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Holman Ranch has a long, storied history complete with cowboys, famous chefs, and movie stars. Yet, while its past is full of fascination, today a major focus is simply growing the best grape varieties their vineyards can produce and turning that fruit into wines that showcase the Carmel Valley in Monterey County. Here’s what our panel thought about a handful of Holman Ranch’s current offerings.
Holman Ranch 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Monterey County
Price: 15-20
Tasting Notes:
A bouquet of citrus fruits, apple, and minerals greets the senses. A sip delivers flavors of tart lemon, lime, and grapefruit with accents of limestone. A crisp, lively wine with a food friendly acidity, try a bottle next time you enjoy shrimp cocktail. 300 cases produced.
Rating: 87
Holman Ranch 2011 Chardonnay
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Region: Monterey County
Price: 25-30
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of apple and pear come together with notes of all-spice, cashews, and honey on the nose. Flavors of pear and apple meld with suggestions of sweet spice and roast nuts on the palate. A good body and welcoming acidity make this an approachable wine. 350 cases were made.
Rating: 88
Holman Ranch 2012 Pinot Gris
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Gris
Region: Monterey County
Price: 15-20
Tasting Notes:
Scents of grapefruit, lemon, and melon meld with hints of limestone on the nose. With a sip, flavors of lemon, grapefruit and honeydew open up into notes of fresh minerals. A bright wine with a food friendly acidity, fans of crisp, minerally whites should try a bottle. 323 cases were made.
Rating: 88
Holman Ranch 2010 Estate Pinot Noir
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Monterey County
Price: 30-35
Tasting Notes:
Aromatics of cherries and strawberries interweave with notes of earth and spring flowers on the nose. Cherry and cranberry flavors emerge on the palate along with nuances of smokey oak and earth. A light-bodied Pinot with hearty flavors, pair a bottle with baked salmon or pork chops. 500 cases produced.
Rating: 86
Holman Ranch 2011 “Heather’s Hills” Pinot Noir
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Monterey County
Price: 35-40
Blackberry, cherry, and boysenberry aromas come together with hints of bacon fat and earth on the nose. Flavors of bramble fruit unfold into suggestions of earth and roast lamb on the palate. Dark and a bit earthy, fans of gamier Pinots should try this wine. 444 cases were made.
Rating: 87
Holman Ranch 2010 “Hunter’s Cuvee” Pinot Noir
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Monterey County
Price: 35-40
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of raspberries and plums mingle with notes of earth on the nose. The palate reveals flavors of raspberry, boysenberry, and plum that flow into suggestions of spice, oak, and minerals. A dark, plush Pinot with an approachable acidity, try a bottle with mushroom risotto. 452 cases produced.
Rating: 88
