(Robert Whitley’s Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column for this week.)
Over its 18 years, the annual Monterey Wine Competition has rolled out the welcome mat for great wines the world over. The Champagne houses of Dom Perignon and Lanson, for example, have enjoyed success in the past. There was the ’96 competition when the iconic Napa Valley red, Joseph Phelps Insignia, won Best of Show with its excellent 1992 vintage. Wines from Australia, Spain and Italy have made their mark as well.
This year’s storyline veered down a road less traveled. To be sure, the championship round was populated by many of the usual suspects: an $80 Cabernet from the Napa Valley, a $50 Meritage from Washington’s most prestigious winery and a superb white from Spain’s Penedes district. There were even wines representing New York, Missouri and New Mexico. Australia and New Zealand were in the mix, too.
Yet at the end of the day, the first Sunday of March 2011, it was a Pinot Noir from a vineyard less than an hour from the competition headquarters at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City, Calif., that stole the show. The Wrath 2008 San Saba Vineyard Pinot Noir ($49) broke free from a three-way tie in the final round, and was named Wine of Year in a close vote.
Wrath is a relatively young (its tasting room was only recently completed) boutique winery that sits on a 70-acre parcel 25 miles southeast of Monterey, just outside the boundary of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. It specializes in limited-production cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winning wine had been the subject of rave reviews by numerous wine publications, such as Wine Spectator, International Wine Review, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Review Online — all of them awarding a rating of 90-plus points.
In the final round of voting, the Wrath Pinot faced off against a 2006 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Blanc de Blancs, ($24), winner of Best Sparkling; Stone Hill’s 2010 Missouri Vignoles ($12.99), voted Best White; and Heron Hill 2008 Late Harvest Vidal ($17.99), the Best Dessert winner. In the first vote on the final four, only the Gloria Ferrer was eliminated, with the other three tied. Wrath narrowly prevailed in the runoff, providing a dramatic finish as well as an impressive winner.
Other highlights from the 18th Monterey Wine Competition:
V. Sattui of the Napa Valley was named Winery of the Year following another powerful performance. Sattui collected 24 medals overall and was the runaway winner in that category. Sattui also landed two of its wines — 2007 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($40) and 2009 Early Harvest Riesling ($19.75) — in the championship round. Both of those wines were awarded Platinum. Sattui also had five Gold medals in its big haul.
J. Lohr of Paso Robles — an important winery in California’s Central Coast and long a leader in high quality wines at reasonable prices — took home 14 medals, including Platinum for the three wines it sent to the championship round: 2007 Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles ($35), 2010 Wildflower Valdiguie, Monterey ($8.50) and 2008 Los Osos Merlot, Paso Robles ($15).
J. Lohr also had four Gold medals.
Navarro Vineyards of Mendocino’s Anderson Valley tied J. Lohr for second in the medal count, including a Platinum for its 2009 Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley ($19). Navarro also won five Gold medals for wines ranging in price from $18 to $27. This family-owned, family-run winery in the coolest area of Mendocino County specializes in aromatic whites and beautifully structured Pinot Noirs.
The Midwest was capably represented by the stellar St. James Winery of Missouri, which was the winner of 13 medals and a Best of Show award for its cherry fruit wine (winning fruit wines and grape spirits are not included in the vote for Wine of the Year). St. James won a Platinum award for its 2009 Chambourcin, Ozark Mountain ($6.99) and its non-vintage Friendship School White ($8.99).
The Eberle Winery of Paso Robles hit for a high percentage by winning 10 medals on 13 wines entered, including a Platinum for its 2009 Cotes-du-Robles Blanc, Paso Robles ($24). This is a white Rhone-style blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne. Eberle also had a Gold for its 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($34). Owner Gary Eberle was among the first winemakers to recognize the potential for grapes in Paso Robles; he planted Cabernet extensively in the early 1970s. He was also the first to introduce Syrah in the region.
California sparkling wine producers Gloria Ferrer and Korbel tied with eight medals apiece, but one of Korbel’s medals was for its Brandy XS ($12), the Best Grape Spirit of the competition. Gloria Ferrer sent two of its bubblies to the championship round and won Best Sparkling with the 2006 Blanc de Blancs, Carneros ($24). Gloria Ferrer added three Golds to go along with its two Platinums.
For those with an eye on value, Cupcake’s range of $14 wines took five medals and had two of those — 2008 Petite Sirah, Central Coast and 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand — in the Platinum championship round. And Bogle came through with six medals, including two Golds, priced between $9 and $18. Bogle’s Gold medals were for a Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, both from the 2009 vintage and both with a retail price tag of $9.
Small family-run wineries also had a big weekend in Monterey with Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyard from Oregon’s Umpqua Valley and Lake Chelan Winery from the Lake Chelan Valley area of Washington leading the way. Reustle-Prayer Rock won five medals, including a Platinum for its 2010 Reserve Gruner Veltliner ($26). Reustle-Prayer Rock also won two Gold medals. Lake Chelan won four medals, including Platinum medals for its 2008 Rivers Bend Vineyard Syrah, Columbia Valley ($28) and its 2008 Chardonnay Ice Wine, Columbia Valley ($30 per 375 ml bottle). Lake Chelan also had a Gold for its 2009 Sweet Riesling, Lake Chelan ($15).
Click here for complete results of the 2011 Monterey Wine Competition.
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