Ghostwriter 2021 Santa Cruz County Cuvee Pinot Noir

When it was created as an AVA in 1981, the Santa Cruz Mountains was the first whose area was determined by altitude. There are no "valley floor" vineyards here. Many of the vineyard sites are extraordinarily steep, at or above the fog line, extending to ridge-top vineyards perched at up to 2,600 feet above sea level. The topography is so intense and varied that in an appellation encompassing 480,000 acres there are only 1,300 acres under vine. Kenny's 'Ghostwriter' Pinot Noir is fermented with native yeasts (as with all of his wines) and aged primarily in neutral French barrels and concrete eggs with a small percentage of new oak rotating into the mix each year. In 2021, there was only 7% new oak used. Some whole clusters are used (about 40%). The Pinot is matured sur lie for 18-20 months with minimal sulfur added, and then bottled without fining or filtration. We were really impressed with this vintage, which Kenny is also quite fond of. The ripeness was ideal but lean, not screaming "California!," and there were lovely earth tones and elegant tannins. Great now, it should age beautifully over the next 5+ years.