Wrath Wines is a low-production, family-owned winery in Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands, known for cool-weather, estate-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah. Founded in 1975 and owned by archeologist Michael Thomas and his mother Barbara, the winery is guided by winemaker Sabrine Rodems. Visitors are welcome at tasting rooms in both Soledad and Carmel.
We had the pleasure of sampling Wrath’s Wines at a Winemaker Dinner hosted by Five Vines Wine Bar. Keep reading to see what we thought of these Central Coast wines.
About Wrath Wines
Monterey County’s Wrath Wines was founded in 1975 when there was just a smattering of wineries in Monterey County. The wine world is filled with interesting founder stories. In Europe, fourth, fifth, and sixth-generation winery owners are the norm. In the US, there’s a mix of new money and old money; entrepreneurs turned vintners and good old-fashioned grape growers who also produce their own wines.
It’s not every day that you learn about a winery that’s owned by a scientist, let alone a skilled archeologist, so you can imagine how impressed we were when we learned that Wrath was indeed owned by archeologist Michael Thomas and his mother Barbara.
Michael purchased Wrath from his stepfather in 2007, but that didn’t stop him from keeping his day job. He continues to manage dig sites in Italy and was even involved in excavating sites near Pompeii’s Mount Vesuvius and Etruscan sites near Florence.
The name Wrath comes from Led Zeppelin’s famous, “Going to California” song, and, specifically, the notion that “wrath of the Gods” implies that humanity has little control over what happens to life on earth, and that also includes what happens in the vineyard.
Wrath Winemaker Sabrine Rodems
Winemaker Sabrine Rodems has an equally interesting background. Prior to becoming the head winemaker for Wrath, she was a stagehand at the San Francisco Opera. Ultimately, the early mornings and late nights of life at the Opera took its toll on Sabrine, and she decided to pursue her passion for California wine. When she graduated from UC Davis’ enology program, rather than fight an uphill battle for a winemaker position in busy Napa or Sonoma County, she headed south to the Central Coast.
Sabrine is one of the few female winemakers in Monterey County, and she isn’t afraid to try things outside of the box. Case in point: Wrath’s Falanghina is made in ‘dolia,’ which are Italian terracotta pots!
It's not every day that you learn about a winery that's owned by a scientist, let alone a skilled archeologist, so you can imagine how impressed we were when we learned that Wrath was indeed owned by archeologist Michael Thomas and his mother Barbara.
The Wines
Wrath is a low-production winery that makes 10,000 cases of wine a year. While their most popular grape varieties are the aforementioned Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah, winemaker Sabrine Rodems and owner Michael Thomas also embrace less commercially marketable varieties like sommelier favorite, Falanghina. In fact, they pride themselves on including this lesser-known grape in their lineup.
Wrath EX Wines
The EX collection could be considered Wrath’s introductory-level wines. According to Wrath, these wines “speak to our focus on expressing the personality and characteristics of our Certified Sustainable (SIP) estate vineyard.”
2020 EX Sauvignon Blanc
During the dinner, the 2020 EX Sauvignon Blanc was paired with a Roasted Carrot & Red Quinoa Salad. This Sauv. Blanc is crisp and aromatic. Some honeysuckle, green apple, and tangerine on the nose. The palate has light fruit characteristics, a little “green” celery, citrus, and chalk. The acidity in the wine paired really nicely with the sweet carrots.
Winemaker Series
Wrath takes a “playground” approach to the wines in this series. Bottles feature clonal blending, whole-cluster fermentation, or different degrees of malolactic fermentation. Each wine seeks to showcase the vineyard’s terroir, its personality, and what makes each plot’s grapes unique.
2019 3 Clone Chardonnay
The wines got a little more interesting when Wrath Sales Director Cesca Dentice started opening the Winemaker Series wines. The 2019 3 Clone Chardonnay was big, rich, and much too buttery from the oak. The acidity in the wine gives some balance to the richness. The nose had notes of lemon, butter, cold hard-boiled eggs, and a touch of sweet honey.
The 2019 3 Clone Chardonnay didn’t taste like any Chardonnay we’ve tried. There was butterscotch, apricot, and litchi. For a Chard, it was very sweet. During the dinner, this wine was paired with an Arroz Caldo Filipino-style Porridge, which was a mix of onions, broth, rice, and chicken. The pairing didn’t change a thing; it’s just unlike any Chardonnay we’ve had.
2019 Swan-828 Clone Pinot Noir
The second wine we tried in the Winemaker Series was the 2019 Swan-828 Pinot Noir ($35). The restaurant paired this with an earthy, creamy Wild Mushroom and Burrata Bruschetta. Wrath is known for their Pinots, so we had a feeling this wine, and the one that followed would be pretty decent.
The blend itself is 57% Swan clone, 43% 828 clone, and made from grapes sourced exclusively from the estate. The palate on this Pinot is bright with a little spice. Notes of cherry cola and ripe strawberries fill the glass, along with some earthiness. Pinot and mushrooms are always a good match, and the lemon zest in the dish offered a nice balance to the acidity.
Single Vineyard Series
Wrath’s Single Vineyard Series wines are made through “a process that strives to illuminate the unique features of each terroir.” These wines represent Wrath’s “higher-end” offerings.
2019 San Saba Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
We loved the 2019 San Saba Single Vineyard Pinot Noir ($49). This was easily the best of the best at the Winemaker Dinner. This Pinot is a rich, full, dark pinot noir, and it paired beautifully with the decadent bacon, shallot, and garlic white wine sauce that accompanied the Pan-seared Halibut and Swiss Chard.
The wine is produced with 20% whole clusters and 40% new French oak for an amazingly lush Pinot Noir. If we were to recommend you try one of the Wrath wines, it would be this standout, estate-grown Pinot Noir.
Exploring more of the Central Coast? Our Paso Robles winery guide covers the best stops for a weekend getaway.
Wines to look for
At a winemaker dinner hosted by Five Vines Wine Bar, the team tasted through Wrath's tiers, from the introductory EX wines to the single-vineyard standouts.
- 2019 3 Clone Chardonnay White Big, rich and unlike any Chardonnay the team had tried, with butterscotch, apricot and litchi lifted by fresh acidity.
- 2020 EX Sauvignon Blanc White Crisp and aromatic, with honeysuckle, green apple and tangerine; a natural match for the Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad.
- 2019 Swan-828 Clone Pinot Noir Red Bright, spicy estate Pinot Noir with cherry cola and ripe strawberry; 57% Swan clone, 43% 828 clone.
- 2019 San Saba Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Single varietal The standout of the dinner: a rich, dark estate Pinot Noir made with 20% whole clusters and 40% new French oak.
