Monterey reds  by Darryl Beeson The whole wine world is watching Monterey as they continue to re-define great wine. Burgundy could be very watchful of their Pinot Noirs. Some value Merlots are showing promise.  Bernardus Pinot Noir, Monterey 2002  Price $25  Rating 93  Rich red fruit with complex earthiness, elements of blueberry and spice make a statement.  The crest of the Bernardus wine label is colored orange, the royal Dutch color and the noble lions guarding the shield represent Ben Pon's heritage. His is a family legacy to uphold. Ben Pon, Sr. imported the first Volkswagen "Beetle" to America and created the design for the revolutionary VW bus. Ben imagines carrying on this tradition-contributing to the greatness of America from a European perspective; and leaving something of importance behind in the New World. Visit www.bernardus.com to find out more.  Bocage Merlot, Monterey 2002  Price $11  Rating 90  Bright red fruit with subtle complexity, the length on the palate is good. One of the finest Merlot values available, more details are at www.sansaba.com.  · Silver Medal/ Best of Class - California State Fair  · San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition-Gold Medal  · Dallas Morning News Wine Competition-Silver Medal  · Jerry Mead's NWIWC-Silver Medal  Jekel Merlot, Monterey 2002  Price $16  Rating 90  80% Merlot with lots of other varieties added to the blend (as many as seven other grapes). Ripe plum, wide fruit complexity and soft mineral set this red apart from much of the competition. Learn more at www.jekel.com.  Morgan "Twelve Clones" Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia 2002  Price $22  Rating 90  Leanish, maybe a little greenish fruit, this is definitely a food wine, with complex mineral in the long length.  Wine quality is mostly determined in the vineyard. One of the key quality factors is the clonal selection of the fruiting wood along with the growing characteristics of the scion and the rootstock. Clonal selections along with proper trellising have provided the most exciting advances in wine quality in the last several years. Because there were very few of the new clones planted in Monterey, Dan decided that he would plant a large variety of new clones on different rootstocks and see what worked well in terms of quality in the Santa Lucia Highlands.  Morgan "Double L" Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia 2002  Price $34  Rating 94  Rich, ripe red fruit entry with resounding mineral and earth complexity, the length is long and luscious.  Dan and Donna Lee's dream of buying a property for growing their own grapes and providing a building site for their permanent winery came true in the Fall of 1996. The 65 acre property in the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands was perfect for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the two cornerstone wines of Morgan Winery. The Lee's named the ranch the Double L, short for Double Luck, for their identical twin daughters, Annie and Jackie, who were 5 years old at the time. The Double L is farmed organically, the only organic vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. For more information, visit www.morganwinery.com.  Paraiso Vineyards Pinot Noir, Monterey 2001  Price $20  Rating 93  Subtle red fruit, gentle spice and complex mineral lead the way with this finely crafted Pinot Noir.  “Paraiso's flagship varietal,” says winemaker David Fleming. “Wonderful Burgundian character: rich cherry and plum flavors with hints of spice, smoke, and toasty oak. All wrapped by structuring tannins and acidity. Amazingly food-versatile with salmon, roast chicken, beef tenderloin, you name it.” Discover more at www.paraisovineyards.com.  Darryl Beeson is a sommelier at the incredible Gaylord Texan Resort. He travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., “Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it.”  For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.