100% Pinot Noir sourced from the very coastal (about a mile from the ocean- its visible from Highway 1!) Rio del Mar vineyard in Aptos. Soils are a mix of sandstone and schist. A blend of clones 667, 777 and 828 (La Tache). 100% destemmed to one-ton fermenters. Approximate week long fermentation with another 5 days of extended maceration. Gently pressed to neutral french oak puncheons for 14 months before bottling. 14% alcohol. Perfumed with cherry, easpberry, rhubarb and cola and some beautiful complex herbal notes. Elegant, silky tannins with a rounded palate and long finish. More plush than some Santa Cruz wines, but still restrained and elegant.Acidity is perfectly balanced.
93 points, Wine Enthusiast. "There's a tarry kick to the start of the nose on this bottling from a low-lying vineyard visible from Highway 1, and then bright raspberry aromas meet with cracked Tellicherry peppercorn. The palate is very peppery, spicing up the dark-cherry flavors, all wrapped in a tense texture."