Winemaker Notes
An incredibly food-versatile wine, it’s a natural match for shellfish, seafood, and lighter summer fare.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
On the west side of the Salinas Valley, Arroyo Seco is known for its ancient riverbed surrounded by alluvial benchlands and a cool-to-moderate climate influenced by the proximity of the Monterey Bay. Dotted with rosemary and basil, this Sauv Blanc aged five months in French and Hungarian oak. Vibrant lime zest binds with racy acidity, while delicate oak notes are framed by a spark of salinity on the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Brisk aromas of jalapeño give exciting spice to apricot and white peach elements on the nose of this wine. The palate is peppery and grassy at first, then opens into tropical flavors of guava.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
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.