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Monterey Wine

Overview

  • Winegrowing Regions of Monterey
  • Wine Ratings: Monterey Reds
  • Wine Ratings: Monterey Whites

Wine Style Guides

  • Monterey Chardonnay
  • Buying Guide: Good, Easy to Find Monterey Chardonnay
  • Buying Guide: Monterey Riesling Under 20$

Links in Main Article:
California Wine

Regional Guides

  • Napa Valley Wine
  • Carneros Wine
  • Mendocino Wine
Varietal Guides
  • California Chardonnay
  • California Merlot
Wine Style Guides
  • California Dessert Wines
  • Carneros Pinot Noir
  • Napa Chardonnay
  • Napa Cabernet
  • Rutherford Cabernet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With more grapes than the Napa Valley, but only about a tenth the amount of wineries, Monterey remains today a steadfast growers’ region.

 

Its development within the modern California wine model began in the 1960’s, when established winemakers such as Paul Masson and Mirassou saw their vineyards in Santa Clara become more and more boxed in by the encroaching sprawl of suburban housing tracts.  But its history is as long as any of the old northern frontier California settlements; the city of Monterey was the provincial government center for Alta California in the era of Spanish and Mexican hegemony from about 1780 to 1848, primarily because of its easy access by sea.  When the first wave of winemakers hit the state, there was already a fine legacy of older buildings in the town, but the cool weather did little to attract potential grape cultivators beyond the plantings for sacramental purposes at the missions.

Today, the Monterey wine region begins at Watsonville and continues in a southeasterly direction down Salinas Valley.  Its most prominent unique feature, the Salinas River, often called the "upside-down river," is the largest underground river in California.  Even during periods when the river appears to be dry topside, under the soil it continues to run. It also claims the idiosyncrasy of being one of a few rivers worldwide to flow south to north.

 

The Monterey Terroir

On its northwestern edge, Monterey Bay sends cooling winds off the ocean in the afternoon, often replacing morning fog in the region.  The valley becoomes progressively warmer toward the southeast, as the maritime influence diminishes.  At King City, the warming effect of the wind permits grapes to ripen, but just west of King City, the wind is often too cool to permit sufficient ripening.  The overall effect is that the maritime climate keeps frost at bay and the lack of autumn rain helps the Salinas Valley overcome its cool temperatures by giving it one of the longest growing seasons in the world. Long hang time in this environment contributes to fruit weight in the mid-palate of almost all Monterey wines.

 

Winegrowing Regions of Monterey

The Monterey AVA funnels through the Salinas Valley from north of the town of Salinas near the Pajaro River to the southern edge of Monterey County at the San Luis Obispo County line. The huge region contains six smaller AVAs and ranks behind only Sonoma and Napa in total cultivated acres.  The blanket AVA for Monterey County encom­passes Arroyo Seco AVA, Carmel Valley AVA, San Lucas AVA, Hames Valley AVA, and all other vineyards not included in these more specific regions.

The first Monterey wine successes came from near the towns of Soledad and Greenfield and that area, now the Arroyo Seco AVA, remains at the forefront, save for two tiny exceptions, Chalone AVA and Carmel Valley AVA. Santa Lucia Highlands is a more recent AVA that flanks Arroyo Seco and reaches further north along the western foothills.

 

Santa Lucia Highlands,
With soil is composed of granitic gneiss and schist, the Santa Lucia region had been proven ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.  Situated in the western hills of the Salinas Valley, many of the vineyards are planted above the fog line on north-south-oriented allu­vial terraces up to 1,200 feet above the valley floor. Being in the lee of the Tularcitos mountains as the cold air circles south across the valley on the eastern side keeps these particular vineyards relatively warm.  This also allows growers to ripen Cabernet on their well-drained soils, but it takes 4-6 weeks longer than it takes in Napa Valley.

 

Chalone
A lone winery is responsible for the reputation of the Chalone wine regions, set high in the Gavilan Moun­tains, on the east side of Monterey's Salinas valley. Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir have had results strong enough to justify foreign attention, although in recent years its product has not necessarily been the picture of consistency.  Yet Chalone remains a place of enormous potential, as its unique above-the-fog climate and mineral laden soils can make some very interesting wines.

 

Arroyo Seco AVA
With its anchor point at the scruffy farm town of Greenfield, the vineyards of Arroyo Seco fan out mainly to the west, on either bank of the dry wash for which it is named.
Some would say that this is the most coherent district within the vastness of Monterey County's Salinas Valley, noteworthy for its rock and sand streambed soils, and for the fact half the district is in a canyon protected from the wind whistling down the valley every after­noon.  There, bor­dering Jolon Road the 13,000-acre San Bern­abe Ranch contains some seven thousand acres of vineyards, comprising the lion’s share of a planting that holds three-quarters of the grapes in Monterey Co.

Basic, well developed Chardonnay is the main draw for wineries that use the region’s produce, but the aromatic, nectarine-like Rieslings are of the most interest to connoisseurs.

 

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Wine Styles in Monterey

Monterey Varietals

Top Chardonnays, Rieslings, and Gewurztraminers are made every year by a broad collection of wineries who vineyard designate their wines. Generally speaking, Rieslings are pungent with citrus and apricot aromas no matter who makes the wine. Gewurztraminers are also very perfumed, and the Thomas Fogarty Winery makes a fine example.  The signature of Syrah made from Ventana Vineyard grapes is black pepper spice combined with dense, jammy fruit.  The wines have crisp acid, but it is the immensely concentrated fruit weight in the middle that raises them up with the world standard. Chardonnay can demonstrate an unusual pineapple-like aroma in young wines, as well as a reliable ten to twelve year bottle maturation potential.

 

Chardonnay
Monterey Chardonnays perhaps best illustrate the region’s expansive range. Valley floor vineyards north of Greenfield can bear crops with pleasing aromas of Granny Smith apples, and along nearly the whole length of the Salinas Valley a charming, straight­forward flavor of sweetish green apples is common when the wine is designed to keep fruit at the forefront.  A dichotomy can be found within the diversity of sun and soil, however,  with lean and firm wines from the cooler climates, and soft and round wines from warm vineyards at King City and south.

A majority of producers aim for toasty, buttery notes from malolactic fermentation and prolonged aging in new oak.  Some have achieved downright butterscotchy flavors  with their seasoning, most notably coming from the Chalone region.  You will also notice that in wines made south of King city, higher alcohols and peachier, more pineapple-like aromas are the norm.  And in warmer vintages, spectacularly long lived Chardonnays have come out that have grown in complexity all the way up to their fifteenth birthday. For value and consistency, Monterey's more southerly vineyards reliably provide good quality, fruit-forward Chardonnays at an agreeable price.

Buying Guide: Good, Easy to Find, Monterey Chardonnays

  s Talbott Cuvee Cynthia Chardonnay Monterey County $60
  s Mount Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonnay Monterey County $20
  s Morgan Metallico Un-Oaked Chardonnay Monterey $22
  s Logan Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey $22
  s Landmark Overlook Chardonnay Sonoma Monterey
  s Bernardus Chardonnay Monterey $20
  s La Crema Chardonnay Monterey $23
  s Raymond Chardonnay Monterey $13
  s Hilltown Chardonnay Monterey County $7
  s Mandolin Chardonnay Monterey $10
  s Black Box Chardonnay Monterey County $20

 

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Gewurztraminer

  s Thomas Fogarty Gewürztraminer Monterey County $17

 

Riesling
Monterey's first smashing success came from this citrusy, flowery aromatic grape.  Botrytis is also a regular visitor to the Arroyo Seco, sometimes with splendid results in the range of a German "Spatlesen." Typically, rich flavors of apricot are favored over the crisp textures of say, an Alsace Riesling.  But these are fresh, perfumed wines which are definitely worthy of attention in each vintage—and they can be found in a very affordable price range to boot.

Buying Guide: Monterey Riesling Under $20

  s Mandolin Riesling Monterey $10
  s Loredona Riesling Monterey $12*****
  ss Jekel Riesling Monterey $12*****
  s Daniel Gehrs Riesling Monterey County $19
  ss Trinchero Family Riesling Monterey County $10


 

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On the Market: Monterey White Wines

$10 and Under
$11-$15
$16-$20
$21-$30
$31+

90 Mandolin  Riesling Monterey $10
87 Hilltown  Chardonnay Monterey County $7
87 Five Rivers  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $10
86 Trinchero  Family Riesling Monterey County $10
86 Shale Ridge Vineyard Estate Grown & Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc Monterey
86 Mandolin  Chardonnay Monterey $10
86 Lockwood  Estate Sauvignon Blanc Monterey $10
86 Château Julien  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $10
85 Tamás Estates  Pinot Grigio Monterey $9
85 Shale Ridge Vineyard  Lockwood Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey County $8
85 Perfect 10  Blonde Chardonnay Monterey $10
85 Mountain View  Chardonnay Monterey $7
85 Mandolin  Chardonnay Monterey $10
85 Jewel  Un-Oaked Chardonnay Monterey $10
85 Five Rivers  Chardonnay Monterey County $10
85 Concannon  Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Monterey County $10
85 Château Julien  Chardonnay Monterey County $10
85 Château Julien  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $10
85 Blackstone  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey County $10
84 Jekel  Winemaker's Collection Riesling Monterey $10
84 Five Rivers  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $10
84 Wente  Riesling Monterey $9
83 Hilltown  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey County $7
82 California's Jewel  Un-Oaked Chardonnay Monterey $10

 

90 Loredona  Riesling Monterey $12
89 Carmichael Grigio e Bianco White Table Wine White Blend Monterey County $14
89 Boyer  Riesling Monterey $14
88 Thomas Fogarty  Skyline Riesling Monterey $15
88 Raymond  Chardonnay Monterey $13
87 Tamás Estates  Pinot Grigio Monterey $12
87 Morgan  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey $15
87 Maddalena  Pinot Grigio Monterey $14
87 Jekel  Riesling Monterey $12
87 Hess  Chardonnay Monterey $11
87 Estancia  Pinnacles Ranches Chardonnay Monterey $12
87 Daniel Gehrs  Pinnacles Chenin Blanc Monterey County $12
87 Ca' del Solo  Ca' del Solo Vineyard Muscat Monterey County $15
87 Bernardus  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey County $15
87 Bargetto  Gewürztraminer Monterey County $14
87 Banyan  Gewürztraminer Monterey County $12
86 Raymond  R Collection Chardonnay Monterey $13
86 Lorca  Pinot Gris Monterey County $14
86 Bocage  Unoaked Chardonnay Monterey $13
86 American Roots  White Chardonnay Monterey $15
85 San Saba  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey $15
85 Maddalena  Riesling Monterey $13
85 Estancia  Pinnacles Ranches Chardonnay Monterey County $12
85 Blackstone  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $12
84 Radog  Dry Gewürztraminer Monterey $14
84 Ludwig  Sweetwater Vineyard Riesling Monterey $13
84 Lockwood  Sauvignon Blanc Monterey $11
84 Lockwood  Chardonnay Monterey County $11
84 La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi  Pinot Grigio Monterey County $15
84 Jekel  Gewürztraminer Monterey $13
84 Jekel  Chardonnay Monterey $11
84 Hahn  Chardonnay Monterey $14

92 Mount Eden  Arroyo Seco Chardonnay Monterey County $20
91 San Saba  Chardonnay Monterey $18
91 Bernardus  Chardonnay Monterey $20
90 Thomas Fogarty  Gewürztraminer Monterey County $17
90 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay Monterey-Santa Barbara $20
88 San Simeon  Pinot Gris Monterey $19
88 Lorena Garcia  Chardonnay Monterey $18
87 Morgan  Chardonnay Monterey $20
87 Estancia  Reserve Chardonnay Monterey $19
87 Daniel Gehrs  Riesling Monterey County $19
87 Ca' del Solo  Ca' del Solo Vineyard Albariño Monterey County $18
86 Radog  Dry Gewürztraminer Monterey County $16
86 Ca' del Solo  White Blend Monterey County $18
86 Black Box  Chardonnay Monterey County $20
85 Cinnabar  Chardonnay Monterey $18
85 Anapamu  Chardonnay Monterey County $16
84 Solaris  Chardonnay Monterey $12
84 Herzog  Late Harvest White Riesling Monterey $19
82 San Simeon  Chardonnay Monterey $19

91 Morgan  Metallico Un-Oaked Chardonnay Monterey $22
91 Logan  Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey County $22
91 Landmark  Overlook Chardonnay Sonoma County- Monterey County Santa
90 La Crema  Chardonnay Monterey $23
90 De Tierra  Coast View Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey $30
87 Cinquain  Baja Viento Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Monterey $23
87 Cambiata  Estate Albariño Monterey $24
86 Ghost Pines  Chardonnay Sonoma- Napa-Monterey $23
85 Topel  Cuvée Donnis Syrah Monterey $25

95 Talbott  Cuvee Cynthia Chardonnay Monterey County $60
94 Talbott  Diamond T Estate Chardonnay Monterey County $63
94 Talbott  Cuvée Carlotta Chardonnay Monterey County $60
92 Talbott  Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey County $45
91 Talbott  Diamond T Estate Chardonnay Monterey County $65
86 De Tierra  EKEM Sauvignon Blanc Musqué Sauvignon Musqué Monterey $50

 

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On the Market: Monterey Red Wines

$10 and Under
$11-20
$21-$30
$31+

87 Shale Ridge Vineyard Estate Grown & Bottled Syrah Monterey County $8
87 Estancia  Proprietor's Selection Pinot Noir Monterey $10
86 Trinchero  Family Selection Merlot Monterey County $10
85 Shale Ridge Vineyard Estate Grown & Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey County $8
85 Hilltown  Pinot Noir Monterey County $7
85 Hilltown  Merlot Monterey County $7
84 Shale Ridge Vineyard  Estate Grown & Bottled Merlot Monterey $8
84 Monterra  Shiraz Monterey County $9
84 J. Lohr  Wildflower Valdeguie Red Blend Monterey $7
84 Hilltown  Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey County $7
83 Château Julien  Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey County $10
82 J. Lohr  Wildflower Valdeguié Monterey $8
82 Château Julien  Barrel Aged Merlot Monterey County $10

88 Carmel Road  Pinot Noir Monterey $20
86 Night Owl  San Bernabe Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey County $14
85 Mandolin  Pinot Noir Monterey $12
85 Jekel  Merlot Monterey County $15
85 Chalone  Merlot Monterey County $15
84 Morgan  Cotes du Crow's Rhône Red Blend Monterey $20
84 Lockwood  Malbec Monterey County $14
84 Lockwood  Block 7 Pinot Noir Monterey $20
84 Gino da Pinot  Pinot Noir Monterey $16
84 Chalone  Pinot Noir Monterey County $14
84 Castle Rock  Pinot Noir Monterey County $12
84 Bonny Doon  Barbera Arneis Red Blend Monterey County $18
84 Bocage  Merlot Monterey $13
84 Blackstone  Pinot Noir Monterey County $12
83 Talbott  Kali Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey County $20
83 Radog  Rose of Pinot Noir Pinot Noir Monterey County $16
83 Praxis  Pinot Noir Monterey County $18
83 Lorena Garcia  Merlot Monterey $16
83 Lockwood  Merlot Monterey $13
83 Lockwood  Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey $13
83 Hahn  Pinot Noir Monterey $20
83 Hahn  Merlot Monterey $14

92 Kendall-Jackson  Grand Reserve Pinot Noir Monterey County $25
88 Silver Mountain  Pinot Noir Monterey $28
88 Pianetta  Estate Shiraz- Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey $24
88 Joseph Phelps  Le Mistral Rhône Red Blend Monterey County $30
87 Pessagno  Central Avenue Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey County $21
87 Morgan  Syrah Monterey $24
87 Marilyn Remark  Rosé de Saignee Rosé Blend Monterey County $22
87 La Rochelle  Pinot Noir Monterey $24
86 Marilyn Remark  Loma Pacific Vineyard Marsanne Monterey County $30
85 San Saba  Merlot Monterey $22
84 San Simeon  Pinot Noir Monterey $24
84 Radog  Pinot Noir Monterey $28

 

94 Château Julien  Bravura Bordeaux Blend Monterey County $85
92 McIntyre Vineyards  Force Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey County $31
90 Cambiata  Estate Bottled Tannat Monterey $32
89 Newell  Para Dois Petite Sirah Monterey County $36
88 De Tierra  Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir Monterey $35
87 Marilyn Remark  Grenache Monterey County $45
87 Château Julien  Black Nova Red Blend Monterey County $78
85 Château Julien  Private Reserve Zinfandel Monterey County $40
84 De Tierra  Silacci Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey $40
84 Château Julien  Private Reserve Syrah Monterey County $36
84Pendleton Lockwood Oaks Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey County $38

 

 

 

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