2023 Samuel Louis Smith - Pinot Noir Pelio Vineyard (750ml)

Sam Smith built his winemaking foundation as the winemaker at Morgan Winery, a pioneering producer on California's Central Coast, before striking out with his namesake label. Along the way he developed his palate crafting Pinot Noir in Oregon's Willamette Valley, cool-climate Syrah in France's Northern Rhône, and working as assistant winemaker for Margerum Wine Company. That varied background led him back to California in search of the coldest, most marginal sites in the Central Coast, where he believed his style and the region's terroir could truly meet.

Pelio Vineyard sits in Carmel Valley just west of Laureles Grade, within an area soon to be recognized as its own Carmel Coast AVA. Planted in 2003 and farmed organically, the vineyard sits at 1,000 feet elevation only seven miles from Monterey Bay, with clay loam topsoil over ancient diatomaceous shale bedrock. The 2023 Pinot Noir was made with eighty percent whole-cluster fruit, fermented natively using a pied de cuve from the vineyard, then aged nine months in French oak, a third of it new. Just three barrels were produced, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The wine offers aromas of fresh cut flowers, wild cherry, and sea breeze, followed by sweet herbs and red berries. Light-bodied with elegant tannins and bright acidity, it pairs well with grilled trout, duck breast, or a savory wild mushroom tart.