noir (Pisoni Vineyard)
* Tondre, 2006 Pinot Noir (Tondre Grapefield)

A small number of wines were in the “Rustic” style - less refined, more experimental wines, coming from biodynamic practitioners. These wines tended to funky aromatics, cloudiness, brash mouthfeel and bracing minerality, but they nevertheless seek to win you over to their point of view with mysterious bouquet and uncompromising purpose.
* Tantara, 2006 Pinot Noir (Silacci Vineyard)

Monterey County: Blends of the regional appellations can express influences of excellent sites, which didn’t quite make the cut locally, but still provide the opportunity for creative balancing of styles from this extremely varied region. Pinot Noir has a presence and utility throughout the region. Thus county-wide blends can be very good values, offering more substance than those restricted to Monterey AVA.
* Bernardus, 2006 Pinot Noir
* Jekel, 2006 Pinot Noir

-- Cabernet Sauvignon --

Carmel Valley AVA: Classic Bordeaux-style winemaking. Though these wines contain many elements, there is exceptional aromatic integration. Strawberry and vanilla merge as they do in Pauillac, with elements of spinach, cocoa and tobacco lending depth and seductiveness. Sweet cherry flavors, fine, firm, round tannins, and relatively low acidity, yet with such structural integrity that ageing is worth considering.
* Galante Vineyards, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Blackjack Pasture Vineyard)
* Galante Vineyards, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Rancho Galante Vineyard)

Arroyo Seco AVA: As with Cabernet Franc in the Loire, there continues to be much debate concerning the suitability of this area for Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines have assertive acidity and are brash in a feminine way, with leafy rose petal, strawberry and coriander aromas, black cherry flavors and rustic tannins.
* Jekel, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Blackjack Pasture Vineyard)

Monterey AVA: From far to the south in Indian River was a stunning example of clone 337 in a relatively warm climate, with almost no vegetal side and a comely blackberry cobbler aroma with cocoa powder and coconut nuances. Sweet, round tannins and low acidity show that Cabernet from Monterey ain’t what it used to be.
* Pianetta Estate, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

San Antonio Valley AVA: Now we’re talkin’! The firm tannins of Todd Taylor’s Lockwood Oaks, produced entirely from Clone 4, show that standard Cabernet clones, which do well in St. Helena but are incapable of ripening in Napa town, can mature here. Yet Clone 337, which produces naïve, fruity wines in Calistoga, behaves here more like in the Region I Coombsville area of southern Napa, producing in Todd Taylor Hearst Vineyard Cabs a massively tannic expression. These two vineyards bracket the area as similar to Region II Yountville, clearly a tad cooler than the natives report. And that’s a good thing.

Throughout the Best-of-Appellation™ tasting, unique elements of San Antonio Valley Cabernet repeatedly showed themselves. More maraschino cherry-like red fruit than the dark cassis or blueberries of Napa appellations, despite boatloads of solid tannins. A clearly recognizable signature of gunpowder and roses was evident throughout. Angular tannins are currently being resolved through extended hangtime strategies, so it is difficult to say just how hard they would be at normal ripeness – probably pretty hard.
* Todd Taylor, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Hearst Vineyard)
* Todd Taylor, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Hearst Vineyard)
* Todd Taylor, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Lockwood Oaks Vineyard)
* Todd Taylor, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Lockwood Oaks Vineyard)

-- Merlot --

Monterey County: A preliminary profile of this general category suggests we can expect feminine wines with cherry, plum and alfalfa aromas and soft sweet flavors; charmers but probably without much depth.
* Chateau Julien 2005 Merlot Private Reserve

Carmel Valley AVA: Home to a biodynamic producer offering rustic, self-aware, funky brews with grassy but seductive raspberry aromas touched with eucalyptus and finishing with energetic minerality.
* Alhona Vineyards, 2004 Merlot

-- Malbec --

Monterey County: Just beginning to be explored as a blender, this varietal shows promise as a source of strawberry and rose aromas to balance vegetal aromatic tendencies in other varietals.
* Chateau Julien, “Bravura”

-- Petite Verdot --

San Antonio Valley AVA: This heavily colored varietal shows great promise here and elsewhere as a means to lend refinement to Bordeaux-style blends. And as a stand-alone, San Antonio Valley Petite Verdot is capable of unusual depth and guttiness.
* Margaret’s Vineyard, 2006 Petite Verdot

-- Bordeaux Blends --

Carmel Valley AVA: Complex, Bordelais charmers with well integrated berry, butter and vanilla and refined but age-worthy tannins.
* Bernardus Vineyards, 2003 “Marinus”

San Antonio Valley AVA: Still finding their way, SAV blends are at present angular and wild, products of extended hangtime blend, which seem to holding up better than one might expect. A mix of the aforementioned characteristics of the components can be expected. Tobacco, cherries and vanilla aromas; plush, fine structure, and long sweet blackberry flavors are our current expectation.
* Newell Vineyards, 2004 “For Two”

-- Syrah --

Monterey AVA: Two distinct styles of Syrah exist under the Monterey AVA because it divides itself into the cool, windy northern section subject to fog and the warmer, brighter southern district. In the north we see plush, feminine wines with plum and strawberry aromas as well as the varietal beef fat, and which are round and chocolaty on the palate with little structure or depth. In the south, much bigger, more structured wines of richer color are made, possessing leather, spice and black pepper aromas and angular tannins.
* Cantiga Wineworks, 2002 Shiraz

Arroyo Seco AVA: Tentative indications from our single sample suggest sage aromas and a plush, round, chocolate palate.
* Ventana Vineyards, 2005 Syrah

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA: Six wines showed us the serious potential of SLH for Syrah with excellent ruby color, deep blackberry aromas, ample tannins, and considerable minerality. They divided themselves into two groups. The “Angular” style wines were fresh, and ageworthy with unresolved tannins and reductive strength.
* Manzoni Estate, 2005 Syrah (Paraiso Vineyard)
* Novy Family, 2006 Syrah (Rosella’s Vineyard)
* Novy Family, 2006 Syrah

The “Hangtime” style had more complex beef fat and leather, prunes, and spicy dry tannins, yet retained mineral energy in the finish.
* Tantara, 2005 Syrah (Garys’ Vineyard)

Chalone AVA: In this high altitude, strawberry jam and lavender aromas reflect the arid high desert chaparral, and strong minerality arises from limestone and organic practices. The rustic tannins and edge of volatile acidity are more a reflection of the minimalist winemaking philosophy which is accepted as a mark of the region, arising in part from the tricky barrel ageing protocols necessary to mature reductive but fragile wines properly.
* Michaud Vineyard, 2004 Syrah

-- Petite Sirah --

San Antonio Valley AVA: Our single example employed extended hangtime, yet still produced a distinctive nose of dried apricot and rose with traces of eucalyptus and tough, relatively unresolved, angular tannins.
* Line Shack, 2006 Petite Sirah

-- Valdiguié --

Arroyo Seco AVA: This is a great place to make what we used to call Gamay Noir. Affable, generous raspberry and rhubarb aromas and the jammy, hay-accented down-home cheerfulness that comes from bright acidity.
* J. Lohr, 2007 Valdiguié

-- Grenache --

Arroyo Seco AVA: The cool climate and stony bottom of the region’s alluvial fan brings out great red berry and rose petal aromatics in the single offering we tasted, and it’s a good bet that this expectation is reasonable for other examples we will come across from the region in the future.
* Ventana Vineyards, 2006 “Rubystone”

Conclusion...
... Vive la Différence!

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To see the complete list of wines earning Best-of-Appellation™ standing in this Monterey evaluation,
click here.

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