2015 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills)

SAMsARA is now entering its second generation. Joan and Dave Szkutak acquired the winery last year when founder Chad Melville decided to focus his energy solely on his family's property. I have long believed that SAMsARA is one of the under the radar gems of Santa Barbara, dating back to the first time I tasted the wines in a tiny industrial winery with Melville and his then-partner Sashi Moorman many years ago. Hopefully that will continue under the stewardship of new winemaker Matt Brady, whom I first met when he was at Jaffurs. For now, the wines are a bit inconsistent and suggestive of less than ideal focus that is the natural result of a period of transition in ownership. Given the uncertainty about the label's future at the time, Melville made just a little bit of wine during the 2016 vintage, which will be released gradually over the next few years as SAMsARA returns to its normal level of production.