The last of the three wines that I received from “A Taste of Monterey” is from Mesa Del Sol and this is the third wine that I have received from this winery.  Years ago, when we discovered this wine club in the Cannery Row section of Monterey, we were actually killing some time, shopping and discovering what we could before dining at the famed and historic restaurant The Sardine Factory, and if you are in the area, I would highly recommend dining there.  Anyways, getting back to the wine club, at the time they offered us a choice of two different wine club packages, one with two wines shipped monthly that were more of the popular price category and the other was the Reserve Wine Selections that sends us three bottles of wine four times a year, and this is wine that we would never be able to get in Michigan. 

Mesa Del Sol Estate Retreat & Winery is located on an upland promontory at the junction of three major watersheds, and has been a favorite place for travelers for over a century.  There is a small stone water house and a portion of one of the cabins that date back to the 1800’s and it is believed to be a stop for the overland conveyance from the Mission San Antonio to the Carmel Valley.  The hot dry air of the Arroyo Seco Highlands became a health center for those suffering from tuberculosis and other similar ailments.  One of the more prominent visitors back then was Teddy Roosevelt.  In 1927, a California Senator Fred Weybret purchased the property for his family and the new main home was built in 1936, and the family resided there until his death in 1945.  The property then was purchased by a noted lettuce baron from Salinas, who named the property Mesa Del Sol, adding more buildings, gardens and a pool for his family.  In 1998 another Salinas agricultural family purchased the property, they planted the vineyards and a trout pond was reinstalled.  Since the gentleman’s death his widow has continued to restore the fourteen-acre vineyard estate, won awards for the wines and also has crops of fragrant Provence Lavender that is used in sachets, lotions and oils. 

We have received two other wines of this estate, their Primo Rosso and their Zinfandel, and now we have their Mesa Del Sol Syrah Arroyo Seco 2014.  The winery leaves no information about their wines, other than a limited advertising statement referring this as “the Marilyn Monroe of wines; voluptuous and luscious, with nice structure and lots of legs.  Big ripe cherry, blackberry blast with hints of pepper, sage, eucalyptus and mocha.  Velvety tannins and a long, well-rounded finish.”  Most of you know that I do not write about wines like that.  Now until the next batch of wines from my club.