Immediately upon opening 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot the wine is black bramble, cedar, tobacco wrapper, and an almost enveloping sense of depth. Upfront the fruit profile is dark and almost brooding, but as the wine evolves over your palate the fruit turns brighter; think pomegranate, currant, and alpine blueberries. The juxtaposition is engaging and brings life to the end palate in the form of bright acidity and a gripping mouthfeel that lingers long after the wine has passed. For food pairings consider something high in both protein and fat; you can go classic with a grilled or roasted cut of beef, or spice things up with yakitori. Drink now – 2030.

The 2021 vintage of the Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir displays the terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands gracefully. The wine lifts with a bouquet of cinnamon oil, currants, cranberry, and sage. Structurally, the wine has fine tannins that are carried by a soft acidity and concludes with an integrated cedar and light tobacco wrapper coating. Over time the wine opens and becomes more fruit forward and starts to display dynamic notes of violets, rose petals, cardamom, and eucalyptus. The interplay of the tonality makes this wine a joy to drink. For food pairings I would consider something delicate like roast fowl, rabbit, or hard cheeses. Drink now – 2030, serve in large-bowl stemware, and serve at cellar temperature.

Offers an expressive mix of aromas of pear, lychee, and honeysuckle, with hints of toasted hazelnuts. Rich and creamy mouthfeel up front, and then an explosion of bright acidity of yellow grapefruit and tangerine, which finishes with wonderful integrated notes of riverbed stones and salinity, fairly dry on the finish.

The 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains Muns Vineyard Pinot Noir is a lovely cherry fruit forward wine with a backbone of the herbal qualities we love from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wine exhibits a delicate matrix of these accessory aromas such as lavender, sage, and thyme. On the palate, the structure is lean and graphite-like, lending to a profile that evolves nicely over a dinner. The tannins are still apparent in their youth and provide a texture that begs for fatty foods. For food pairings I would consider duck breast or a pork sirloin steak with a thick and scored fat trim.

Right off the pop the wine throws vibrant tones of alpine blueberries, cigar humidor, and cracked pink peppercorns. From a structural perspective, the wine has a very delicate structure creating a Zinfandel that is more about finesse than sheer volume. As the wine continues to open, the bouquet begins to throw notes of wilting violets and rose petals.