Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines Launches The Monterey Vineyard Wines

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Top Monterey Wine Regions

NAPA, Calif., Sept 22, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines announced the launch of The Monterey Vineyard, an ultra-premium Burgundian brand from two of Monterey's most respected sub-appellations, Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands. The Monterey Vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are a reflection of the region's unique terroir and represent the very best Monterey has to offer.

"Through long relationships with top growers we've had access to some of the best fruit in Monterey," said winemaker Tom Westberg. "Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands have a reputation for producing wines that can stand with the best in the world. For The Monterey Vineyard wines, I worked closely with our vineyard teams to select only the best lots of fruit and have created a wine that truly represents this unique place."

The Monterey Vineyard Pinot Noir is primarily sourced from the highest elevation bench of the prestigious Sarmento Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, which has the reputation as one of the finest spots in California for the temperamental Pinot Noir grape. The Pinot Noir was handled with skill and passion to make it a worthy reflection of the land that has been farmed on these sites for decades.

The Pinot Noir grapes were hand harvested from the highest elevation section of the prestigious Sarmento Vineyard. The wine was barrel-aged in 100 percent medium-plus toasted French oak. Opulent black cherry, plum and rose petal aromas are woven with subtle clove, leather and oak spices. Fine, supple tannins structure the smooth, richly-layered flavors of dark cherry, raspberry and plum. The expansive flavors culminate in a long finish laced with subtle sweet vanilla character from barrel aging.
The Chardonnay is hand-harvested from three mature, low-yielding Arroyo Seco vineyards -- famous for white wines full of tropical fruit and refreshing natural acidity -- within one mile of each other, yet with very different character. The wine was barrel-fermented and barrel-aged 70 percent of the juice in 100 percent French oak for complexity, with the balance fermented in stainless steel to retain fruitiness. Rich tropical fruit, pineapple, fig and melon notes, perfumed with citrus blossom, weave through the full aromas and expansive flavors of our 2006 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay. Subtle notes of toasty vanilla spice from the French oak barrels linger on the palate.
The small production Monterey Vineyard Pinot Noir has a suggested retail price of $25.99. The Monterey Vineyard Chardonnay has a suggested retail price of 22.99. Both wines will be available nationally with the 2007 vintage.

Winemaker Tom Westberg brings 20 years of crafting Pinot Noir and a deep knowledge of Monterey County, to his position at The Monterey Vineyard. His experience has allowed him to understand the subtleties of California's Central Coast micro-regions, enabling him to craft the Burgundian wines -- Pinot Noir and Chardonnay -- that inspired him to become a winemaker.

With the premiere release of The Monterey Vineyards 2006 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and 2006 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay, Tom shows the magical affinity of these varieties to Monterey County.

The Monterey Vineyard was originally launched in 1964, producing highly acclaimed value wines from throughout Monterey County. It played an important role in helping introduce wine consumers to the quality of Monterey wines. Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines is proud to showcase the superior quality of Monterey with the reintroduction of The Monterey Vineyard wines.

About The Monterey Vineyard

The Monterey Vineyard wine is produced by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E), part of Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O); the world's leading premium drinks business. DC&E produces and markets premium wines from around the globe including Napa Valley, Sonoma, the California Central Coast, Washington, France, New Zealand and Australia. Brands include: Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Sterling Vintner's Collection, Chalone Vineyard, Acacia Vineyard, Edna Valley Vineyard, Rosenblum Cellars and Provenance Vineyards as well as the French wines of Barton & Guestier. DC&E is also a leading importer of classified Bordeaux and Burgundy estate-bottled wines and F.E. Trimbach.