McIntyre Vineyards, Dornfelder Estate 2020, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, Central Coast, CA

This German grape is a happy transplant in California's Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. It makes a juicy, medium-bodied wine with notes of fresh, ripe black fruit and silky tannins. As the producer says, good enough to pour over pancakes! 

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: California

APPELLATION (AVA): Santa Lucia Highlands

REGION: Central Coast

SUBREGION: Monterey

VINEYARD: McIntyre Estate Vineyard

VINTAGE: 2020

GRAPES: 100% Dornfelder

SOIL: Chualar sandy loam

PRACTICE: Sustainable (SIP-certified)

VINIFICATION: Five-day cold soak, fermentation in small, half-ton bins with twice daily pumpovers, occasional punch down. Aged in barrel, racked just prior to bottling.

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Deep purple-ruby

BODY: Medium 

TASTE: Dry

TANNINS: Moderate, silky

PRIMARY AROMAS: Ripe fruit, blackberry, boysenberry, dried currants

FLAVOR: Juicy black fruit, silky tannins

“Our 2020 Dornfelder is unlike any grape based wine you might have tried! It marries the lavish, ripe fruit with elegance and structure. As in previous years, the dominant character tends to be boysenberry with hints of dried currants. Below that is a bed of juicy black fruit and supple, silky tannins. It is tempting to pour this wine over pancakes for breakfast of poached pear for desert! While it drinks well now, it will continue to evolve and improve over the next decade.”

FORMAT: 750 ml

ALCOHOL: 12.2%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Pair with a plate of German sausages.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Steve McIntyre

“Having planted more than 20% of the entire AVA, farmed nearly a third of its vineyards and vinified hundreds of wines from its grapes, Steve McIntyre understands what makes the Santa Lucia Highlands so unique.

“With degrees in viticulture and enology and a history in SLH that stretches nearly four decades, Steve has a unique perspective on the terroir and wines of this great appellation. Outside of McIntyre Vineyards, Steve was a founding member of Monterey Wine Company and for the past three decades, he and his wife, Kim, have owned and operated Monterey Pacific. Today, they farm 12,000 acres in Santa Lucia Highlands, Arroyo Seco, San Bernabe and Hames Valley. 

“Monterey Pacific currently grows or manages grapes for such notable wineries as Le Mistral, Morgan, Bernardus, Testarosa, Muira, Ventana, La Rochelle, Hahn, J.Lohr, Diagio and Constellation to name a few.” (mcintyrevineyards.com)

ABOUT THE WINEMAKER: Byron Kosuge

“Byron launched his winemaking career in 1985 in Carneros as a P. Noir and Chard. specialist at Saintsbury Winery. In 2001 he left to develop his own brand and consult for wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Chile. His understanding of cool-climate viticulture and low-impact winemaking coupled with his intellectual curiosity and keen palate make Byron one of California’s most sought-after wine consultants.” (mcintyrevineyards.com)

ABOUT THE VINEYARD: McIntyre Estate Vineyard

“In a relatively short span of time the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA has achieved superstar status. The region boasts 6,000 acres of vines…planted on terraces below the Santa Lucia mountain range. The region’s climate is shaped by the morning fog and strong winds funneled daily down the Salinas Valley from Monterey Bay to the northwest. SLH enjoys one of the longest and coolest growing seasons in California.

“Our McIntyre Estate Vineyard lies in the “sweet spot” of Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, a 12-mile stretch of northeast-facing benchland renowned for producing wines with great character and complexity. Originally planted in 1973, this 80-acre site boasts some of the Highlands’ oldest Pinot N. and Chard. vines. Since purchasing the property in 1987, we have systematically upgraded the vineyard to luxury-class standards. Our estate was among the first properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands to be SIP Certified (Sustainability In Practice).” (mcintyrevineyards.com)

ABOUT DORNFELDER: Dornfelder is a German grape made from a crossing in 1956, and its lineage includes almost every German red wine grape. It is the second most widely-planted red grape in Germany, and generally produces moderately tannic, fresh, floral, deeply-colored, medium-bodied red wines.