2016 Saison Winery Pinot Noir Coast Grade Vineyard Ben Lomond Mountain 750 ml

MICHELIN two-star Saison is recognized as the original fine-dining establishment in the US to use open-hearth cooking. The San Francisco destination launched modestly in 2009 as a pop-up, swiftly scaling into a brick-and-mortar restaurant and quickly earning huge honors.

The cuisine at Saison is informed by the respective cultures—ingredients, techniques, and traditions—of chefs Richard Lee and Paul Chung. To emphasize the bounty of California’s evolving terroir, they work directly with fishermen, hunters, gatherers, ranchers, and farmers to source the best products that can be found locally.

Dining at Saison is a dynamic exchange between the restaurant team and the guest, driven by the chefs' dedication to purity and innovation, paired with a Wine Spectator Grand Award–winning wine list. The beverage program is helmed by co-owner and wine director Mark Bright and beverage director and assistant general manager Molly Greene. Together they preside over one of the country’s largest and most remarkable selections of Old and New World wines, as well as the full span of their Saison Winery labels.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Coast Grade Vineyard hails from a vineyard planted in 2008. The site sits at 1,350 feet, right along the fog line, just three miles from the Pacific Ocean. These attributes help to ensure that the growing season is temperate and long, which leads to intense, ripe berries. Composed of Pinot Noir from four clones—Pommard, 828, 667 and 115—the wine was made with 30% whole clusters, then aged for 11 months in 20% new 500L puncheons. Fewer than 200 cases were made.