PAST VINTAGES
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2021
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate.
“…the 2021 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard is slightly deeper ruby-hued and has a gorgeous perfume of ripe red and black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, white pepper, and obvious minerality. It’s stunning on the palate as well, with medium to full body, integrated acidity, and ripe yet building tannins. I love its purity, and it’s rich and concentrated yet stays graceful, well-balanced, and light on its feet. Give bottles a year or three and enjoy over the following decade.”
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2020
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate.
The 2020 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard is more structured and masculine, with brilliant aromatics of black raspberries, strawberries, new leather, sandalwood, and dried flowers. It’s brilliant on the palate as well and is medium to full-bodied, has flawlessly integrated tannins, a beautiful sense of freshness, and a great finish. It’s a stunner. I like it today, yet it will evolve nicely for 2-3 years and keep for a solid decade or more. These are pure, crystalline, focused wines that still bring beautiful depth of fruit and concentration. They’re some of the best out there.
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2021
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Ripe melon, brioche, acacia flowers, and chalky mineral notes all emerge from the 2021 Chardonnay Mount Carmel Vineyard, a quintessential Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that has a pure, layered, medium-bodied profile, high yet balanced acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a lengthy, salty finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following decade.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2021
Tasting notes courtesy Winemaker Matt Dees
This 100% “declassified” Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir, is the 5th iteration of Mail Road’s very popular Sta. Rita Hills AVA bottling. With 4% whole cluster Pinot Noir and aged for 12 months in neutral 228L French barriques, this juice sees 12 days on average of skin time with a blend of four different clones: 55% 828, 15% Swan, 15% Pommard, and 15% own-rooted Mt. Carmel clone.
Lifted and expressive. Red raspberry, black tea, and green peppercorn. Velvet on palate with herbal notes of sage and rosemary. Earthy on the finish with ultra fine tannins and tremendous fruit purity and length.
STA. RITA HILLS CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2021
Tasting notes courtesy Winemaker Matt Dees
This spring brings the much anticipated release of our 2021 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay primarily from Mt. Carmel’s own-rooted Wente clone planted in 1988. Aged for 12 months in neutral 228L French barriques (average age of 2016) with 40% malolactic fermentation, this high acid beauty is ready to drink now and a perfect complement to your favorite oceanic dish.
Rich, round, and vibrant. Saline and tense with notes of citrus oil, lime zest and chamomile. Complete and balanced. Stunning and structured chardonnay from a dream vintage.
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2019
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate.
The 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard is more floral and exotic, with a thrilling core of black raspberry and wild strawberry fruits supported by candied orange, violet, flowery incense, and assorted spices. These all carry to a vibrant, medium-bodied Pinot Noir with a classic, focused spine of acidity, a more rounded mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s another gorgeous wine. Drink bottles any time over the coming 10-12 years or so.
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2020
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck
All the elements are so well put together…white flowers, mint, chalk and bright saline notes linger on the sculpted finish…bright, almost racy acidity, some distinct minerality, good mid-palate density, and a great finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2020
Tasting notes courtesy Winemaker Matt Dees
Effusively aromatic. A glass of fresh red raspberries. Lifted mint, sage, black pepper and dried strawberry. Pure and seamless on the palate. Generous and supple with long, lingering black cherry and dark plum. Savory notes and ultra fine structure on the finish. Buoyed by classic Mt Carmel freshness.
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2018
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
A dazzling wine, the 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard possesses magnificent richness to match its statuesque personality. The flavors are rich, bold and ample, and yet the 2018 retains so much nuance and vibrancy. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite and spice build into the huge, resonant finish. What a wine. The 2018 was done with 6% whole clusters and was aged in a combination of one and two-year-old barrels
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2019
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
The 2019 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel Vineyard is translucent, elegant and nuanced with white pepper, mint, chalk and citrus notes. This is an especially airy, gracious wine for this site. Bright saline flavors punctuate the finish.
The Sparkler VINTAGE 2019
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
Apricot, almond paste, and brioche. Lime zest and sea salt. This Sparkler is tight, crisp, and savory yet dry and invigorating. Incredibly fine mousse with a persistent chalky elegance. Showcases the warmth and graceful power of the 2018 vintage, the expanded texture of 37 months en tirage and the bracing, saline freshness from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. An absolute pleasure to drink today.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2019
Tasting notes courtesy Winemaker Matt Dees
Crafted entirely from declassified Mt. Carmel fruit, masquerading as an SRH bottling. The “sleeper” of the last couple offerings. Ripe, powerful. Laser focused.
“…Dark cherry, plum, lavender, licorice and spice are front and center. A wine meant to be enjoyed upon release. This Pinot has a ton to offer…”
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2017
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
The 2017 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir is a wine of pure and total sophistication. Aromatically intense, light on its feet and incredibly resonant, the 2017 is simply dazzling. Sweet red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and spice all run through this striking explosive Pinot. I am blown away by the wine’s freshness and extraordinary balance. Wow!
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2018
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
The 2018 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Chardonnay shows the natural breadth that is so typical of this site…exquisitely beautiful and vivid, with dazzling purity that really brings a core of citrus, orchard fruit, floral and mineral notes to life…Lemon confit, marzipan, dried flowers and chamomile are some of the many aromas and flavors that come alive in the glass…powerful and yet also remarkably translucent…
The Sparkler VINTAGE 2018
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
Aromas of ginger, graham cracker, loquat and truffle honey. Lemon zest, sage and salted Marcona almonds on the palate. Piercingly dry and as vibrant and fine as any Sparkler to date. Persistent and so pure. Showcases the endless sunshine from the 2018 vintage, the expanded texture of 37 months en tirage and the bracing and salty freshness from the Sta Rita Hills AVA. An absolute pleasure to drink today.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2018
Nose full of dark fruit and dried herbs. Lifted and seductive with notes of black cherry, thyme and peppercorn. Broad and generous on the palate with dense and vibrant red fruit. The core of red fruit is accompanied by a freshness that keeps it buoyant and vibrant. The finish is driven by delicate and fine tannins that carry the fruit and allow it to linger. A wine of power and elegance. Matt Dees, Winemaker
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2016
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
A vivid, stunningly beautiful wine endowed with real class and personality…the 2016 is utterly compelling from the moment it is first poured…super-perfumed, sublime personality. A wine of breathtaking purity and beauty, it is nearly impossible to resist. In a word: Wow!
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2017
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Bright, crisp and beautifully delineated, almost shockingly so…There is a Chablis-like purity to the 2017…Vivid, bright and crystalline in its precision, pulses with energy and all the pedigree that this rugged hillside site has to offer…positively stellar, even at this stage…This is such a compelling wine…
The Sparkler VINTAGE 2017
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
Honey, lemon zest, and biscuit. Elegant and refined. More depth, richness and complexity from the extra year spent on lees. Fine and persistent bead with a strong spine of mouthwatering acidity. Zero dosage. Dry, lively and so refreshing. Definition of liquid sunshine.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2017
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
Dark, sultry, and inviting. Cocoa powder. Blackberry, ripe blood orange, and black pepper. Silky fruit on the attack. Powdery tannins slowly envelop the palate with a gentle coating. Chalky and refine. Freshness and green herbs. Powerful fruit with a light touch and long lingering elegance. Such a pleasure to drink over the next five years.
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR, BLOCKS 2, 3, 5 VINTAGE 2015
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Powerful and massively tannic, the 2015 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard Blocks 2, 3, 5 2015 is brilliant. Brisk saline notes underpin a finish laced with bright red fruit, savory herb and rose petal nuances.
The Sparkler VINTAGE 2016
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
Mail Road’s Mt. Carmel Vineyard, “The Sparkler” is our estate sparkling wine made from a single block of own-rooted, Mt. Carmel clone Chardonnay. This blanc de blanc sees 9 month in barrel and 26 months on lees. Zero dosage. Orange blossom, almond, and crisp pink apple. Invigorating and focused with laser-like intensity.
STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR VINTAGE 2016
Tasting notes courtesy Matt Dees, Winemaker
The inaugural vintage of our Sta. Rita Hills AVA bottling. Dried rose petal, raspberry, hibiscus tea, and pomegranate. Blood orange, cinnamon, and black pepper spice. Round and supple on the palate with fine and chalky tannins that frame the fruit and allow the vibrant 2016 acidity to shine through.
The Sparkler VINTAGE 2015
Three years ago, we set aside some choice fruit for a little side project, and we’re now – finally – happy to debut Mail Road’s initial (and inaugural) foray into sparkling wine, Mail Road Wine’s Mt. Carmel Vineyard, The Sparkler 2015. From the single block of own-rooted, Mt. Carmel clone Chardonnay at the center of our estate vineyard.
Mt. Carmel Pinot Noir Vintage 2013
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate.
Similar to the Mt. Carmel 3, 5 bottling, except with more tension and vibrancy, the 2013 Pinot Noir Mt Carmel Vineyard spent 16 months in 33% new French oak, with the balance all in neutral oak, before being bottled unfiltered in March, 2015. It offers lots of rose petal, sappy underbrush and liquid-rock characteristics to go with ample cassis and black cherry fruit. Thrillingly textured, pure and seamless, with medium-bodied richness and depth, this is a sensational Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills that stays fresh and vibrant without making any concessions to fruit or texture. It will have 10-15 years of overall longevity.
MT. CARMEL PINOT NOIR BLOCKS 3, 5 VINTAGE 2013
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate.
The 2013 Pinot Noir Mt Carmel Vineyard 3, 5 offers lots of minerality and saltiness to go with darker-based fruits, crushed violets and cassis. Slightly reserved aromatically, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a supple, expansive texture and a big finish. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2014
Tasting notes courtesy Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
The 2014 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel Vineyard opens with intense aromatics with Sauvignon-leaning nuances. Bright, tense and pulsating with pure energy, the 2014 is a wine of considerable potential. Scents of orchard fruit and white flowers add further complexity, but above all else, the 2014 is a wine to look forward to for overall precision and balance.
Mt. Carmel Pinot Noir Vintage 2012
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck
Even better, the 2012 Pinot Noir Mt Carmel Vineyard is off the charts. Seeing 10% whole cluster inclusion and aged 16 months in 33% new French oak, it has incredible aromatics of cassis, licorice, spring flowers and spice that flow beautifully to a medium to full-bodied, energetic and elegantly styled palate. Nothing is out of place, it has awesome purity of fruit, and a classically styled, focused finish. Superb on all accounts and one of the top Pinot Noirs I was able to taste for this report.
MT. CARMEL CHARDONNAY VINTAGE 2013
Tasting notes courtesy Jeb Dunnuck
Made in a bright, juicy and very focused style, the 2013 Chardonnay Mt Carmel Vineyard gives up classy notes of lemon curd, crushed rocks, mint and green citrus. Medium-bodied, balanced and chiseled, this beauty spent 11 months in 40% new French oak (the balance was equal parts neutral oak and stainless steel) and saw only 30% of the blend going through malolactic fermentation. It will have a decade or more of longevity.
