A Taste of Monterey club shipment arrived and this was the first wine club we joined back on 10 February 2003, and we discovered them by happenchance as we were killing time, waiting for our lunch reservation at the famous Sardine Factory in Cannery Row.  We also bought a Hirschfeld while we waited for that reservation.  What really got us excited is that for some odd reason, they could ship to Michigan, because at that time we were still a felony state for wine shipments, thankfully our useless governor was sued and lost the case, and it actually became easier for wine drinkers across the country to enjoy wine shipments, though there were and still are, some exemptions.

The first bottle was Silvestri Vineyards Pinot Noir Carmel Valley 2019.  Alan and Sandra Silvestri and family moved from Los Angeles to the Carmel Valley in 1989, where Alan had a career in film music, which he still enjoys.  The area was perfect for wine growing, being only fifteen miles from the Pacific Ocean and enjoying the cooling temperature that the marine influence offers the valley.  The vineyard is on the benchland and hillsides, several hundred feet above sea level.  After harvest, the Pinot Noir is de-stemmed and whole berries are put into fermenters where they cold soak for a day, before yeast is added.  After another day, the wine is “punched down” three times a day for about two weeks.  With the Initial Fermentation and Maceration done, the juice undergoes Malolactic Fermentation for a month, then it is transferred to French Oak barrels, of which almost half are new, and is aged for about one year, before bottling.  They produced nine-hundred-twenty-seven-cases of wine.  The wine is described as offering notes of cherry and raspberry, and spices.  On the palate a continuation of the tones of cherry and raspberry, with some vanilla, a tinge of cola, bright acidity, and soft tannins.

The second wine in the carton is Big Sur Vineyards BSV Red Monterey 2021.  Big Sur Vineyards began as an olive grove and they also made artisan soaps, on the edge of the Ventana Wilderness.  They began planting Rhone varietals as a hobby to see what would happen, and they eventually began producing their Big Sur Vineyards Red; recently they officially became a Rhone Ranger.  There is little information about the wine.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah.  Their tasting notes lists “lush ripe fruit and a “satiny” tannin structure.  Plum, red currant and blueberry merge with a subtle minerality in the wine along with kirsch, springtime floral notes and a hint of mocha.”

The last bottle in the shipment was Mesa Del Dol Syrah Arroyo Seco 2015. 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.  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.”  The tasting notes are “lively and elegant on the nose, palate and finish.  Hints of elderberry and currant, lavender, black pepper, and sweet tobacco… soft and lively tannins on the finish.”