2022 Samuel Louis Smith - Escolle Vineyard Gamay (750ml) SHELF

Samuel Louis Smith is the eponymous project of a Salinas-based winemaker focused on organic, mountainous vineyard sites across Monterey County and California's Central Coast. Working parcels that stretch from the Santa Lucia Highlands to the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan Range, Smith favors precise, site-driven wines made with minimal intervention: textural Chardonnays, whole-cluster Syrah and Pinot Noir, and a juicy, Cru Beaujolais-inspired Gamay. The project has quickly built a reputation for coaxing unexpected character out of cool-climate California fruit.

Escolle Vineyard sits on the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, an eighteen-mile bench that divides the Santa Lucia range from the Salinas Valley floor and stays notably cool thanks to its proximity to Monterey Bay. Gamay Noir is a relatively new planting here, grown in granitic loam soils that give the grape unusual lift and minerality. For the 2022, the fruit was vinified with seventy-five percent whole clusters and twenty-five percent carbonic maceration, then aged entirely in neutral oak to preserve fruit purity over overt wood influence.

The 2022 shows a dark ruby color with an almost electric purple hue, opening with rose petal, cracked pepper, and savory herb aromas over raspberry and strawberry fruit. The palate carries zippy acidity and a light, energetic texture, with notes of blueberry and violet lingering through the finish. Serve it lightly chilled alongside grilled salmon, roast turkey, or a wild mushroom pasta.