Mail Road Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, USA 2018

Established in 1989 – on land surrounding a long since abandoned monastery of cloistered, Carmelite nuns – Mt. Carmel straddles the limestone saddle of a highly-exposed, two-tiered mountain immediately north of the Santa Ynez River, at the eastern end of The Sta. Rita Hills. Mt. Carmel consists of six blocks over a total of 22.5 acres, planted to a variety of own-rooted, organically and principally dry-farmed, heritage chardonnay and pinot noir clones. The wines produced by Mt. Carmel fruit are remarkable in their lean toward site specifically and marked by deep concentration, exceptional depth, structural complexity and bracing acidity.

“A dazzling wine, the 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard possesses magnificent richness to match its statuesque personality. The flavors are rich, bold and ample, and yet the 2018 retains so much nuance and vibrancy. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite and spice build into the huge, resonant finish. What a wine. The 2018 was done with 6% whole clusters and was aged in a combination of one and two-year-old barrels." Antonio Galloni, Vinous 97