Santa Cruz Mountains, Pinot Noir, 2020
Like the Chardonnay this is exclusively Mt. Pajaro fruit in 2020. Expressive and open already, with ripe cranberry and autumn raspberry alongside a touch of something else; black tea, black cherry then violets and floral notes. There’s lots of wine here, structure giving control through the mid palate with savoury touches on the finish. Really lovely and should be approachable on release.
critic reviews
The 2020 Alesia Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains is initially reticent on the nose, with aromas of pomegranate, dried herbs and autumn leaves showing themselves after aeration. The palate is perfectly enjoyable if a bit short. Given the logistical challenges of the vintage, it is a success, but it falls shy of the complexity shown in more giving harvests.
The 2020 Pinot Noir Alesia (Santa Cruz Mountains) is the only Pinot Rhys made from their core holdings in the Santa Cruz Mountains in and around the winery (which does not include Mt. Pajaro). It's a very pretty wine that offers good depth and attractive floral character at the outset. Nervy tannins are present, but balanced to some degree. This is obviously a very well made wine, but the challenges of the year set a pretty low ceiling as to what was realistically achievable.