So, there we were, tasting through a few dozen wines last week, when this happened…

This mind-expanding, consciousness-altering, astoundingly profound Pinot rose like a phoenix from the pack and simply floored us. We dug into the background and discovered this estate vineyard sits right next to Paul Hobbs’ Lindsay Estate where the finished product fetches $100+ a pop - if you can score an allocation.

Waiting list be damned! Retail price begone! We’re dropping this this plump, juicy Pinot into your lap for $29!

Madness!

What captured our attention was fabulous richness and tremendous complexity. This scores big in the intellectual department with its grab bag of flavors. There’s cranberry sauce and red licorice up front, a healthy dose of clove and savory baking spices around back, some earthiness and cigar box too - and plenty of bright acidity flanking in on the sides. A wine you will come back to with each sip looking for something else.

And we aren’t the only ones who noticed the conspicuous location of the vineyard. The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “In early 2016, Zeches and Richard finally opened a winery home of their own, buying the former Graton Ridge Cellars along Highway 116, a tony neighborhood for their favorite grape, not far from the wineries of Paul Hobbs, Merry Edwards, Dutton-Goldfield and Red Car. This is the best place to sample this stellar line-up of Pinot Noir from across the state.” Furthermore is committed to quality and it’s worth mentioning just last year superstar Ross Cobb (of Williams Selyem, Flowers, and Cobb Wines fame) joined the team as consulting winemaker.

Trust your faithful Wine Spies buyer - in our decade of tasting hundreds if not thousands of Pinot, this stands out and deserves a spot in your collection.

92 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Black tea and rhubarb rise to the fore of this elegant, savory and earthy vineyard-designate, with medium-bodied weight and ripeness. Thick tannins give it structure and additional complexity, settling into a smooth groove on the finish.”