2020 Felsong Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 750 ml

Radian and Mt. Carmel are two of the most celebrated Pinot Noir vineyards in the prime Pinot region made famous by icons like Sea Smoke and Domaine de la Côte. Both sites have been tapped by Pinot Noir giant Kosta Browne—whose single-vineyard bottlings command a whopping $149. 

It’s miraculous that a Pinot sourced SOLELY from these two sites could come for much less than $100, which is why the 2020 Felsong—comprising 78% Mt. Carmel and 22% Radian fruit—is such an outstanding value. 

On a typical day, Mt. Carmel is still cloaked with heavy fog around 9am. An hour or so later, the smoky fog begins to lift, and the coastal chill gives way to Santa Barbara sun. The wind blows through the canyon, and you can watch the climatic drama that brings these tiny berry clusters to beautiful ripeness without sacrificing a bit of bristling acidity. It’s no wonder that this site has been synonymous with Greg Brewer’s iconic Brewer-Clifton wines for decades.

Radian Vineyard, which sits on the former Rancho Salsipuedes site (loosely translated to "get out while you can”), is one of the coolest, windiest sites in the area. Its ancient diatomaceous soils, which contain large chunks as light as feathers, produce tiny clusters of small berries that yield a concentrated but perfectly fresh wine with a racy brightness. 

Santa Barbara fared just beautifully in the 2020 vintage, and the Felsong team belted a dinger with the barrels they scored. Aged for 19 months in a modest 10% new French oak and 90% second-use barrels, this is a stunning Pinot with an impressive vineyard pedigree.