2024 Richard G. Petersons Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

There are winemakers, and then there are legends. Dr. Richard G. Peterson — now 95 years old — is the kind of figure who helped invent the California wine industry as we know it. He worked alongside the great André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards, made the debut vintages at Diamond Creek, Dalla Valle, and Screaming Eagle, and is the father of Heidi Peterson Barrett, one of Napa Valley's most celebrated winemakers. This is his wine.

What makes this Pinot Noir truly unlike anything else in California is the vine material beneath it. In 1980, Dr. Peterson personally imported cuttings of the Wrotham clone — a 2,000-year-old Roman-era Pinot Noir variety discovered growing up a stone wall in rural England — and planted them in his estate Alarid Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. His is the only planting of the Wrotham clone in the United States, blended here with the R-4 clone in a combination found nowhere else on earth.

The Santa Lucia Highlands delivers one of California's most Burgundian growing environments: cool maritime breezes off Monterey Bay, one of the longest growing seasons in California, and natural acidity that keeps the wines focused and fine-dining-ready. Think less "California fruit bomb," more Côte de Nuits with a coastal accent. Only 850 cases produced. Drink now through 2044+.