July 22, 2025 – It might be a bit chilly on the coast, but summer’s inland temps were in the triple digits just 10 days ago. When the summer heat is on, my tastes tend to gravitate towards chillable reds like those from CommonThread and Tessier Cellars. These wines are just easier to enjoy with foods than the heavier, more tannic reds. Having just tasted a selection of ComancheCellars wines, I can now add this Monterey producer to that list.
Every year, I ask proprietor and winemaker Michael Simons what kind of trouble he’s getting into for the current vintage. He absolutely cannot resist an oddball grape and was a superfan of the late Ron Siletto, whose vineyards were legendary for varieties like Negrette and Trousseau Gris.
When I spoke to Simons in August 2024, he said he was cutting way back on grape purchases. But he’s been saying that for years. Wanting to catch up with some of his latest gems, I recently invited Simons to pour a selection of his Comanche Cellars and Dog & Pony wines for my Wild Wine Women’s group at the Haute Enchilada—which Kim Solano graciously made available for a wonderful 4-course lunch featuring her outstanding cuisine.
While she’s currently not open to the public, she is doing pop ups and private events, for which bookings from 6 to 60 can be accommodated in the restaurant environs, and from 100 to 200 in the Social Club. Details here: Haute Enchilada
For his opening act, Simons went with his just bottled 2023 “Pet Gnat” Sparkling Rosé of Sangiovese and Pinot Noir, a charming sparkler with the perfect pink hue, and absolutely no gunk at the bottom.
“I hate all that sediment crap!” Simons explained. “Most Pet Nats are disgusting!” No kidding. Not this one. It’s made with an encapsulated yeast that doesn’t break through the barrier and fragment apart. Further, he freezes the neck of each bottle en tirage and removes any frozen solids.
This is the same way methode champenoise is finished off, but instead of 5—7 atmospheres, which are induced by a secondary fermentation in each bottle, this wine only undergoes primary fermentation, and achieves around 2.5 atmospheres of pressure. This means the bubbles are gentler, but trust me, the assertive flavors are not. From the nose of rose petals and strawberry, your palate leaps into flavors of raspberry, cranberry and just a touch of mint. This was a huge hit with the gals. You have to love the fun label of a model with a pink flared skirt walking her pet gnat down what I imagine to be a cobblestone street in Paris.
We next tried the 2023 Viognier from Gimelli Vineyard in San Benito, not far from Calera. This old vineyard was first planted to Zin and Cab Pfeffer in 1908. Replete with aromas of honeysuckle, Queen Anne’s lace, Scotch broom and white peach, this is an unusual approach to this varietal, showing jicama, peach, honeydew, cantaloupe and tropical mango, making the palate a fun journey through the fruit department at your local market. I love the finish, where peach and nectarine really play the exit music.
From Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, comes the 2023 Comanche Cellars French Oak Chardonnay, a great example of how puncheons add just the right softening element to an otherwise crisp wine at just 12.7% alcohol. Truly, that’s remarkable for Chardonnay. Silky peach and nectarine, along with ripe tropical fruit and vanilla make this a delightfully textured wine that has plenty of acidity to cut through food, perhaps even the exceptionally rich flan that Solano made for dessert. It was almost like cheesecake.
By far the biggest hit of the day was the 2021 Dog & Pony Il Rinnogato, a fanciful name meant to evoke the concept of renegade. Simons wanted to call it a Super Tuscan but the TTB was having none of that. Whatever you call it, this sleek red is an outstanding blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, a brilliant marriage of cherry, mint and a hint of tarragon. Ideal slightly chilled, you can enjoy this with pretty much any summer food you can throw at it: suffice it to say the pairing with the Haute Enchilada’s shrimp and veggie enchiladas with their vibrant green chile and tomatillo sauces was summer perfection.
Those who were enjoying the chicken enchiladas with mole thrilled to the Bordeaux style blend, 2021 La Rouge, which combines equal portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Aromas of ripe pomegranate and raspberry jam, mocha, clove, and sweet tobacco announce a sophisticated meld of black and red fruits, like red currant and blackberry, with an underpinning of fresh bay leaves.
Perhaps the most exuberant of the reds was the baking spice filled 2023 Comanche Cellars Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir, whose aromas include cherry cigar, rye crackers, licorice and roasted plum. The first plush, velvety sip floods the palate with corduroy smooth Bing cherry and black raspberry ganache, which focuses the pulsing acid to a jazzy centerline. This gorgeous wine is the kind of Pinot Noir both fruit lovers and acid queens will arm wrestle over all night.
Comanche Cellars has a tasting room in Monterey. Go visit, your horizons will be expanded.
Sandar and Hem recently released a barrage of new wines, including the exciting 2024 Rosé of Grenache that we sampled at the Grand Tasting at The Mountain Winery earlier this year. In addition to winemaker/proprietor Robert Bergstrom’s new 2013 Chestnut Hill Chardonnay and Triolo Sauv Blanc, which we’ve not yet had, they also just rolled out two new wines from the Summit Road area.
The 2022 Sandar and Hem Wilder Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from the backyard vineyard of Kate and Chris Wilder, longtime Summit area residents, who live on Loma Prieta Ave, just past Wrights Station Winery. We’ve known the Wilders since the early days of Burrell School Vineyards, before they got the bug to plant vines after falling in love with Summit area Pinot Noir. This is a magnificent example of higher elevation Pinot Noir with exposure to the westerly breezes off the ocean. Somewhat dark and mysterious, it reveals aromas of forest floor, red fruits and a savory mélange of basil, tarragon and thyme. The palate is cloaked in velvety red currant and pomegranate, with a vibrant core of persistent acid and savory layers that hint at paprika and chorizo. Like a mystery novel you can’t put down, this is a wine you’ll want to get to know.
Past the Wilder’s property, a bit further down the road and way up Loma Prieta Ave as it climbs, is Lago Lomita Vineyard, owned by Mark and Robin Porter. The 2022 Sandar & Hem Nebbiolo represents another winemaker’s spin on this rarely planted grape in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Peter Bargetto has for several years now made an award-winning Nebbiolo from Lago Lomita Vineyard, that tends to be on the generously fruity side, opting for a little more ripeness to tame the brutal tannins for which this grape is known. Bergstrom describes it as fine-boned and beautifully firm, which is close to my perception of it being sinewy and lean as a weightlifter, able to bench press thrice its bodyweight, without an ounce of fat. Amply interesting in every way, from its nose of white cracked pepper, rose petals and red licorice, to its persistent core of red currant, orange zest, pomegranate, cardamom and cranberry, it is driving and focused with all the promise of a young thoroughbred. Pairing it with the right food will increase enjoyment, but laying it down for a few years should mellow the tannins out nicely.
For Syrah lovers, I wanted to share a really snappy version I just tried from Mendocino, the 2023 Minus Tide Valenti Vineyard Syrah, Mendocino Ridge. We were blown away by the intense phenolics and savory cracked pepper aromatics of this coastal Syrah from one of the gnarliest areas of Mendocino. Out on the boonies on the way to the ocean south of Elk, the heavily redwood-covered area called Mendocino Ridge is a pain in the neck to access. However, the farmers who live there enjoy some amazing ocean views and a climate like no other. I’ve had wine from this vineyard many times, but this is the freshest Syrah I’ve had yet. Seriously delicious, sassy wine, with everything you love about Syrah.
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.
