Oh baby, we’re BUZZIN’ on this one. VELVET BEE! Slurpy somms and serious Pinotphiles know what’s up - but they’ve likely never seen a fair dinkum price like this!

It’s easy to miss the Therese Noelle Vineyard on the intricate Sta. Rita Hills AVA map. But if you look carefully, this tiny plot sits on the western edge of the Pacific-swept appellation, just about 10 miles from the ocean.

Neighbors? That’s where things get really interesting. Right next door is Domaine de la Côte where celebrity sommelier Raj Parr and legendary winemaker Sashi Moorman make Pinots that adorn Michelin star wine lists around the globe. Just to the South are Radian & Bentrock vineyards, infamous for cult Pinots, equally famous Cargasacchi is right there too. In other words; location, location, location.

Asking $59 for a single vineyard of such prized terroir is reasonable.

But bringing it down to $29 is not only sweet as honey but also completely NUTS!

Don’t seek press or compare prices. You won’t find any. This is 4 barrels in production, and guess who grabbed ALL after falling in love with it?

You’re welcome, now go reap the benefits.

This beautiful rendition of Sta. Rita Hills shows off gorgeous inner sweetness and perfume. Layers of fruit continue to blossom in the glass with air. Palate-staining intense raspberry, pomegranate, cranberry, rooibos tea, and silky floral pastille flavors are lifted and braced by juicy acidity that adds a back-end cut. Shows superb clarity on the mineral-tinged finish, which features supple tannins and lingering floral accents. The textural richness and personality are simply marvelous to behold. We’re in LUUUV.

Oh, and the couple behind Velvet Bee is entirely consumed by winemaking passion. Not only with the name or the label, but the boutique attention to detail and the environmentalist approach here eerily reminds us of the unrelated Beekeeper Cellars, whose Zins are equally delicious and complex. There are bees (naturally), lavender, vegetables, and apples under their hospices, and all thrive symbiotically.

The Kaplans trained under - and were influenced by - the great Joe Davis of Arcadian. As PinotFile puts it “Phil and Collette Kaplan came to the venture partial to French wines and the goal was to mimic those wines stylistically.” And so they did, with great success, adding the uniquely Sta. Rita Hills’ flair for intense aromatics and flavors, simply cannot be replicated elsewhere in California.

Babcock & Arcadian remain the only other wineries with access to Theresa Noelle’s few rows of pristine vines. Are you in on Rita’s best-kept secret?