Way out of the hustle and bustle of Monterey and Carmel are the wineries of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Only about 40 or so minutes to the southeast, this picturesque region has quite a few wineries and they are quite spread out. One of the wineries, Wrath, has a stunning tasting room, a view that is the stuff postcards are made of and some lovely wines.
We happened to arrive on the first sunny day of our multiple day tasting trip and the views surrounding Wrath seem to go on forever. Wrath is located on flat vineyards in a valley surrounded by mountains. The tasting room is very new and was designed to show off the gorgeous setting.
Wrath Winery
The adjacent pond is overlooked by a patio with chairs just begging for an afternoon picnic and a quick nap.
Seating area outside Wrath
Like many wineries in this area cooled by its proximity to the coast, the focus is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We tasted four wines on our visit. The 08 Chardonnay from the San Saba Vineyard ($49 full bodied, honey essence), the 08 Chardonnay Fermata ($43 less malolactic fermentation than the first chard with a lighter body), the 08 Pinot Noir San Saba ($49) and the 08 Syrah from Doctor’s Vineyard ($39). The wines were all very nice but too expensive in my opinion. I got the feeling that the price of the wine was too driven by the costs to build the magnificent winery and tasting room.
Downsides? Beautiful setting and the wines were very nice. I recommend visiting but unless you really love any of the wines, pass on buying them in favor of other values in the area.
Rating: 2 out of 4 – neutral
