SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS WINE ARTISANS TOUR PART 1
During the summer of 2019 I attended the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans Sommelier Tour. While on the tour our group of wine industry professionals were able to experience firsthand the climatic influences that gives SLH their distinctive tasting style for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As a thank you for the invitation I wanted to highlight some of the producers that attended, as well as the great wines and history I learned during the tour about what makes SLH a gem among California wine regions.
Santa Lucia Highlands Geography
Within Monterey County in California’s central coast is the Salinas Valley, lying between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges. The Santa Lucia Highlands lies above this valley on raised alluvial terraces that generally range from 50 to 200 ft above the Salinas Valley floor. Vineyards here are on south eastern facing slopes, 18 miles long of 22,000 acres with much of its total acreage unplantable mountainside. Since the Santa Lucia Highlands is only 13 miles south of Monterey Bay it receives a healthy layer of cooling fog, making it very suitable for premium Chardonnay. Pinot Noir plantings are more extensive in the southern end where vineyards are planted on narrower strips of land in-between canyons. Northside vineyards are generally planted on adjoining parcels of rolling slopes as steep as 20-degrees.
Santa Lucia Highlands History
Like much of California, the Santa Lucia Highlands were founded by Spanish missionaries who recognized the unique beauty of this area and planted grapevines. In 1791 the 13th California Mission was established in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Highlands. These missionaries felt that the sunlight here was truly special and named the region after the Catholic Saint Lucy, whose name means light. Before finding success with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, vinegrowers in Santa Lucia Highlands tried to grow Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the mid 1970’s to less than stellar reviews. An unripe herbaceous and astringent character were found in these wines, earning the unpleasant nickname of the “Monterey Greenies.” Later Talbott Vineyards would bring much attention to SLH when their 1990 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay was awarded a 100-point score by Wine Spectator in a retrospective tasting.
Small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon vines that survived the replanting at Hahn estate.
Santa Lucia Highlands Climate
The Monterey Bay is a vital element in the climate of SLH, effecting wind, fog and temperature conditions of the region. The water here is cooled by its submarine canyon, one of the deepest on the west coast of America with a depth of 2 miles, which is more than the Grand Canyon! This steep sided underwater valley of nearly vertical walls is only 100 yards away from the shore, bringing a deep sea cool straight to the coastline. This will influence heat needed for fruit development as SLH has the smallest shift between its minimum and maximum temperatures in Monterey County. This benefits Pinot Noir greatly as it is a finicky grape that enjoys a growing environment of cool even maritime temperatures.
Santa Lucia Highlands Wind
The wind plays a huge part in shaping SLH, starting as early as 1 in the afternoon. As warm air heats and rises inland in the Salinas Valley each day a vacuum is created, pulling in the cool air provided by the Monterey Bay in daily fast-moving winds around 15 mph. As the wind funnels from Monterey Bay down through Salinas Valley it takes a narrower path, reaching a higher velocity closer to Soledad where the valley narrows to around 3 miles across. Wind speeds at their highest are around 30 mph in SLH. This has proved inhospitable enough to act as a deterrent to encroaching civilization, an important factor in California, keeping people away and preserving the land for agriculture.
This constant wind can cause problems with the formation of grapes though. A condition called Millerandage, which Chardonnay is particularly prone to, can form in the cold and windy conditions here, creating small seedless grapes that will never ripen. Some positives of the wind include organic farming being made easier, acting as a natural deterrent for various vineyard pests. The strong winds of SLH also help shape their famously long growing season that can stretch sometimes as late as October. Their strength causes the vine stomata, located on the underside of leaves, to close and slow photosynthesis, delaying ripening and sugar accumulation that occurs under the intense California sun.
It may have took 10 years but now the water flows freely at Pisoni estate.
Santa Lucia Highlands Water Conditions
Vineyards in SLH are grown in dry conditions with only 10-13 inches of rain a year compared to around 40 inches annually in other great Pinot Noir growing areas in America like the Willamette Valley or Russian River Valley. It actually took Gary Pisoni of Pisoni Vineyards, drilling 6 expensive wells over 10 years before finding water! This lack of rain is great for decreasing disease pressure like mildew or lowering the chance of rain at harvest, but it does have limiting factors. It is somewhat rare for an SLH winery currently to have hospitality centers near its vineyards as the extra people that will visit can be a burden on water needs. SLH is currently trying to find a balance for the allocation of natural resources and the profitability tasting rooms can bring.
““The first duty of wine is not to be red or white but great.””
The beautiful new ROAR Wine facility in Castorville.
““I could have made wines anywhere in the world, but I choose the Santa Lucia Highlands.””
SLH Wine Artsians Tasting
The Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans Board of Directors gave an excellent presentation led by Vice President Steve McIntyre who gave an overview of the appellation. After the presentation there was a panel tasting and discussion moderated by the SOMM Journal who has been covering the region and wines for some time. On the panel were winemakers who call SLH home or who often source grapes from here to craft their wines. Adam Lee of Clarice Wine Company and founder of Siduri and Talbott Vineyards David Coventry most likely summed up the panelist’s collective feelings when they said the quotes listed above. The 2017 Talbott Vineyards Sarah Case Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay had a great showing at this panel with green pear and yellow apple mixing with toasty salty citrus vanilla aromas and flavors. Another favorite was the 2016 Cattleya Soberanes Vineyard Syrah. Winemaker Bibiana González Rave has created a magnificent Syrah here, dark and viscous, staining the glass purple with each swirl. Blueberry and blackberry fruit stand out with a coffee savoriness and woody cedar aromas.
Morgan Winery
Morgan wines at the Double L Ranch!
Morgan winery with Dan and Donna Lee and Hog Island oysters in the Double L Vineyard was a great experience made more remarkable with a pairing of Morgan Albarino. The Lee’s bought the Double L Ranch property in 1996 when it was bare ground, quickly planting a vineyard and naming it Double Luck after their twin daughters. The vineyard is Monterey County Certified Organic and is the source of their highly awarded and sought-after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. On cue around 1 in the afternoon the wind started to pick up and I got to experience the strength that vines here must withstand every day. The history of SLH is weaved together with winemaker Dan Morgan Lee, who has produced wines featuring SLH fruit since 1986. The 2017 G 17 Syrah was impressive at this tasting with light bodied red fruitfulness of raspberry and red plum along with violet, rose petal, and cinnamon aromas
Mer Soleil Wines
The tall vines of Mer Soleil Chardonnay
Next was a trip to the Las Alturas Vineyard and tasting through past and current vintages of Mer Soleil Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Charlie Wagner. Mer Solei, French for sea and sun, is perfectly named for the main climatic influencers of this vineyard. It is located on the northern end of SLH on 15 acres, containing the classic SLH recipe of high winds, misty mornings and abundant early afternoon sunshine. Misty fog gathers early in the morning here with the sun following close by to dry the vineyard out. These are perfect conditions for small amounts of the fungus Botrytis to form on the Chardonnay and Viognier grapes here, which Charlie says is one part of the Mer Soleil Chardonnay taste profile. Botrytis is known to dry wine grapes, removing water and leaving sugars and acid as well as a unique viscous taste profile of honey. The vineyard is set high off the ground, more than 5 ft, supporting increased air circulation and sun exposure, great for ripening and keeping the Botrytis from becoming too excessive.
Over lunch Charlie talked about the difficulties in finding ground water in SLH and the time he was suspended for bringing firecrackers to school. During his suspension he would have to travel with his father to inspect vineyards around Salinas Valley. What was punishment then must be pleasure now as Charlie seems quite content guiding us through the vines and explaining what is going on in the vineyard. Stylistically Mer Solei is an extension of Charlie Wagner’s bold personality with a vibrant unabashed fruit profile that delivers the flavors, quality and importantly the price that many Californian consumers are looking for.
Mr. Mer Soleil himself, Charlie Wagner
““Terroir is everything you can’t control.””
There should be McIntyre Chardonnay in your wine glass right now.
““When you pick a grape you take it off the umbilical cord. Now you’re in charge.””
Class is in session. Professor McIntyre giving us plenty of things to think about in the vineyard.
McIntyre Vineyards
Next on the tour was McIntyre Vineyards where we were lucky to get a vineyard tour with winemaker and vintner Steve McIntyre who has worked with or helped plant many of the vineyards in SLH. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were originally planted in 1973 here on 80 acres, making them some of the oldest planted in SLH. The vineyard is also SIP, Sustainability in Practice, Certified. The warmth and ocean coolness of the region can be found in the wine with refined tropical fruits mixing with tart apple and zesty citrus freshness. There is an ample butter texture providing a rich fullness that pairs deliciously with a tart lemon acidity.
Steve is a natural teacher, his eyes lighting up when he receives a good question about his vineyard. After answering in great detail, he has a great way of succinctly summing up his point. Two examples being offered in quotes above. Steve would mention how starlings and linnets are some of the bigger pests of the vineyard, resulting in a great loss of fruit. Starlings are smart, travel in large numbers and are voracious eaters while linnets subtlety pick at grapes all day long, equaling great damage by harvest time. Both unfortunately love SLH fruit. A hospitality center in the vineyard will be constructed soon, somewhat of a rarity in SLH, featuring a tasting room, barrel storage and winery facility.
Tasting in Garys’ Vineyard with the Franscioni and Pisoni families.
ROAR Wines & Franscioni Family
The last winery visit of our first day was with the Franscioni family, Gary, Adam and Nick, along with the Pisoni family where we tasted through Lucia Vineyards and ROAR Wines under beautiful old growth oak trees. Much like the Hahn and Pisoni families, the Franscioni’s are SLH royalty, 4 generations deep with more than 100 years of farming experience. As SLH grew in reputation and quality many requests would be made to buy any available grapes from the two families. Gary Franscioni explained some of the requirements needed to get an SLH handshake deal, stronger than anything written on paper. “We had to like you, you had to make great wine and you have to pay your bills on time.”
““Respect the two Garys’””
One of the families most famed vineyards is a collaboration of Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, appropriately named Garys’ Vineyard. A warning to all wine directors though to list this wine with the apostrophe at the end or you’ll get the wrath of the two Garys’ since the vineyard is owned by both. Gary Franscioni summed it up best, stating with authority the quote above. The 2017 ROAR Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir was quite excellent, I found it very pleasantly understated for the power that SLH can bring with tart cherry and just ripe strawberry fruit. The 2017 ROAR Garys’ Vineyard Syrah offers black olive brine and aggressive oak spice and smoke qualities. Another collaboration between the families is the Soberanes Vineyard, featuring tight vine spacing on rocky loam soil adjacent to Garys’. Its youthful planting in 2008 may have some calling it a baby Garys,’ but I feel this vineyard will soon grow out of the shadow of its older brother. I found the 2017 Lucia Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay outstanding with a great balance of rich stone and tropical fruit with a vanilla cream and buttery texture that finishes refreshing and crisp with Meyer lemon citrus.
