“Cargasacchi is highly respected by his peers as a conscientious, innovative, and committed winegrower. – The Prince of Pinot

HALF BOTTLE PINOT DAY!!!

And 60% off on top?! This cult Pinot in 750s was once $80 at select wine shops across the nation, good luck finding a bottle of it today.

The old-school collector hive don’t need no intro for Cargasacchi. For those who are new to Pinot, this Santa Rita Hills-based grower’s reputation predates Sideways. It was the hippest source for prime Pinot fruit way before the neighbors like Sea Smoke, Rita’s Crown, Radian or Bentrock were all the hype. Yet similar classics like Sanford & Benedict, Fiddlestix, and Mt. Carmel are a stone’s throw away too so there’s no doubt they are smack in the middle of the La La Land of cult Pinot Noir.

Pinot labels wearing the Cargasacchi single vineyard designation include Brewer-Clifton, Bonaccorsi, Hitching Post, Ken Brown, Babcock… basically a who’s who of Santa Barbara’s best. And for a decade-spanning 2004 through this 2014 vintage, the Cargasacchi family bottled their own estate label.

PinotFile aka The Prince of Pinot points out that “Ten wineries purchase about ninety percent of Cargasacchi’s grapes. Peter makes wine under both the Point Concepcion label (lighter, early drinking, mainly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Syrah from estate and purchased grapes) and the Cargasacchi label (more serious, age-worthy, Pinot Noir from estate grapes). The roots of Cargasacchi winemaking philosophy are found in the Italian traditional pairing of food and wine at mealtime. Both Peter’s and Julia’s families have been making wine for consumption with food for many generations. The wines are sold primarily through a mailing list with limited retail distribution.”

Were, he means ‘were’ sold, not are, until they closed shop shortly after these halves were bottled. And forgotten in the corner of a cold warehouse until we spotted them and tasted one. First, let’s address the elephant in the room, these are screwcaps, and we have those screwcaps to thank for the FRESHNESS of what’s in the bottle, as corks could not have guaranteed that. A vivid streak of juiciness runs through the red cherry fruit laced with raspberry and pomegranate. There are a myriad of baking spices and minerals too as it culminates to a seamless, silky finish begging for a next sip until the whole HALF bottle is gone, which took us maybe 10 minutes… Throw a frozen flatbread in the oven, grab the remote, and kick back for the finest Pinot experience within the reach of 16 bucks.

No ratings or reviews on this practically unreleased gem out there, yet there’s plenty of praise on other Cargasacchi Pinots, including a “one of the most magnificent Pinot Noirs I have tasted from California… reminded me of the 1990 Domaine de la Romanée Conti reds, which were compelling wines” by none other than Robert Parker. Yes, it’s that kind of impeccable winegrowing we’re looking at here today.

Just a twist away, case this one up and thank us later!