A Little Bit of Wrath

         We must say the name of this winery intrigued us: Wrath.  Now there’s a story starter. The tasting room wine server told us it was named by the winery owner’s son from a phrase in the song “Going to California” performed by Led Zeppelin, which she then played for us.   The website www.wrathwines.com provides a fuller mythic story.  Either way, we find the name provocative, and we enjoyed our wine tasting experience.

The Wrath Winery tasting room in Carmel at the Carmel Plaza (Ocean and Mission) is sleek and elegant. There are three tasting possibilities: a $10 three wine Standard Tasting; a $20 Single Vineyard Tasting; and a $30 five wine Pinot Noir tasting.  (All fees are complimentary with a bottle purchase).  We did the first two tastings, starting with two Chardonnays, followed by two Pinot Noirs.

 Just before we were onto the Syrahs, we prudently walked next store to The Cheese Shop (www.TheCheeseShopInc.com) and asked what cheese would go well with the wines we were about to taste.  The recommendation: a cheese from Wisconsin called Raspberry Bella Vitano, along with whole wheat flatbread crackers and to top it off, some Taza Stone Ground Organic Chocolate, 70% dark.  We were set. 

As we nibbled our goodies and tasted our Syrahs, here’s what we concluded were our favorite wines that day:

#1: 2008 Wrath Syrah, Doctor’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. Rich, full, “masculine” (as the winery’s description said), dense (and excellent with our dark chocolate). Wine Spectator gave it 91 points.

        #2: 2008 Wrath Chardonnay, San Saba Vineyard Winery.

Full, luscious, and rich, with a nice variety of fruit flavors.

        #3: 2009 Wrath Syrah, 3 Clone, Monterey.

        And how about this for a description--“brawny and untamed.”

        We’ll go for that.

Wrath’s grapes come from its 75 acre family owned estate in the Santa Lucia Highlands and from other vineyards close by.  The winery has another tasting room at the winery in Soledad and is SIP Certified which means it is Sustainable in Practice, the highest sustainable certification program in California. 

The Carmel Tasting Room is open Monday through Saturday, 10-6; Sunday 11-5.  (831 620-1909).  We plan on returning for their full-out Pinot Noir tasting soon.  Maybe we’ll see you there!