Description

Planted in 1989, on steep and rugged land surrounding an abandoned Carmelite monastery, Mt. Carmel was one of the first vineyards planted in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Primarily dry-farmed, Mt. Carmel is extremely cool and windy. This, combined with exceptional Botella clay and limestone soils, produces a wine that is as intricate and dynamic as it is alluring. Combining five elite clones and made with 43% whole cluster, it has a superb, terroir-driven structure, seductive tannins, and an underlying tensile acidity. On the palate, pure, vibrant flavors of raspberry, blueberry, cacao nibs, and dried herbs coalesce around an energetic core, before culminating in a long, resonant finish.