Meet Monterey’s New-Wave Winemakers
PHOTO BY MICHAEL HOUSEWRIGHT
Monterey County is a historic and well-established viticultural region. Grapes sourced throughout the county serve as the backbone for many popular Central Coast cuvées, and the region is home to prestigious subappellations like Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands that are world-renowned for quality. It’s largely a land of tradition, ruled by generational families and corporate concerns that make it hard for new blood to establish itself.
But the Monterey winescape is changing. There’s an electricity buzzing across the county, as a growing contingent of adventurous vintners settles into urban wineries in Salinas and Marina, and established brands enlist the next generation of winemakers. Many have taken a renewed look at the Carmel Valley, while others discover forgotten vinelands that are also influenced by the Monterey Bay, like those in the adjacent San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties.
Unbound by the shackles of convention and attuned to the desires of millennial consumers, this emerging vanguard produces racy, exciting and even avant-garde bottlings, often at stunningly fair prices. Its efforts have reinvigorated respect for this geographically blessed cross section of California, where a diverse array of microclimates and soil types can produce a brilliant rainbow of wine styles.
Exploring the Region
Russell Joyce—Joyce Vineyards
A race-car driver turned dentist, Francis Joyce planted Joyce Vineyards on a steep Carmel Valley slope in 1986, but the brand didn’t hit its stride until his son, Russell, took over about seven years ago.
“I was able to piece together a lot of good advice, but I also had a bit of pride and wanted to prove I could do it on my own,” says Russell. “I went through a lot of experimental stages. Then I just started to pay attention to what I like to drink. I like tension and energy.”
Russell now co-owns the winery, where he produces 12 wines, with an annual production around 10,000 cases. The grapes come from more than 10 vineyard sites that span from his estate property to the Gabilan Mountains.
The Submarine Canyon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the workhorses, but he also produces single-vineyard expressions of those grapes as well as thrilling Albariño, Riesling, Gamay Noir and cool-climate Syrah from the Santa Lucia Highlands.
To him, the shifting vibe is palpable.
“You feel everyone starting to hone their craft and capture the energy of Monterey,” he says.
—M.K.
Read the full article here: https://www.winemag.com/2019/05/21/meet-montereys-new-wave-winemakers/