2007 Bernardus Marinus Red Carmel Valley (375 mL) Half-Bottle

Perfectly-Aged Any-Night Shameless Red, for 1 or 2

Tonight — any night — is the night you reach for a half-bottle of the perfectly aged 2007 Bernardus “Marinus” Red. Born of an exceptional vintage, there’s no shame — not at this price — in having one glass, or finishing two glasses before you even sit down for dinner.

Leaning on Burgundy-trained winemaker Dean De Korth and Monterey’s most lauded Chardonnay and Pinot Noir growers has proven wise for Ben Pon. His Bernardus Winery consistently turns out some of the most excellent Burgundy-style wines on the Central Coast. But the whole story of Bernardus isn’t told in the fog of the Santa Lucia Highlands, source of that fine fruit. Pon founded Bernardus out of a love for Bordeaux, and to understand his original vision, you have to look to where he first settled: in rugged and roasting Carmel Valley.

Carmel Valley is an anomaly. With 300 acres planted — fewer than on the granite hill of Hermitage — it is a tiny AVA where hardy Bordeaux varieties thrive.

“Marinus” is the Bordeaux blend that Pon envisioned. Since the first vintage in 1993, “Marinus” has set the standard for Bordeaux-style wines in Monterey County, even as Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot and Chardonnay have stolen the headlines.

The now-legendary 2007 growing season was long and mild, and with the low yields from Bernardus’s Carmel Valley vineyards, Dean De Korth produced just 500 cases of a Cabernet Sauvignon blend that does Ben Pon’s vision proud.

135 cases of this beauty were cellared at the winery, patiently awaiting their chance to be sipped under the stars at Pon’s luxurious Bernardus Lodge — until the Lodge sold.

This aged half-bottle is the perfect few glasses to drink solo, or share over a meal.