Samuel Louis Smith, Pinot Noir "Montanita de Oro" Coast View & Pelio Vineyards, Monterey County, California 2019

Medium garnet and medium bodied. Tart cherry, blood orange, white pepper, and crushed rose petal on the nose are supported by cinnamon and red fruit on the palate.

A 50/50 blend of two of the most pristine mountain sites of Monterey County, the Pelio and Coastview vineyards. With ocean views and an average elevation of 1,700 ft, Montañita de Oro presents a perfect combination of feminine lift and mountain structure.

Pelio Vineyard is located next to Albatross Ridge, northwest of the Carmel Valley appellation of Monterey. At 1,000 feet and six miles from Monterey Bay, this site is truly on the edge of viticulture. Clay loam is littered with diatomaceous shale, evidence this area was under the sea until about 12 million years ago. Organically farmed.

Coastview Vineyard is located on a ridgetop 2,300 feet up the Gabilan Mountains, and is one of the most dramatic sites on the Central Coast. Thin soils of decomposed granite and limestone are planted to chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah, and grenache. Organically farmed.