2024 Samuel Louis Smith - Chardonnay Monterey County Granitiers (750ml)

Samuel Louis Smith launched his own label in 2014 as a side project while making wine at Morgan, and the portfolio remains tiny by design, at roughly 1,300 cases across all bottlings. After stints in Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône, and Champagne, he now works as a micro-negociant, focusing on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and cool-climate Syrah from the Central Coast.

Les Granitiers takes its name from the granitic soils shared by its high-elevation, organically farmed vineyards. The 2024 blend draws 44% from Coastview in the Gabilan Mountains, 43% from Fogstone in the Santa Lucia Highlands, 10% from Pelio on the Carmel Coast, and 3% from Spear in the Sta. Rita Hills. Fermented with native yeasts, the wine was aged in mostly neutral barrels with some stainless steel for under a year, keeping oak in the background.

Honeysuckle and wet rock lead the nose, followed by a chalky palate of Asian pear and lychee. Linear, high-toned, and light-bodied, the wine carries salinity and earthy notes of fresh herb and sea spray despite the warmer vintage.