2015 Mail Road Wines Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir

Mail Road Wines in the Sta. Rita Hills is a new collaboration between Mount Carmel Vineyard owners Ronald Piazza and Michael Palmer, and winemaker Matt Dees. Dees is winemaker at Jonata, and has also made wine at Staglin in Napa Valley and in New Zealand. Mount Carmel Vineyard is at 800 to 1,000 feet above sea level, with steep, south facing slopes. Its grapes are in great demand, and have been primarily sold to Brewer-Clifton. Mail Road Wines is a label for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ratings have been as high as 97 pts from Wine Advocate. The wines are available primarily by mailing list.

Santa Rita Hills AVA in northern Santa Barbara County was granted appellation status in 2001. Located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton, it has a total area of 30,720 acres with 2,700 vineyard acres. The area is considered a cool climate for vineyards, so vineyards are most often planted with the cool-weather grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The hills in the western part of this appellation are directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, meaning that maritime winds and fog make the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA particularly cool. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard planted in 1971 was the first vineyard in the district and is still considered one of the best.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.