Santiago - 11-11-2017 at 09:15 PM
sometimes I think this stuff gets repetitive but in the interest of just pushing the info out, here goes:
After our somewhat disappointing Dona Estrella experience, we checked into our room at Rancho El Parral, just down the road from Alxima winery. By
the way, the Rancho was a very nice place, older hacienda style, 5 rooms with a family atmosphere, right next to Rodno Winery in the west end of the
valley. At $200 'merician a pop, a bit too high. Would be an awesome place for 4 or 5 couples to rent the whole place out. nice grounds. Tasting at
Rondo is free if staying there.
Our plan this trip was to hit 6 to 8 places and the only way we could do that would be to share a single tasting and this turned out to be a good
choice.
Montefiori was out first stop, I wanted to try this place as the first time I stopped there a few years ago the wines were flat and had an
off-taste/nose. I'm happy to report the nose of cleaning fluid has been removed and the wines, in our opinion, have reached "standard red-wine Baja
blend" standards. Not throwing shade here, just that you could go here or about 20 other wineries and pretty much taste the same wine. I asked for a
taste of their Rosado and it was, well, slightly red water. Pass on that.
Las Nubes: We have a soft spot for this place, started going there when the tasting room was in the storage facility but you could tell then that
somebody gave a sh*t. Over the last 5 years they have expanded their operation and are continuing to do so. Cheese trays and the like are available
and there are far worse ways to while away a few hours. Their upper end reds are very good and worth paying for the expanded tasting. The Jaak,
their uncommonly good rose, is sold out. We await the next vintage. At a little under 15,000 cases, this is a winery bigger than most but smaller
than the big guys - commitment to quality is a big buzzword. We drank to that.
Emeve: We can not stop there if driving by - we always say "this time we won't go to Emeve" but we always give in. 5 or 6 years ago we went there on
a Sunday at noon and for an hours set killing the hair of the dog with the nice young lady who fed us cheese and wine for two hours. Now the little
house is gone and some Mex City architect building is there but the wines are still good and the same young lady is now running the
front-of-the-house. The cab sauv is not bad and the Syrah downright good.
Decantos: Try as we could, and we did try, we could find nothing to complain about, and we pretty much went thru the entire repertory. In Nor Cal,
Merlot is making a big comeback, sort of an anti "Sideways" backlash. With no shame I tell you I got a second glass.
Grenache....everybody makes one, right? One of the worst things you can say to a wine maker is that their product is "very drinkable".... SWMBO got
two as well and she is a white wine gal. Totally broke our "share one tasting" rule, we were snarling like rabid dogs if your mate's hand got close
to the glass. I finally had to pretend a bano break just to sneak off and have a glass in peace. Heysoos
Syrah: go there, drink this.
Sol y Barro: Still a great small winery, the vintages are good and a bit better than most. Blends, and well done.
Tres Mujeres: Not to let the cat out of the bag, there really is only one Mujeres, one of the other started her own winrery and the third just makes
for her family's own consumption. Typical, and we don't mean that pejoratively, red blends. Good table wines, and there's a place for that, for
sure. Hacienda came down on them and you can no longer get bottles signed by the owner, must have the label with the tax stamp. It was intimated
that on 'special consideration', a naked bottle signed by the wine maker was possible. whatever.
Tastings are now getting expensive, up to $250 pesos for 3 small pours. Most of the larger wineries are having three or four types of tastings: $100
for 1 white and 2 reds, up to $200-$250 for four of their reserve. Only their cheapest tasting will have a white, all others are red only. Our
advise is to pass on the cheapest, split a tasting and get the upper choice; and stretch it out. Take your time and really talk to the staff, they
have a lot of info and an interesting story on how they got to be a wine pourer. Not that this should be your reason for doing so, but it seemed
after a nice chat, we got an 'extra' taste we did not pay for.
We were astounded at the number of new wineries either under construction or just opened. We will never keep up, but we will try.
[Edited on 11-12-2017 by Santiago]
Udo - 11-12-2017 at 09:19 AM
Great report, Santiago.
We go there to eat and taste about 2 times per month, and our wine-and-dine group frequents the Valle once a month.
You have a great insight in relating the local wines to the uninitiated.
Paco Facullo - 11-12-2017 at 10:12 AM
Santiago,
Thanks for another O so well written reviews of the wineries.
Much appreciated !