2020 Tassajara Pinot Noir Monterey 750 ml

In California Pinot Noir, marine influence is the name of the game. From windswept sites in inland Santa Barbara County to precipitous Sonoma Coast vineyards overlooking the ocean, maritime coolness consistently breeds aromatic complexity and freshness. And Tassajara’s estate-grown 2020 Pinot Noir Monterey boasts a truly profound relationship with the Pacific depths.

Hailing from the fog-cooled Salinas Valley, it’s marvelously pure and fresh. That’s thanks to a unique quirk of Monterey Bay: A deep canyon on the bay floor propels frigid water to the surface, chilling the air, which is then pulled into the valley by rising temperatures.

It’s like the bottom of the ocean is touching these vines, elongating the growing season and imbuing the Pinot with elegant complexity. The 2020 Tassajara reveals tons of lavish dark cherry fruit, adorned with fresh violets, lilacs, and bramble. Silky and seductive on the palate after a year in 25% new French oak, it brings a Burgundian sensibility to its sun-kissed California fruit, finishing perfumed and long.

The driving force behind Tassajara is Al Scheid, a local legend who purchased his first property in 1972, back when Monterey winemaking was in its infancy. He basically had a head start on finding exactly the right sites—the kind of mountain-shielded parcels that catch the Pacific’s invigorating breezes and now command top dollar from vintners who covet the grapes.

Since Scheid was there before the Monterey wine rush began, Tassajara—named after local hot springs—boasts pedigree from some of the region’s singular terroirs. This 2020 channels them into a lush and dynamic wine, putting the excellence of its Pacific-kissed grapes on full display.