Winemaker Notes
Aromatics are jumping out of the glass: raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb, berry pie, crushed rocks on nose. Intense, velvety and with powerful mid palate and abundant extract of tongue smacking berry fruit. This is no doubt a full throttle rendition of these varietals in this terroir - the high elevation, yet powerful maritime influence from Monterey Bay, granitic and limestone vineyards.
Blend: 39% Mourvedre, 33% Grenache, 28% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from the Coastview and Rodnick Farm Vineyards, the 2019 GSM Gabilan Mountains is pure and leathery against a backdrop of dried herbs and spice aromas. Seductively plush and velvety yet deceptively elegant in its richness, the finish here ratchets up the intensity found throughout the rest of the Big Basin lineup, making for one of the more complete and multifaceted wines in the range. Although quite delicious now, this will surely reward time in the cellar.
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of mourvedre, grenache, and syrah, there’s a whole-cluster, carbonic note to this charming GSM, leading with scents of red raspberry and Earl Grey tea. It’s sleek and balanced, a touch on the crunchy side with juicy dark blue and red fruit flavors leading to a mildly earthy finish.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.