2014 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)

Tommy Fogarty and winemaker Nathan Kandler describe 2014 as the earliest vintage on record. Once again, the wines are terrific across the board. The Chardonnays follow a classic Burgundian-inspired aging regime of around 12 months in barrel and 6 months in steel that brings out the intense, phenolic personalities of these rugged mountain sites. The Pinots are generally done with a good dose of whole clusters and see about 18 months in barrel, with the exception of the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot, which is typically bottled before the following harvest. Fogarty remains one of the under the radar gems of the Santa Cruz Mountains and California more broadly.