June 3, 2025 – May has a habit of throwing seriously hot days at you, followed by the oddball low-pressure system that drops in from the Gulf of Alaska, amping up the marine layer into a relentless fog machine reminiscent of a bad disco party.
We had one of those last week when I visited Julie Fette and Luc Messier at their vineyard in what will someday be officially known as the Carmel Coast AVA, if the TTB ever gets around to checking the right box on the paperwork. One has to hope that the department responsible for AVA petitions managed to dodge DOGE, but we didn’t get an audience with Elon before he departed DC to occupy Mars.
Speaking of things astronomical, Domaine Messier is named for the French astronomer Charles Messier, who catalogued a series of heavenly bodies called Messier Objects. Photos of them from the James Webb telescope grace the labels of the wine from the 20-acre vineyard that sits atop the 93-acre site where a winery will eventually be completed.
For now, tastings are done on top of a lofty hill, where Fette and Messier have set up a tent overlooking the vineyards that abut Albatross Ridge and Diamond T.
The day I visited the wind was doing its mightiest to turn that tent into a sail, but fortunately, it is well anchored in the sandy soil that makes this location so special. Domaine Messier is an ambitious project to showcase this terroir through the lens of two winemaking visions: one well-versed and well-anchored in Monterey sensibility and the other rooted for generations in Burgundy. The results are bound to be unique and—as we learned during this wind and fog-buffeted tasting, with fronds of lavender waving rhythmically like a crowd at a Coldplay concert—remarkably pointed.
We tried two vintages of the two different Pinot Noir styles, the 2022 and the 2023, and found the differences between the Cuvée Du Nouveau Monde (New World) and the Sagittaire (Old World), as they refer to the Burgundian version, vast and intriguing. The New World wines are made by well-known winemakers Chris and Greg Vita, while the Old World wines are made by the pair with the direction of vigneron Etienne Grivot of Domaine Jean Grivot in Vosne-Romanée.
Some may prefer the fruit forward approachability of the Cuvée Du Nouveau Monde (New World), while others may enjoy the nuance and reticence of the Sagittaire (Old World). The main difference is the very long slow cold soak that the Sagittaire undergoes, about 10 to 15 days in the tank, before fermentation is initiated. Unlike the New World, which was sourced from blocks at the top of the hill and was aged 9 months in 30% new François Frère barrels, the Sagittaire came from different blocks, and spent 13 months in 30% new Cavin barrels. The 2022 is a generous and ripe style, and will appeal to those who prefer richness and weight over litheness.
Both 2023 Pinot Noirs were made from all the vineyard blocks split evenly between the two cuvées. The 2023 Cuvée Du Nouveau Monde Pinot Noir exhibits delightful raspberry and cherry charm from the first whiff and sip, proving delicately spicy with lovely sandalwood and ginger notes. The 2023 Sagittaire adds a decided savory element to the aromatic profile, and is overtly more oak-dominated, both in the nose and on the palate. After some air, its grace emerges, with pretty notes of anise, and cherries warmed with baking spices.
The 2023 Chardonnay is done with no malo and gets its dreamy creamy texture from resting 7 months in 40% new oak. This is lemony with peach, nectarine and lemon cream, and pleasing notes of apple fritter and guava, yet it’s kept vibrant to the end by mouthwatering acid. There is also a 2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir, which will be the only one they plan to do. So gorgeous, with orange creamsicle, citrus and strawberry rhubarb, it’s a serious wine you can sink into while admiring the horizon. Speaking of horizon, their first release of sparkling, a 2022, will be available spring 2026, and is available to pre-order.
All of the wines from vintage 2022 and 2023 are available for purchase from the website.
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About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
