Ultimate California Wine Blog

Bernardus is big business in the Monterey area. Not only a high-falutin winery, but full on Lodge that has a restaurant I’d be interested in eating in! I didn’t know about the lodge until I was in the tasting room and the lodge’s menu was posted near the cash register. Owner Ben Pon owns vineyards in the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley and has a goal to make red wines that equal those found in Bordeaux. The tasting room is pretty standard as far as design and functionality is concerned, yet the chatter and warmth of the employees makes for a lively and enjoyable visit.

There are two levels of tastings offered; the Bernardus Tasting at $5.00 for four tastings, or the Mr. Pon Reserve Tasting, all the previous four plus an additional four which includes a Bernardus wine charm. I declined the charm, but managed to taste everything the winery had to offer…

2002 Marsanne – Only 200 cases made of this otherwise rare grape. Clear, crisp, and bright and for $16.00 purchased immediately as look forward to enjoying it alongside some grilled tilapia this summer.

2002 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc – Blended from four different vineyards on the Sonoma coast, this wine was a blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillion. Versus those SBs which can be overwhelmingly acidic, I found the mouthfeel of this wine to be round and full with balanced aromas. A hint of grassiness on the nose.

2002 Griva Sauvignon Blanc – 100% Stainless fermented. Appropriate cat piss on the nose and then green apple. Crisp and sharp in the mouth but with a creamy finish.

2002 Bernardus Chardonnay – Apparently got 92 Enthusiast points. Made from five different yeasts but (sadly for me), 90% ML. Lots of melon on the nose and very buttery and rich in the mouth.

2003 Saignee de Marinus Cabernet Rose – I think I was really lucky to get a taste of this as only 24 cases were made. Surprisingly round, rich nose on the pale rose color. Crisp and inviting.

2000 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir – Bien Nacido vineyards are located in Santa Barbara. Pale in color with heavy mineral aromas. In the mouth, one is greeted with full, heavy fruit which finishes with a peppery sensation. After a bit of swirling, instead of mineral on the nose, I perceived that candy store-like smell. It was close to wanting to be a Syrah, but faded too quickly.

2000 Bernardus Marinus – Their flagship wine, 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Very bright nose that is extremely fruit-forward. Secondary aroma of tobacco. Chewy tannins overpower the fruit but I think it would age extremely well.

1997 Bernardus Marinus – Slightly different makeup; 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. This wine was unfiltered and slightly cloudy. Amazing, complex combination on the nose of dark, elegant fruit and cinnamon spice. There was a hint of bell pepper, but only a hint. Tannins are well-balanced and the finish had nice, cherry tones.

Bernardus ~ 5 West Carmel Valley Road ~ Carmel Valley ~ CA ~ 800-223-2533

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