Ultimate California Wine Blog

Continuing in the Monterey vein, Heller Estate Vineyards was along the Carmel Valley Road on which I traveled. This was one of those small, quaint roadside establishments which was undoubtedly someone’s house at some point in the not-too-distant past. Immediately adjacent to the household, is a lovely garden area which houses the winery’s sculptures. Apparently the sculpture garden is available for rent for events. I liked a number of the sculptures but only shot a picture of the one, below.

Upon entering, a very nice young man greeted us, asked if we had visited before, I let us know that Heller is the oldest vineyard in Carmel, having been planted by William Durney in 1968. The estate boasts 100% organic vineyards and many of the usual varietals; Chenin Blanc (which was sadly not opened the day of my visit), Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, they do something a bit more interesting in that they manipulate their Merlot into a Rosé as well as Port.

2003 Heller Merlot Rosé – Bright pinkish in color, a bit of strawberry on the nose, and sweeter than I would have anticipated. I should have asked what the residual sugar was…

2002 Heller Estate Chardonnay – I asked how much malo this wine had seen and when answered 90%, I opted to not taste it

2001 Heller Pinot Noir – Pretty, bright garnet color. Earthy, mushroomy aromas with a bit of oak at the end. Some dried fruit in the mouth but with not a long enough finish.

2001 Heller Estate Merlot – Dark, rich color with a Cabernet-like nose. Apparently this is dry farmed and I perceived inky-like blackberry on the back palate. It finished with very bright tannins.

2001 Cachagua Cabernet Sauvignon – Cachagua is the region where the grapes are grown and are trellis-trained. This is actually 79% Cab and 21% Merlot and is a blend of the younger clones. Cacha means "hidden" and Agua means "water," literally, Hidden Waters. I perceived more fruity-like Merlot qualities in this wine than Cabernet and lacked the depth a blend like this should have.

2001 Heller Estate Cabernet – While the Cachagua is trellis-trained, this one is head-trained. There were lovely, dark purple tones to the color and sadly, the bottle was corked but no one else in the tasting room seemed to notice.

2002 Heller Merlot Port – 32 Brix. Hefy, chewy and extremely sweet.

Heller ~ 69 Carmel Valley Road ~ CA ~ 93924 ~ 800-625-8466

For a change, I have grouped two winery producers in one entry. But only because they share the same building and sign structure. Georis Winery and Talbott Vineyards are located in the Carmel Valley region of Monterey in a small township which has a handful of small, producing wineries. Of all my Monterey visits thus far, these two were some of the most exceptional. Talbott was first, but only by virtue of having their entrance on my right, when I face the building.

I give Talbott Vineyard a great deal of credit for sticking with only two varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I am beginning  to find that wineries which attempt to produce a multitude of different wines often miss the mark on more than one or two. It is also charming that many of Talbott’s wines have been named after their children, Logan, Cynthia, and Kali-Hart.

Of their Chardonnays, I tasted the 2003 Kali-Hart Vineyard Chardonnay ($13.50) which had lovely aromas of tropical fruit like kiwi and pineapple. It was crisp on the tongue and had a medium finish. The 2002 Logan Chardonnay ($18.00) was a bit richer and fuller in the mouth and must have seen more malo fermentation.

Not being a huge Chardonnay fan (but I’m learning!), I really preferred Talbott’s Pinots. The 2001 Kali-Hart Pinot Noir ($13.50) seemed dark in notes and a tad smokey and spicy. The was discernible plum and berry on the finish. The  2001 Logan Pinot Noir ($18.00) was a nice earthy hint of strawberry and cherry and a rich mid-palate with darker fruits and smooth finish. This one was purchased.

Find the Georis tasting area was a bit complicated. Immediately next door to Talbott is Corkcrew Cafe. The sign to Georis points that it is somewhere around the other side of the cafe but all I could see was outdoor seating. I couldn’t tell if the tasting area was part of the outdoor area or not so I went back into the cafe where tastings are also offered. As Shawn was hungry, getting him fed and tasting at the same time seemed reasonable enough.

The inside of the cafe is really love with mottled, rich earth tones of warm sage and brushed dark orange. There are a number of display cases which house their collection of antique cork pulls. On the tables were cards which indicated the varying levels of wine tastings available; "Everyday Wine" for $15.00, "Grand Tasting" for $20.00, or a "Chilled Flight" for $12.00. These tastings include various wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. As none of their specific selections fit my desires, I asked if they would consider letting me just have a Merlot tasting (some of which were on both the Everyday and Grand list, but not all together). The waitress was more than amenable and with my four wines, I ordered a pâté appetizer as my lunch.

I have to say that it was one of the finest home-made pâtés I’ve had and when I complimented the waitress on the quality (also asking if was made in house), she indicated that it was made at their sister restaurant, Casanova. This makes perfect sense as Casanova is my hands-down favorite restaurant in Carmel and is always exceptional with one of the most extensive wine lists (especially half-bottles!) around. As you can see from the picture, the internal piece of the pâté is sold terrine de foie gras surrounded with a nicely-spiced country pate. My only recommendation for plate would be to replace the simple yellow mustard with a moutarde de violet, but that’s just me. Now for the four Merlot:

1998 Estate Georis Merlot – Cloudy. Hot on the nose and ample bell pepper aromas. Orange tints on the edge. Aromas of manure. Thin and flaccid. Little body and sharp tannins. The bell pepper tongue keeps going and going. One sip was enough. $20.00

2002 Le Sanglia Georis Merlot – Rich, ruby colors that pale a bit to the edge. Strong, spicy bramble on the nose. A tad chewy with decent structure, but shallows in mid-palate. Finishes much stronger than initially anticipated on first taste. $28.00

2002 Arroyo Seco Georis Merlot – After the last two, this was more elegant with dark, supple fruit on the nose. Rich and opulent immediately, it pales a bit on the finish. Paler in color than the Le Sanglia, but a stronger wine in the long run. $23.00

2000 Estate Georis Merlot – Incredibly dark purple with an intense grape aroma. Big chew factor with full tannins. Rounder nose and an elegant spice structure. Huge, tremendous mouthfeel. $45.00

Talbott ~ 53 Pilot Road ~ Carmel Valley ~ CA ~ 93924 ~ 831-659-3500

Georis (and Corkscrew Cafe) ~ 55 Pilot Road ~ Carmel Valley ~ CA ~ 93924 ~ 831-659-1050

Chateau Julien is the first and undoubtedly the largest winery open to the public at the beginning of the Carmel Valley wine trail in Monterey. It was also the very first winery I had ever visited in Monterey. Inasmuch, I know practically nothing about the area’s various appellations or wine styles. Having a Napa-trained palate, I am confident it will require me visiting the area and conducting extensive tastings to learn and educate myself in Monterey styles.

Upon arriving to Chateau Julien, one must be made very aware of the grandeur due to the size of the grounds and buildings. I was interested in the fact that although they indicate they are family owned, their website provides no information about them which is sadly surprising. The tasting room is expansive and chock full of *things* to look at and purchase; t-shirts, cigars, books, decorative glasses, etc… The folks that pour are pleasant and receptive to questions. I liked that they didn’t have a formal bar that is the norm, but set up their pourings on a table in the center of the room. I guess better for you to peruse the merchandise…

2002 Pinot Grigio – Crisp and citrusy, a tad acidic but I imagine a light wine of this style would be fabulous on a hot, shummer afternoon, instead of a cold, January day. $18.00

2003 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay – A bit green around the edges — in the mouth, not the actual color. Definite tropical fruits and extensive oak. $12.00

2000 Barrel Aged Merlot – Again, even though this is an older Merlot, I found it green with youth. There were some lovely aromas of plum and toffee but the mouth paled a bit with vegetation. $12.00

1999 Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – A lighter red tone in color than I expencted for an estate Cab. Chewy with smoke and chocolate but I was looking for fruit. $22.00

NV Julien Port – Unfiltered. A huge chunk of cork (at least I was hoping it was cork!) floating in the glass. Cloudy and syrupy. $28.00