MONTERRA 2004 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Introduction

As I have said, I do prefer red wines over white, and this one caught my eye in the “Bargain Bin” at a local liquor store. It was $7.99 (or 3 for $21) for a 750 milliter bottle. The name was somewhat appealing as it reminded me both of “Monterey,” California, and Italy as it was a bit Italian-sounding. Also “Mont” connoted mountain, and “terra” connoted earth so it is a very appropriate name for a wine. Upon further examination I could see that the wine was indeed from Monterrey County.

Wine Impressions

We found the color to be a deep purple with reddish edges – about what you would expect for a Cabernet Sauvignon. The taste was mild for a Cabernet and it seemed to “evaporate” quickly, i.e. no aftertaste. Its aroma was somewhat “layered.” It had light whiffs but also elements of stronger smells as well.

The bottle was about average. It had an artificial cork that is almost the color of a natural cork. The label has an illustration of a grape vine on it that looks like a tree at first glance. The background color is similar to the color of the wine inside the bottle. The top quarter of the label is a sort of a burnt orange color where the name “Monterra” appears.

The Company: Monterra Winery

Monterra Winery is located in Manteca, California, which is on “the I-5” just south of Stockton and a few miles north of Modesto. It is roughly 60 miles due east of San Francisco. Monterra Winery is one of seven wineries owned by the Indelicato family. The others are Delicato, Clay Station, Encore, Monterrey Vine Select, Kingfish and Encore.

The company operates two major vineyards: the San Bernabe Vineyard and the Clay Station Vineyard. They both have interesting facts about them. According to the company web site, San Bernabe is the largest contiguous vineyard in the world and is called the “world’s most diverse single vineyard.” It is almost 20 square miles in size and divided into 135 unique vineyard blocks. It is located inland from Monterrey Bay and extends south to near Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County (yes, another Central Coast vineyard). The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from this vineyard.

The other major vineyard is called Clay Station. It was once a major stagecoach stop during the California Gold Rush. It was also once part of the Borden Ranch. It is located in the foothills east of Lodi, which is also on the I-5 about 10 miles north of Stockton.

The company began in 1924 with its founder, Gaspare Indelicato, an Italian immigrant, growing grapes to sell to individuals who made homemade wine. Of course, Prohibition was in effect so only individuals could make a maximum of 200 gallons of wine per year. He sent most of his grapes to Chicago. He then began making wine in 1935. In 1950, the second generation began making custom wines for other wineries as well as in their own name. The San Bernabe vineyard was established by others in 1974 and the Indelicatos built a new winery in the middle of it in 1976. The family purchased the San Bernabe vineyard in 1988. It purchased the Clay Station area in 1995, after an extensive search for new land on which to establish a vineyard. The area had never been plowed and the family created the vineyard from scratch.

The Monterra labeled wines were first released for wide distribution in 1997. They were available in the tasting room only beginning in 1993. In addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon, other Monterra wines include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Shiraz.

Finally, the company uses “sustainable practices” in operating the San Bernabe vineyard. It plants native species between rows of vines to encourage native insects that are predators of pest insects. It also provides “owl boxes” to keep down the mice, voles and rabbit population in the vineyard. My kudos for these practices! I will certainly buy more wine from this company.

The Region: California Central Coast

My policy is to discuss the region where the wine (especially the grapes!) is actually from. While I have discussed the Central Coast a bit in my discussion of the Concannon Chardonay, that report concentrated on the southern portion of the Central Coast and the Monterra Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the northern portion of the region in the San Bernabe vineyard.

Of course, the most well-known cities in this region are Monterey and Carmel. Monterey had a 2000 population of 29,674. It has an excellent aquarium (which you may have seen featured in Star Trek IV) and is also known for its Cannery Row. Carmel is another beautiful town just south of Monterey. Its 2000 population was 4081. You may remember when Clint Eastwood was Mayor.

The entire County has a population just over 400,000. It is home to Los Padres National Forest and Big Sur (on the coast), Tassajara Hot Springs and the Salinas River. Highway 1 winds along the coast through the mountains. On another trip to California, my wife and I (with out 4-year old and 2-year old sons made the drive on Highway 1 all the way from Monterey through Big Sur and Los Padres to San Luis Obispo. Each bend of the road reveals another view more spectacular than the previous one. Take a camera if you go, but photographs cannot do it justice. If you are in a hurry, take the 101.

Paso Robles (in San Luis Obispo County) is also part of the region. It is also well-known for both its wines and healing waters. You may recall an earthquake that struck the area in December of 2003 and caused considerable damage in the City’s downtown area. Its 2000 population was 24,297.