2024 Samuel Louis Smith - Syrah Santa Cruz Mountains Sandstone Terrace (750ml)

Samuel Louis Smith is a small, micro-négociant label founded in 2014 by winemaker Sam Smith, whose approach was shaped by a formative harvest in the Northern Rhône and years spent honing organic, high-elevation sourcing across California's Central Coast. The Sandstone Terrace bottling draws on two cool-climate sites in the Corralitos district of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains: Thomasen's Split Rail Vineyard, a small dry-farmed, organic plot at 1,700 feet surrounded by redwoods and madrones, and the sandy-loam Lester Vineyard, one of the coldest sites in the appellation, where fruit often doesn't ripen until late October. Both share sandstone-derived soils that give the wine its signature spicy, floral character.

The 2024 is fermented with 100 percent whole clusters using native yeast, then aged for 10 months in mostly neutral French oak. In the glass it shows medium purple color with aromas of brambleberry, garrigue, and cured meat, layered with spring florals and savory spice. The palate is medium-bodied, framed by fresh acidity and fine, chalky tannins. Produced in a tiny run of just over 300 cases, it offers real Rhône-inspired precision from an emerging, site-driven producer.