Scar of the Sea 'Vino de Los Ranchos' Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2022

Born and raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Mikey Giugni never gave much thought to wine until he got to California Polytechnic State University. That's when he, an Environmental Engineering student, started to date a girl earning her degree in Wine & Viticulture. Her coursework seemed a lot more interesting (and a heck of a lot more fun) than his ever could be, and he wondered: What the heck was he doing? After graduation, he headed straight for the cellar, landing a gig at Kenneth Volk Vineyard in Santa Maria, then travelling to work harvest in Tasmania. Almost immediately upon returning to the states in 2012, he launched Scar of the Sea in San Luis Obispo with fellow winemaker Michael Brughelli. Sourcing fruit from mindful growers who farm organically, and intervening as little as possible in the cellar, the two crafted Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and more meant to convey California terroir and the prevailing influence of the nearby water. Eight years later, Brughelli left to pursue his own label and Giugni kept at his goal, bringing his wife Gina (also a winemaker with her own label, Lady of the Sunshine) along. This Pinot is a compilation of five picks from two separate vineyards. It fermented with native yeasts, aged seven months in old French oak barrels and was bottled with minimal sulfur and without filtration. The palate marries black cherry, cranberry and Goji berries with tea-like nuances and savory sage-like accents. Totally delicious!