Our 2020 Monterey Pinot Noir shows a bright, ruby red color with excellent clarity. On the nose we find intense, spicy aromas of red cherries and cranberries, accented with floral notes. The palate exhibits vibrant, refreshing flavors of bright red berries and tropical fruits and a full, lush texture. We feel this wine is an excellent match with a wide variety of dishes.
This wine is a revived project from Arroyo Seco ā mainly Griva Vineyard and Mission Ranch Vineyards in Arroyo Seco. We made the Monterey Pinot Noir back in the day and 2014 was the last vintage. After seeing what advances Mr. Griva and company made in the vineyard we were back in to start making the Arroyo Seco Pinot again, as well as our award-winning Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot.
Our winemaker, Dean de Korth, uses cooler fermentation and zero whole cluster. Hand-picked and hand-sorted. We use stainless fermentation and aging 6 months in a barrel in 90% 1-3-year French oak and 10% new oak. Uses a mix of Bentonite and Isingleiss for clarification
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Dijon Clones 113-30%, 667-30% & 777-30% and Pommard Clone 5-10%
Widely traveled and endowed with impeccable taste, Ben Pon could have chosen anywhere in the world to establish his namesake Bernardus Winery, with the intention of cultivating premier-class wines. He selected Carmel Valley, with its west-facing orientation, hot days and chilly nights, and stunning beauty, confident his vineyards there could produce wines to rival the greatest on the globe. More than a quarter-century later, heās accomplished that not only with his estate Bordeaux blend, called Marinus (after his middle name) but with a powerhouse portfolio of single-vineyard-designated Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
I received a note from our friend Alice on Tuesday letting me know that a rat bottle was en route for the Friday offering. Excited, as usual, I asked her if she could disclose anything about the wine in advance so I could plan for an appropriate dinner. My refrigerator was looking rather tragic after avoiding shopping for as long as humanly possible. Iām not sure what would have paired well with low fat vanilla yogurt, salami, chili peppers, and condiments. Alice was kind enough to disclose that the bottle would be a Pinot Noir. Yay! My fav! I had taken the day off work (Thursday) to deal with some personal crap (had to go to the DMVā¦torture!) and stopped at the store on the way home to procure the ingredients necessary for a proper meal. By the time I got home from errands, etc, I hadnāt had breakfast or lunch and was pretty hungry, so I cooked dinner a bit earlier than Iām accustomed to.
On to the good stuff!
2020 Bernardus Pinot Noir Monterey County
Interesting. I purchased the Bernardus 2018 SLH into a while back and have enjoyed a few bottles. Hoping this will be equally enjoyable.
On pop (twist) and pour, the color is a lovely clear, medium ruby/garnet red. The nose is full of sweet, bright red fruits with cherry and strawberry leading the way, and a slight floral note of (probably) rose. On the palate, I found the expected juicy red fruits, though not as āin your faceā as the nose had me expecting. I found it to be smooth, with light tannin structureā¦enough to give the wine a little body, but not to dry out your mouth. Thereās some juicy acidity and the wine seems pretty well-balanced.
I sipped on the first glass while assembling dinner which consisted of pistachio and pesto crusted salmon, oven roasted green beans and cherry tomatoes, and corn on the cob. The wine seemed to go well with the pistachios that I snacked on while prepping. It was OK with the handful of cashews I grabbed, but I like it better with the pistachios. To be fair, pistachios are my favorite of all of the nuts in the kingdom! Over the first half hour or so in the glass, the wine seemed to lose a lot of the bright red fruit (on both nose and palate). Itās definitely food-friendly but, for me at least, can be enjoyed equally well on its own.
Glass number two was consumed with dinner and went well with everything. I will say that, for me, the nose seemed to vacillate between fruity and not so fruity. Iām having some trouble pinpointing what it transitioned to. Not quite what I would call earthy or herbal, but not as fruit driven. Then the fruit would re-appear. Maybe itās just my allergies acting up and masking the fruit character. Not sureā¦
I poured glass number three after dinner and clean-up were completed and am just sipping on it through the evening. The freshly poured glass has more of the same bright red fruit (nose and palate) which lingers for 20 minutes or so before fading. While it went well with dinner, I think this wine is perfectly quaffable on its own or with light snacks. It seems to go exceptionally well with both cherry pie and the dark chocolate sea salt caramels from Candy Basket. Extra dessert!..oh, the lengths I wonāt go to for this community.
Overall, I found this to be an easy-drinking, food-friendly pinot. I think it would be a crowd pleaser and appeal to experienced palates as well as novices. It seems well-structured and balanced.
Iāve reserved the last glass or so for tasting after work tomorrow and will hunt down a bottle of the 2018 SLH from a previous offer for comparison.
As always, itās a pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to this community. Thanks to Alice, WineDavid, the WCC crew, and the folks at Bernardus! I do have to work tomorrow, but will try to check in periodically to see if anyone has any questions I can help answer.
Cheers!
Note: Apologies for the lack of pics of the wine. Itās too dim indoors now to get a nice pic. I will try to remember to bring a glass out on the balcony tomorrow before the sun disappears to try to capture the color/clarity.
Second day tastingā¦
Not much different to report. Still mostly red fruit on pouring fading to something less fruity/maybe a little earthy? Definitely food friendly, probably a crowd pleaser. Has it knocked my socks off? Noā¦ but itās a perfectly quaffable Cali Pinot at a more than fair price. If my racks werenāt overfilled, Iād certainly consider ordering.
Similar to the Rattage above we received the Bernardus Monterey Pinot Noir this week and enjoyed the glasses we drank.
Twisted the cap and poured at room temp:
The initial pour we noticed the color to be that of cranberry, thin, and bright.
The nose had pie berries like strawberry and cherry and a bit of oak perhaps.
The taste was smooth with a bit of acid on the back of the tongue. I noticed a bit of spice and a wee bit of tartness that my partner didnāt notice at first.
Three hours:
Same as above, still enjoyable and rounded out nicely.
All-in-all we enjoyed this wine. We live in Oregon and drink Pinot quite often and I would say that this expression of that varietal is one of a fresh and fruity style that we donāt often come across in and around the Willamette Valley.
We tried it with a few different foods including a prawn cocktail and a wedge salad and the wine didnāt necessarily hold up to with the blue cheese (no real surprise there) but did go nicely with the seafood.
I would say that if you are looking for an under 20 dollar bottle of fresh and fruity pinot then this is going to do all the things for you. Nothing that I would save in my cellar but a bottle I wouldnāt mind bringing over to a crab crack or share with friends on the coast.
Thank you to Alice and WineDavid for the opportunity, always fun!!
Well Wine Access had this awhile back for $26, sold out now, but said this:
Deep ruby color with a light rim. Fragrant and bright on the nose, packed with fresh raspberries, violets, forest floor, and black tea. On the palate, itās medium-bodied and elegant, with tons of black cherry and cola accented by a touch of orange zest and button mushroom. It finishes long with a delightfully silky mouthfeel. Drink nowā2025. Also has a little graph, scale of 3, with Fruit 2, Body 2, Tannin 2, Oak 1, Acidity 2.
A blurb from edible Monterey Bay with a winemaker interview, this wine is discussed. The article mentions a little different oak treatment than is mentioned here.
What about the fires you say? Personally Iām buying very few 2020 wines unless Iām 100% sure they are in a nonaffected area. I do know that there are Arroyo Seco growers who decided not to pick any grapes because of taint.
Michael Griva (F&G Vineyard aka Griva Vineyard) had this to say in Oct '20: (fires were Aug/Sept)
āAlthough 2020 will certainly go down as a challenging year for all in agriculture, I must say that, for the most part, our growing season has been great. Spring and summer were relatively cool, with the exception of a small heat wave mid-August.
Over the past few weeks, I have often been asked if the recent fires have played a role in harvest this year. I continue to see that in our region, the primary impact has been a slight delay in the ripening of fruit. After several discussions with other vineyard owners and winemakers from the Arroyo Seco AVA we feel that the fires will not impact the quality of this vintage. We are validating that with scientifically testing grape samples at labs that measure taint impacts. To date, results have come back favorable for our growers. The fruit has retained high quality that we have come to know from the Arroyo Seco.ā
FWIW, I have not tried this wine; so, probably is not worth much. I was lucky enough to be ratted a Santa Lucia Pinot from them, and it was swell, but not what I look for in a Pinot. Different strokes for different folks.
They definitely swing towards the fruit-forward Pinot, it sounds like, versus the tertiary aromas, e.g. mushroom/forest floor/attic/dank.
I bet if you like fruity Pinots, this is it. If you like PNW deep, earthy, etc. Probably not for you. (My tenth of two-cents.)
@KNmeh7 Yes, my feeling exactly. Iām sure there are fine PNs from the region, and this may well be one of them. But if I see the words ābrightā and ācherryā it might be a fine example of the style I donāt particularly favor.
I am a fan of the PNW words and textures you describe, though damn hard to find at any moderate price.
2020 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Monterey County
Tasting Notes
Specs
Whatās Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$432.00/Case for 12x 2020 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Monterey County at Bernardus Winery
About The Winery
Widely traveled and endowed with impeccable taste, Ben Pon could have chosen anywhere in the world to establish his namesake Bernardus Winery, with the intention of cultivating premier-class wines. He selected Carmel Valley, with its west-facing orientation, hot days and chilly nights, and stunning beauty, confident his vineyards there could produce wines to rival the greatest on the globe. More than a quarter-century later, heās accomplished that not only with his estate Bordeaux blend, called Marinus (after his middle name) but with a powerhouse portfolio of single-vineyard-designated Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 1 - Wednesday, Aug 3
2020 Bernardus Monterey Pinot Noir
4 bottles for $84.99 $21.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
This is always an autobuy for me.
I received a note from our friend Alice on Tuesday letting me know that a rat bottle was en route for the Friday offering. Excited, as usual, I asked her if she could disclose anything about the wine in advance so I could plan for an appropriate dinner. My refrigerator was looking rather tragic after avoiding shopping for as long as humanly possible.
Iām not sure what would have paired well with low fat vanilla yogurt, salami, chili peppers, and condiments. Alice was kind enough to disclose that the bottle would be a Pinot Noir. Yay! My fav! I had taken the day off work (Thursday) to deal with some personal crap (had to go to the DMVā¦torture!) and stopped at the store on the way home to procure the ingredients necessary for a proper meal. By the time I got home from errands, etc, I hadnāt had breakfast or lunch and was pretty hungry, so I cooked dinner a bit earlier than Iām accustomed to.
On to the good stuff!
2020 Bernardus Pinot Noir Monterey County
Interesting. I purchased the Bernardus 2018 SLH into a while back and have enjoyed a few bottles. Hoping this will be equally enjoyable.
On pop (twist) and pour, the color is a lovely clear, medium ruby/garnet red. The nose is full of sweet, bright red fruits with cherry and strawberry leading the way, and a slight floral note of (probably) rose. On the palate, I found the expected juicy red fruits, though not as āin your faceā as the nose had me expecting. I found it to be smooth, with light tannin structureā¦enough to give the wine a little body, but not to dry out your mouth. Thereās some juicy acidity and the wine seems pretty well-balanced.
I sipped on the first glass while assembling dinner which consisted of pistachio and pesto crusted salmon, oven roasted green beans and cherry tomatoes, and corn on the cob. The wine seemed to go well with the pistachios that I snacked on while prepping. It was OK with the handful of cashews I grabbed, but I like it better with the pistachios. To be fair, pistachios are my favorite of all of the nuts in the kingdom! Over the first half hour or so in the glass, the wine seemed to lose a lot of the bright red fruit (on both nose and palate). Itās definitely food-friendly but, for me at least, can be enjoyed equally well on its own.
Glass number two was consumed with dinner and went well with everything. I will say that, for me, the nose seemed to vacillate between fruity and not so fruity. Iām having some trouble pinpointing what it transitioned to. Not quite what I would call earthy or herbal, but not as fruit driven. Then the fruit would re-appear. Maybe itās just my allergies acting up and masking the fruit character. Not sureā¦
I poured glass number three after dinner and clean-up were completed and am just sipping on it through the evening. The freshly poured glass has more of the same bright red fruit (nose and palate) which lingers for 20 minutes or so before fading. While it went well with dinner, I think this wine is perfectly quaffable on its own or with light snacks. It seems to go exceptionally well with both cherry pie and the dark chocolate sea salt caramels from Candy Basket. Extra dessert!..oh, the lengths I wonāt go to for this community.
Overall, I found this to be an easy-drinking, food-friendly pinot. I think it would be a crowd pleaser and appeal to experienced palates as well as novices. It seems well-structured and balanced.
Iāve reserved the last glass or so for tasting after work tomorrow and will hunt down a bottle of the 2018 SLH from a previous offer for comparison.
As always, itās a pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to this community. Thanks to Alice, WineDavid, the WCC crew, and the folks at Bernardus! I do have to work tomorrow, but will try to check in periodically to see if anyone has any questions I can help answer.
Cheers!
Note: Apologies for the lack of pics of the wine. Itās too dim indoors now to get a nice pic. I will try to remember to bring a glass out on the balcony tomorrow before the sun disappears to try to capture the color/clarity.
@karenhynes You got a 4th glass from this bottleā¦ the best I can do is 3 glasses per bottle. Thanks for your review.
Second day tastingā¦
Not much different to report. Still mostly red fruit on pouring fading to something less fruity/maybe a little earthy? Definitely food friendly, probably a crowd pleaser. Has it knocked my socks off? Noā¦ but itās a perfectly quaffable Cali Pinot at a more than fair price. If my racks werenāt overfilled, Iād certainly consider ordering.
Similar to the Rattage above we received the Bernardus Monterey Pinot Noir this week and enjoyed the glasses we drank.
Twisted the cap and poured at room temp:
The initial pour we noticed the color to be that of cranberry, thin, and bright.
The nose had pie berries like strawberry and cherry and a bit of oak perhaps.
The taste was smooth with a bit of acid on the back of the tongue. I noticed a bit of spice and a wee bit of tartness that my partner didnāt notice at first.
After an hourā¦
Second Pour
I noticed a bit of green pepper and a woodsy aroma emanating from the glass.
The taste was much better after an hour. Vanilla and crĆØme brĆ»lĆ©e as well as a soft and somewhat buttery feel. Still a slight hint of acid on the back of the tongue.
Three hours:
Same as above, still enjoyable and rounded out nicely.
All-in-all we enjoyed this wine. We live in Oregon and drink Pinot quite often and I would say that this expression of that varietal is one of a fresh and fruity style that we donāt often come across in and around the Willamette Valley.
We tried it with a few different foods including a prawn cocktail and a wedge salad and the wine didnāt necessarily hold up to with the blue cheese (no real surprise there) but did go nicely with the seafood.
I would say that if you are looking for an under 20 dollar bottle of fresh and fruity pinot then this is going to do all the things for you. Nothing that I would save in my cellar but a bottle I wouldnāt mind bringing over to a crab crack or share with friends on the coast.
Thank you to Alice and WineDavid for the opportunity, always fun!!
Well Wine Access had this awhile back for $26, sold out now, but said this:
Deep ruby color with a light rim. Fragrant and bright on the nose, packed with fresh raspberries, violets, forest floor, and black tea. On the palate, itās medium-bodied and elegant, with tons of black cherry and cola accented by a touch of orange zest and button mushroom. It finishes long with a delightfully silky mouthfeel. Drink nowā2025. Also has a little graph, scale of 3, with Fruit 2, Body 2, Tannin 2, Oak 1, Acidity 2.
A blurb from edible Monterey Bay with a winemaker interview, this wine is discussed. The article mentions a little different oak treatment than is mentioned here.
https://www.ediblemontereybay.com/blog/bernardus-beyond-ben-pon-catching-up-with-winemaker-dean-de-korth/
What about the fires you say? Personally Iām buying very few 2020 wines unless Iām 100% sure they are in a nonaffected area. I do know that there are Arroyo Seco growers who decided not to pick any grapes because of taint.
Michael Griva (F&G Vineyard aka Griva Vineyard) had this to say in Oct '20: (fires were Aug/Sept)
āAlthough 2020 will certainly go down as a challenging year for all in agriculture, I must say that, for the most part, our growing season has been great. Spring and summer were relatively cool, with the exception of a small heat wave mid-August.
Over the past few weeks, I have often been asked if the recent fires have played a role in harvest this year. I continue to see that in our region, the primary impact has been a slight delay in the ripening of fruit. After several discussions with other vineyard owners and winemakers from the Arroyo Seco AVA we feel that the fires will not impact the quality of this vintage. We are validating that with scientifically testing grape samples at labs that measure taint impacts. To date, results have come back favorable for our growers. The fruit has retained high quality that we have come to know from the Arroyo Seco.ā
fwiw
FWIW, I have not tried this wine; so, probably is not worth much. I was lucky enough to be ratted a Santa Lucia Pinot from them, and it was swell, but not what I look for in a Pinot. Different strokes for different folks.
They definitely swing towards the fruit-forward Pinot, it sounds like, versus the tertiary aromas, e.g. mushroom/forest floor/attic/dank.
I bet if you like fruity Pinots, this is it. If you like PNW deep, earthy, etc. Probably not for you. (My tenth of two-cents.)
@KNmeh7 Yes, my feeling exactly. Iām sure there are fine PNs from the region, and this may well be one of them. But if I see the words ābrightā and ācherryā it might be a fine example of the style I donāt particularly favor.
I am a fan of the PNW words and textures you describe, though damn hard to find at any moderate price.