Critic picks

Decanter's top-rated wineries in Monterey County

Decanter scores on the 100-point scale. Its 14 ranked Monterey County producers run from 84 to 94 points, each with at least two rated wines.

Ranked by Decanter's mean score across every wine of theirs Decanter has rated. Highest average first; ties go to the producer with more wines rated.

14
Producers Decanter rates
94
Top score
42
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Chalone VineyardChalone, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  2. 294ClariceSanta Lucia Highlands, United States4 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  3. 393Domaine MessierMonterey, United States3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  4. 493RoarSanta Lucia Highlands, United States5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 592LuciaSanta Lucia Highlands, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 690Mer SoleilSanta Lucia Highlands, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 790EstanciaMonterey, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 890Scheid VineyardsMonterey, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 989Long Valley RanchMonterey, United States3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  10. 1089Carmel RoadMonterey County, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1189VentanaArroyo Seco, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1288Absolution CellarsSan Antonio Valley, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1387Blue CanyonMonterey County, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1484Lockwood VineyardMonterey County, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Decanter rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Decanter score across every wine of theirs the critic has scored. A producer needs at least two such wines to appear: the guard stops a single lucky score on one bottle from outranking an estate with dozens of rated wines. More on how the list works

Frequently asked

How many Monterey County wineries has Decanter rated?
14 wineries in Monterey County, United States have at least two wines scored by Decanter. Only those appear here.
Which Monterey County winery does Decanter rate highest?
Chalone Vineyard, at a 94-point average from Decanter, followed by Clarice and Domaine Messier.
How is this list ranked?
By Decanter's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Decanter-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Decanter's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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