waiting game. “Acidity wasn’t changing, sugars weren’t changing, but the quality was,” Silacci notes. Even the juice Hoey culled from his “mildew haven” vineyard for sparkling Viognier stands out. “It’s tasting really good,” he says. “I’m really excited about it.” Given the often narrow bands of microclimate that lace the county, the effects of terroir can be surprising. Typical Sauvignon Blanc shows bracing fruits, often described in terms of gooseberry, grapefruit or tropical fruits. Hoey’s 2023 Sauvignon Blanc from his Cote du Denis label, however, presents itself as more contemplative. It’s an orchard on the nose, laden and ready for harvest. Instead of sweltering summer days, it speaks to the heavier afternoons of fall, with sensations of mulled apple, cut grass and rocky soil. A sip brings rich fruits— cured apple and peach, along with whole melons and a tingle of spice. Yet there is a sharp acidic bite on the edge that lingers on the palate, brightening the next sip. Despite the extended growing season and late harvest, in retrospect the growing season in Monterey County was free of drama. “No fires, no rain too early, no cold days, no frost,” observes J.Lohr’s Peck. In addition to high quality, many vineyards reported yield levels at or above normal season—welcome results after a drought-stricken year. The 2022 harvest was valued at $174 million, a drop of 20 percent from the previous year. And recent harvests have been a bit of a roller coaster for growers. Owner Bill Parsons of Parsonage Winery in Carmel Valley, for instance, lost almost all of his fruit to the parched summer of 2022. Smoke taint had damaged his crop in 2020. Parsonage had a good year in 2019. Parsons says the 2023 vintage is even better. And the first releases are confirming that confidence. The 2023 Lucy Pico Blanco—largely Pinot Gris, but with a buffer of Pinot Blanc—is a beautiful expression of cool climate varietals. The wine offers an aromatic greeting of ripe, uncut peaches and flowering orange groves, with hints of fresh pear and lemon zest. Those same fruits drape the palate, languid and relaxed. Their reverie is alerted by a sensation of apple, but they fall back, tugged by a mellow nuttiness and more grounded impression of crushed stone. It’s an intricate wine. An unusual release is the 2023 Maker White Blend. Maker is a company that collaborates with small wineries, shipping six-packs of singleserving cans—yes, canned convenience is becoming more popular. For this particular blend, they enlisted winemaker Miguel Lepe of Lepe Cellars. The blend is 46-36 percent Albariño and Verdelho, with Grenache Blanc accounting for the rest. Poured into a traditional wine glass, aromas of nectarine and honeydew spill from the rim, with a drifting floral scent and a waft of sea breeze. A plush mouthfeel keeps the fruit at bay until mid-palate, when the wine becomes brisk—ginger-spice pineapple vying with lemon zest. But it remains easygoing, with a toasty undercurrent. One of the earliest 2023 rosés on the market is Lucy’s Rosé of Pinot Noir. The bouquet promises a casual, almost aloof wine as it keeps impressions of strawberry and orange zest at a distance. When sipped, however, it unveils a cheerful and friendly character. The palate revels in fresh orange and juicy summer watermelon, sparked by a dash of salinity. So after a 2023 that called for patience from those tending vineyards, the first releases show that winemakers—and the many who enjoy wine— will find rewards from the vintage. “Maybe there is a god and maybe he likes me,” Parsons says with a laugh. “This is our comeback year.” 36 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® EAT + DRINK 2024-2025 SAN SABA VINEYARD 4 Decades of Great Wines 2021 Wrath Pinot Noir San Saba Vineyard BEST OF CLASS S.F. Chronicle Wine Competition 2021 Wrath Fermata Chardonnay DOUBLE GOLD S.F. Chronicle Wine Competition wrathwines.com 831-678-2212 Wrath_1-3v_ED24_DG.indd 1 4/18/24 11:04 AM 36.indd 1 4/18/24 11:05 AM
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