2023 Bernardus - Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands (750ml)

Bernardus was founded by Ben Pon, a Dutch enthusiast who first visited California's Carmel Valley in the 1970s. Pon fell in love with the region's early wines, believing they represented an American answer to great European wine, and dreamed of one day making a red wine equal to the finest of Bordeaux. While the winery is perhaps best known for its flagship Marinus red blend, its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program from Santa Lucia Highlands has become equally respected.

The vineyards for this Pinot Noir sit on some of the most favorably situated land in Santa Lucia Highlands, an area recognized as one of the best in the world for the variety, benefiting from abundant sun and cooling ocean breezes. The grapes are hand-harvested, and a special fermentation approach is used to build soft tannins and elegance. Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is considered perhaps the most highly regarded appellation in Monterey County, combining warm morning sunshine with brisk afternoon breezes that allow the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining natural acidity. The 2023 harvest was marked by cool nights and warm days, with sea breezes creating perfect conditions for healthy, ripe fruit with fresh acidity.

The finished wine offers aromas of ripe cherry and subtle cranberry with hints of spice. The palate is rich and full-bodied, showing deep plum and boysenberry flavors, all carried through on a long, soft finish. Juicy cherry, pomegranate, and zesty orange peel lead the palate, with rose and lavender adding aromatic lift and a subtle hint of rooibos tea lingering on the finish, thoroughly Californian in style: glossy, fruit-driven, and modern.

This is a versatile Pinot Noir suited to roast chicken, duck, or grilled salmon, drinkable now but with the structure to reward a few years of cellaring.