“Wine lives and
should be respected as a living thing.
It develops in the bottle, and opens in the glass.”…. James McMillan
The more wine I enjoy from
cooler climate Monterey County (California), the more I enjoy wine that shows typicity.
And the more wines I enjoy from Scheid
Family Vineyards, with estate vineyards in Monterey County, the more I enjoy
wines that offer value. Uncork and pour,
this “Metz Road” Pinot Noir shows “old world” character of forest floor,
brandied berries and mushroom compost.
If that’s what tingles your taste buds: enjoy. You won’t be
disappointed. But I recommend you decant
after tasting from the bottle, or at the least, vacuum pump and enjoy the next
day.
That’s when it opens in the
glass. Floral notes of lilac, delicate and haunting, red licorice and a meld of
brandied cherries. It’s one of those wines whose aromas are so enjoyable, it
makes you put off tasting it for the joy of continuing to whiff the
aromas. It morphs in the glass as
moments pass. Initially, a tad sweet,
then lots of brown spice with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon (unusual for this varietal)
and black plum. The spice carries into its long finish. Its nose offers cherry and blackberry. Its texture,
with air in the glass, continues to get creamier. “Old world” notes of woodruff
and forest floor meet “new world” cherry and liquid smoke in this medium bodied
wine that is yet fruit rich with cherry and cola and develops some heat which
remains throughout a long finish.
Metz Road is single vineyard
juice from the Riverview Vineyard and named for the road (Metz) running alongside
Riverview Vineyard. The vineyard is nestled on a bench high above the Salinas
River and near Monterey Bay. Cold
afternoons and lingering coastal fogs make for a cool growing micro-climate so
beneficial for Pinot Noir. Grapes are
hand picked in early morning, pressed to temperature controlled stainless steel
tanks, then racked 100% to French oak (60% new) for twenty months before
bottling.
None of this routine is
exclusive. But what may be exclusive is the price to quality ratio of this wine from Scheid Family Wines. With an ARP of
$30, Metz Road combines old and new world style with no jarring overtones to
diminish its balance. Tannin, acidity
and fruit work in partnership balance. I tasted vintages from 2013 (from their
Mesa del Rio vineyard, also in Monterey) and 2015 and found them consistent in
quality and style.
 |
| Attention to detail even includes useful info on the label instead of the all too common foo-fo. |
Scheid Family Wines is one of
the region’s largest growers and one you may never have heard of. But it’s likely
you have enjoyed their wines. Like other
wineries, Scheid produces wine under many labels (Andover Estate, Aristotle,
District 7, Pareto’s Estate and others) and sometimes without the Scheid name
prominent. And, as with most wineries,
they offer different levels within the same varietal, so there is more than one Pinot Noir, for example, with levels of quality being branded
differently. I’ve enjoyed several of
Scheid’s varietals including Chardonnay, Riesling, Petite Sirah and a blend of
Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot and others.
Consistent throughout has been a price to quality ratio bespeaking value.
Cheers!
………………. Jim
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TECH SPECS (For 2015
Vintage)
ALC: 14%
Brix (at harvest): 25.7
PH: 3.72
TA: 0.64 g/L
Clones: Pommard, 667, 777
Soil: Well-drained decomposed granite
Points: 91 Wine Enthusiast
Juice is fermented in open top
fermenters with a punch down three times daily to gently extract color and
tannins.
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