Pinot Noir, Zotovich Vyd., Sta. Rita Hills, 2020

Fragrant with earthy cherry notes, a touch of florality, savoury stoniness, a touch of pine cone, black tea - this is strikingly aromatic. Very red fruited on the palate, yet with a note of something subtly savoury. Still quite tight this nevertheless has lovely flow, with fine grained, sleek, crystalline fruit that you sense is just waiting to open up. At just 13% abv this is very alive and snappy yet also has some texture and the promise of more. Very fine intensity. And brilliant fruit. Intellectually stimulating, full of energy, yet also very easy to drink. Another top quality vineyard, this time situated in the north eastern corner of the Santa Rita Hills, on predominantly sandy soils. You're roughly 8 miles from the ocean here, at an altitude of 350 ft. The resulting wines tend to be more mineral and taut than those from Sandford and Benedict. Ryan's first vintage here was 2011. The Pinot skins from the sandier soils tend to be thinner than in the other vineyards Ryan works, and as a result this sees a little more whole bunch than the others, up to 35%, on top of which it spends its last four months of elevage in sandstone amphoras, to help elevate and capture the naturally aromatic quality of the site.