Ceritas Pinot Noir Trout Gulch Vineyard 2018

Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, fresh mint and wild flowers, the aromatics alone are worth the price of entry. On the palate, this is Ceritas at their finest: plush and generous, but anchored by the natural tension of own-rooted Mt. Eden clone Pinot from these Santa Cruz Mountains hillsides. John and Phoebe Raytek opened up the canopies in 2018, letting extra sun into the fruit and adding a touch of warmth that plays beautifully against the wine's structural backbone. The balance here is the real story, richness and restraint pulling in equal measure, neither giving ground. One of the standout Pinots of this vintage from anywhere in California.