March 28, 2025 – Elevated Mexican cuisine is a favorite of mine, as it really shows off the nuances of complex sauces and salsas. Plus it can highlight the regionality and deep pride in the treasured family recipes.
With its high-end, welcoming décor, Nicolás Cocina de Herencia at Carmel Plaza is an ambitious undertaking. We arrived early on a Saturday to partake of the deep brunch menu, which covers the usual standards like burritos, carne asada and quesadillas, and delightfully adds shrimp tacos with cilantro aioli, French toast with pinole whipped cream (pinole is ground maize said to provide long-lasting energy), cochinita pibil tacos with achiote pork shoulder and avocado toast with guacamole and arugula and optional eggs. You can also get nachos, refried beans with chorizo and bacon served with corn chips and a Mexican-style shrimp cocktail.
The menu is extensive and we waffled a lot, but eventually began with the sope appetizer of chicharron in a mildly spicy green salsa with a wonderful black bean puree topped with cotija cheese. That about finished me off, honestly, but I’d also ordered the shrimp chile relleno recommended by our waiter.
Magnificently plated, the shimmering poblano chile looked like a green submarine semi-submerged in a pool of divinely spicy and very red a la diablo sauce. The filling was creamy shrimp with mascarpone cheese, accompanied by perfect red rice and soupy pinto beans, it proved a winner.
My friend Karen had the mole chicken and melted mozzarella enchiladas, which proved very chocolatey. Mole is a complicated thing, and there are a bazillion recipes for it out there, some of which, like this one, are very chocolate forward. My friend Ann had the costillitas, pork ribs immersed in a rich, beefy and concentrated smoked tomatillo salsa. The handmade corn tortillas are hearty and dip-worthy, making me think that the huarache dish on the menu, made of thick corn tortilla topped with melty mozzarella refried beans, ribeye, lettuce and sour cream queso fresco, might prove the thing to order if you are extremely hungry.
Vegetarian dishes are plentiful, including chilaquiles and huitlacoche chile rellenos which beckon me for a return visit. And then there are beer-battered halibut tacos, the Mexican cobb salad and a shrimp salad with spring greens, whipped mascarpone and yogurt, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers and mint with a honey tajin vinaigrette.
If there is fault to be found here it’s with the woeful wine list which has not one local wine made by an actual local winery. That omission seems easily fixable by walking over to Blair, Wrath or Chalone in Carmel Plaza, or to Lepe Cellars on Dolores, where Miguel Lepe is celebrating his 10th anniversary. How could ten years have gone by since Miguel grabbed hold of star and created Lepe Cellars? Congratulations on realizing your dream, Miguel! Peter Figge would be so very proud.
Speaking of Chalone, as we stepped out of the restaurant onto the Plaza, a big crowd had gathered to hear Chalone winemaker and musician, Greg Freeman and musician Wendy Lyn, singing a lovely rendition of “Here Comes the Sun.” Two very attentive dogs, including a beagle, were staring at them in rapt attention. Their owner said they were big music lovers. That’s the first time I’ve seen a beagle sit still.
We made our way through Carmel to the Talbott tasting room, where we were delighted to be greeted by the gregarious and fashionable Marcus Delira, who poured us a splash of the Talbott sparkling made from Sonoma grapes with a dosage of Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay.
The Talbott tasting experience once again has a palpably fun vibe, now that Tyler Menane is back, after a brief return to Edna Valley to work at that now closed tasting room, also a Gallo property. It’s a sign of the state of the industry. Even the mighty cannot afford to keep every brand intact. Like a good ranch hand, every brand has to earn its keep. That’s no small feat in this market, and in this town, which, let’s face it, is rife with tasting rooms.
Why should you visit Talbott? Three reasons: four, if you count the Happy Hour at The Pocket next door that starts at 3:30pm.
Reason #1: hospitality. Our host Marcus is as charming and hospitality-focused as he is sartorially splendid, wearing his carefully chosen jewelry with just the right flair. He credits his time at Hahn, followed by Scheid, where he met the human fireball known as Fanny Gonzalez, for inspiring him to move from his Starbucks barista phase into the somewhat intimidating world of wine. Gonzales encouraged him to pursue his wine education, and it has served him well. He admits it is not easy getting people his age to cross over into wine. The initial barrier is built of bricks forged by fear and pre-conception. But walls, even those that imprison, can be shattered by knowledge and discovery.
And discover is what he did, and now he can point out the differences between all the various Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs on the Talbott list, because each one has a different persona. Like flavors of ice cream, each appeals for different reasons, not the least of which is personal preference. If you must choose between two flavors, it comes down to your basic comfort zone. Do you want vanilla or chocolate? White or red? The more flavors to consider, the more adventurous your palate becomes. You begin to notice how the fruit, nuts, and candy elements resonate. Do you get more pleasure out of strawberry or cherry? Walnuts or pistachios?
In the case of Talbott, the right choice is rosé. The new 2023 Sleepy Hollow Rosé of Pinot Noir encapsulates everything that is appealing about Pinot Noir, from the color to aroma to palate. Even the finish is precise.
The current selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs offers a glimpse across three different vintages. The 2021s are sure-footed and well-rounded, while the 2022s are overtly flirty and fruit-driven.
Although it’s called Heartwood, the first Chardonnay we tried—the new 2023 unoaked Chardonnay—was in fact done in concrete egg and steel. Heartwood refers to the oak tree on the South Ranch that bears a knot in the shape of a heart. There are more similarly badged wines coming down the pike to provide some non-compass-related nomenclature. This wine smells like sugar cookies, and delivers flavors of lemon curd and tropical fruit.
Next up was the 2021 Block 4 North Chardonnay, which saw 16 months in 62% new French oak. From the northernmost part of Sleepy Hollow North, it smells and tastes of mangoes and tropical fruit and perhaps a bit of coconut.
The 2022 Fidelity Chardonnay is aged in new puncheons for 15 months, giving it a wonderful texture without over oak influence, preserving the pretty pear and golden apple flavors.
Transitioning over to the Pinot Noir portfolio, Delira poured us the 2021 Block 51 South Pinot Noir, made from Clone 113, and aged 16 months in 51% new French. Aromas of plum, black raspberry and savory spice were met with charging flavors of cherry jubilee, fig bars and date cake. An intriguing amaro-like finish added an interesting element here.
Very robust and showing its exposure to the wind, the 2022 Block West Block 22 Pinot Noir exhibits big aromatics of pine and chapparal, and one can imagine the sage covered hillsides that add their magic dust to the grapes grown here. This has plenty of dark cherry, tobacco, leather and cedar, hinting at its ageworthiness.
We absolutely loved the 2021 Diamond T Pinot Noir from the Carmel Highlands area. Sadly, this is the last vintage of Talbott wine from this vineyard. Beginning with the first whiff, it’s spicy and complex, laden with dark cherry, cranberry and pomegranate. The palate delivers a delightful ganache of raspberry and chocolate, all the way to the beautiful and completely satisfying finish.
Big thumbs up also to the 2022 Fidelity Pinot Noir, which, like the Fidelity Chardonnay, was done in puncheons to offer gentle oak infusion. This is a winner with its bright amalgam of perfume, cranberry and raspberry, and a bit of lavender and rosemary. Its red velvety cupcake texture and flavors are accented by cardamom and white pepper on the finish, adding to the intrigue.
My tasting posse agreed the rosé was a winner, and of the Chardonnays, the Diamond T and Block West rang the chimes most loudly. It was a similar verdict for the Pinot Noir, with the Diamond T winning us over.
It’s refreshing to experience a lineup that offers such diversity, even though that word suddenly and inexplicably got a bad rap. Since when does everything have to be vanilla?
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.
