World class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, born of fog, wind, and shattered soils, have put Santa Lucia Highlands on the map. Near perfect growing conditions condense into bright, intensely flavorful wines, with good acidity and mineral notes.  Part of the overall Monterey Wine Country, the Santa Lucia Highlands is one of nine AVAs, primarily recognized as a sweet spot for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  The Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans came to Los Angeles to demonstrate the finesse and elegance of their wines, with 23 wineries pouring their best for trade and media.  Get out the word, the wines are great, distinctive and delicious, and incredible value for the quality!

So what makes these SLH wines so special?  It goes back to the vineyards, their geology and geography, and man’s role in nurturing Mother Nature to greatness.  This is a Goldilocks situation for the Highlands’ vines, not too hot, not too cool, just right, a combination of morning sun, coastal fog and afternoon breezes funneled in from Monterey Bay.  In this climactic cradle, where the temperature swings only 20 degrees between day and night, the infant grapes develop gradually, amplifying the phenolics, throughout a very long growing season, one of the longest hang times in California.  And while seemingly blessed with Mother Nature’s ways, the key to quality wine are the layers of soils, which contribute to the mineral backbone of the wines.

​Today, tinkering with clones, trellises, and sustainable farming techniques, winegrowers work 37 vineyard properties, where over 6,000 acres of vineyards cling to the hillsides, many planted at elevations of more than 1,000 feet.  Forty-six wine producers interpret this terroir, in addition, superstar winemakers clamor to buy whatever fruit is leftover for their own labels.  The Santa Lucia Highlands wine district, twelve miles long and 1-1/2 miles narrow, hits the sweet spot for the notoriously difficult Pinot Noir, and the quality is climbing.

Andy Abraham, Wine Ambassador for Talbott Wines, sang the praises of their Sleepy Hollow single vineyard wines

The 2017 Best of the Highlands tasting at Hinoki and the Bird was a chance to understand the beauty of single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as experience some cool climate Syrah, Riesling, and Pinot Gris.  Most of the winemakers, inspired by the wines of Burgundy, endeavor to bridge the Old and New World, crafting truly beautiful California renditions that deserve a spot in everyone’s wine cellar. 

​Here are a few of my highlights, and apologies to those producers I didn’t get to visit for lack of time:

Talbott Vineyards poured a study of Chardonnay and Pinot, in three different tiers; Kali (pronounced Kaylee) Hart, Logan, and Sleepy Hollow.  Named after the Talbott’s youngest daughter, the Kali Hart wines see minimal oak, and according to Andy Abraham, Wine Ambassador for Robert Talbott Vineyards, is “a pure fruit expression of the vineyard”, which is evident in the Chardonnay’s beautiful tropical fruit aromas and flavors.  Logan is the middle ground, a more balanced expression of the vineyard, while Sleepy Hollow, Talbott’s single vineyard which originally planted the flag for the label, really defines and embodies the Highlands for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  The Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay is a richer, more classic California Chardonnay, yet with more acidity, made as Abraham notes, with “ more oak, older vines, contact with the lees, barrel ferment, barrel aged…it’s going to extend your mouthfeel, your length of finish.”  The founder, Robert Talbott, strives to meld the ripeness of California wines with the elegant balance of Burgundy, resulting in what Abraham calls “a marriage of the two.”  With these three different tiers, Talbott offers something for everybody, while still capturing the essence of the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Hahn Family Wines, one of the largest producers in the Highlands, produces three different collections of wine, of which the Hahn SLH and Lucienne labels are exclusively Highlands’ fruit.  The SLH wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are juicy and delicious, while the Lucienne wines are single vineyard expressions of Pinot Noir, from the Smith, Doctors, Hook and Lone Oak blocks, powerful and beautiful in their expression, all equally fascinating.

Winemaker Adam Lee of Siduri Wines

Siduri Wines, the brain child of winemaker Adam Lee, specializes in single vineyard Pinot Noir from the best West Coast sites.  In the Highlands, he bottles three single vineyard Pinots from Garys’, Rosella’s, and Pisoni, and one blend of five vineyards, a SLH designate.  Showcasing the 2014 vintage, Lee finds that Garys' vineyard is his favorite, with more concentration and structure, but notes that “everyone likes one vineyard site over another, I don’t mind as long as they don’t say the wine is poorly made!”  No one would ever go there, as Lee is know for his pursuit of perfection, crafting premium Pinot Noir wines that have their own distinct identity.

McIntyre Vineyards poured a beautiful lineup of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; sparkling, rosé, and still wines.  The Estate Pinot Noir from McIntyre vineyard itself is a standout, reflecting the stellar fruit from careful detail to farming and winemaking.  McIntyre is one of the oldest vineyards in the Highlands, planted over 40 years ago, and Steve McIntyre was instrumental in helping create the AVA, understanding the region well, as he also cultivates vineyards for many other labels.  The wines are lively and concentrated, with great balance and complexity, and are well priced to boot.

Wrath Wines is a specialist in single vineyard and clonal variety Pinot Noir, with six vineyards and six clones, well represented in their Winemaker and Single Vineyard Series wines.   Christopher Whaley, Director of Sales, poured three very nice Pinots, my favorite being the Boekenoogen Vineyard, a high altitude site that infuses the wine with vibrant acidity, layers of red and dark fruit, and a mineral backbone that dances on your palate.  For the holy smokes moment, the KW Ranch Syrah is so delicious and profound, with a complex nose of blackberry and plum, olive, smoked meats, earth and leather, and a rocky mineral essence reminiscent of the wines of Southern France, wow, it’s really a captivating wine!

Miner Family Wines out of Napa Valley has carved out a place of honor among the Santa Lucia Highlands wineries, and offered a taste of their single vineyard Pinot Noir, from Garys', Sierra Mar, and Rosella’s Vineyard, in fact two Rosella’s Pinots were poured, one a single clone bottle, the 777.   The Rosella’s 777 is a fabulous wine, intense and complex, floral with exotic spice, dark berry fruit, textured and silky on a long finish.  The Gary’s Vineyard is also noteworthy, the bright fruit and spice channel the best of both worlds, earth and fruit.

Roar Wines are the passion project of one of the Highlands winegrowing titans, Gary Franscioni and his family, who are third generation farmers of the region.  Over 20 years ago, the Franscionis planted vineyards whose singular signatures today are easily recognizable among many producers.  Their small portfolio of cool climate wines are a microcosm of the terroir, gaining critical acclaim and legions of fans.  Elegant and deeply drinkable, a Chardonnay and two Pinot Noir wines were poured, with the Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot my favorite, more savory, with red fruit, spice and that touch of underbrush that always adds intrigue to Pinot.

Winemaker Dan Tudor of Tudor Wines

Tudor Wines mixed things up a little bit, pouring their SLH Tudor Pinot alongside their Nacina label Riesling wines, an off dry and Ice wine version.  Riesling has had a boom or bust history in California, but it seems to be gaining favor once again, as its high acidity and rich stonefruit and citrus flavors compliment food so well.  And don’t be afraid of a little sweetness, it just rounds out that acid and brings out the fruit, a wine that seems to be making inroads into predominantly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country.

Hope & Grace also poured a very nice dry Riesling (albeit from Napa Valley) alongside their bold Doctors Vineyard Pinot Noir.  Hope & Grace started their winery with this small production Pinot Noir, and has since expanded into other single vineyard varietal wines from Sonoma and Napa Valley.

Winemaker Kerith Overstreet of Bruliam Wines

Bruliam Wines is the new kid on the block, figuratively speaking, making single vineyard Pinots from Sonoma and the Highlands.  Winemaker Kerith Overstreet had a great story to tell, about how she scored her Soberanes fruit for her Santa Lucia Highlands wine.  Setting her sights on the highly sought after Garys’ vineyard, she boldly called and asked to buy the fruit, prompting a surprise invitation to chat about an up and coming vineyard, Soberanes.  With kids in tow, Overstreet’s visit resulted in a clogged toilet at Gary Franscioni’s house, and the ice was broken.  Overstreet laughed, “I was lucky, I think I Forrest Gumped into the vineyard at the right time!”  Only receiving a small amount of fruit at first, Overstreet’s Pinot earned critical acclaim, and since, more of the Soberanes fruit has become available to her.  The 2014 is euphoria in a glass, richer flavors of dark fruit and mocha, herbs, with cigar box and cedar notes, it’s a smooth drink of happiness.

What Santa Lucia Highlands wine producers have achieved in a generation of winemaking is remarkable.  These producers fast-tracked the quality of these wines, and much is still to be discovered.  Today’s elegant and reasonably priced wines are testimony to the promise and potential of the region, constantly evolving and reaching for perfection in the glass.