Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Santa Lucia Highlands Somm Tour, a trade trip put on for wine professionals all over the country to experience the SLH AVA up close and personal. For three days, I drank the most amazing wine, spent a ton of time in different vineyards, and learned so much about the winemakers who make this incredible region worth the trip. I also got 27 seconds of training in dropping fruit (cutting off small green clusters of grapes to avoid underripe flavors in the final wine and to allow the remaining bunches to ripen fully), followed by 25 minutes of dropping fruit in Sobranes Vineyard. So, as far as I’m concerned, I’m a vigneron.
The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is just inland from Monterey/Carmel, California and was established in 1992, making it a fairly young wine region (for context, Napa Valley AVA was established in 1981). It’s a cool, dry climate with a lot of afternoon wind that ends up extending the growing season. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the darlings of the region, but you don’t have to go far to find Grenache, Syrah, Albarino, or a number of other varieties.
I’ve chosen a few of my favorite wines from the trip that I believe capture the essence of both place and people. Don’t sleep on SLH wines!
Morgan Albarino - $18.99
Ok, so this wine comes from a region juuuuuuust outside SLH called Arroyo Seco, but it’s literally right next door to the SLH AVA. This Albarino is a little different from your typical Rias Baixas expression - less salinity, more ripe peachy vibes. In my opinion, this is the perfect wine to savor during the last few days of summer. Morgan Winery prides itself on sustainability and organic farming, which makes their wines even better.
Morgan Double L Vineyard Chardonnay - $27.99
I had the privilege of having oysters and caviar while overlooking this historic vineyard, named “Double L” for “double luck,” referencing proprietors’ Dan and Donna Lee’s twin daughters. This Chardonnay is a beautiful balance between fruit and oak - think lemon curd and white blossoms mixed with baking spices and toasted coconut. It’s a Chardonnay worth trying!
Talbott Vineyards Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir - $36.99
We had a lovely walk through this vineyard (picture below) as well as a really informative winery tour, where we got to see all the different stages of winemaking. AND they have a woman head winemaker - Kamee Knutson! She runs a great program at Talbott. This Pinot Noir is the very essence of SLH Pinots - soft red and black fruit with notes of spice and an underlying mineral note. Drink this with some carne asada or a mushroom-driven dish and you’ll be in heaven.
Bruliam Sangiocomo Vineyard Pinot Noir - $56.99
The winemaker, Kerith Overstreet, is a gem of a human and an incredible winemaker. She came from the medical world - went all the way through medical school and several residencies and fellowships before turning to her true love of winemaking. The “Bruliam” name comes from Kerith’s three children - Bruno, Lily, and Amelia. Now, she’s well-established in the region for making precise and fresh Pinot Noirs. This 2017 is starting to show notes of aging - you could definitely drink it now or lay it down for a few years.
