Jekel Gravelstone Chardonnay 2012
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Jekel Vineyards finds its roots in the early days of Monterey County’s burgeoning wine industry. Founded in 1972 by pioneering grape grower Bill Jekel, the label was instrumental in establishing Monterey as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1984. The combination of ancient dirt (a result of the vineyards’ location on an ancient alluvial plain) and the unique soil composition (depleted soil, studded with cobblestones) creates a distinctive starting point for the vine.
Today, Jekel is still synonymous with the cool-climate, coastal vineyards of Monterey, where Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir grapes develop their signature depth of flavor and bright acidity. Each sip reflects the extraordinary terroir of this ocean-side region.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Named after the dramatic, seasonal river of rain and snowmelt that cuts through the upper elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Arroyo Seco AVA extends east from the resultant mountain gorge, and into the rural and warm Salinas Valley. During the growing season, cool and damp Pacific Ocean air penetrates the gorge and flows into the valley, creating a cool evening respite for vineyards after a hot summer day. This natural water-release has also created a subterranean aquifer, which helps set the foundation of the AVA's boundaries and supplies the vineyards with water.
Arroyo Seco was actually home to the first commercial vineyard in California, called Mission Ranch, which was owned and propogated by the Mirassou family in the 1960s.
Chardonnay is most widely grown here. But as one of Monterey’s warmer regions, Arroyo Seco enjoys the highest praise for its reds, namely Bordeaux blends.
Arroyo Seco is one of the oldest AVAs in California, its status granted in the early 1980s, and also remains one of its smallest.