Stagiaire "Eternal Return" 2023 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

Sourced from west facing vineyards above Monterey Bay at 1,700 feet on sandstone and shale. This comes from the riper second-pick fruit. Destemmed then pressed and soaked on the whole clusters of the lesser ripe sections for 10-days with daily pumpovers.

Stagiaire - the French word for apprentice and what the winemaker I worked for in Jura called me when other local vigneron asked who the hell the guy speaking really bad French was. 

The name encapsulates humility, impermanence, and the never-ending pursuit of knowledge and improvement.

Vines are farmed beyond organically (kind of a low bar); I actively pursue thoughtful and regenerative practices instead of recipe farming. Most importantly I want to work with good people that are trying to farm in line with nature, instead of against it.

Vineyards are predominantly situated in a narrow strip of the California coast from Santa Cruz up to West County Sonoma. The confluence of the cold Pacific waters and the elevation of coastal mountain ranges produce real magic.

If we have good grapes, why add anything to them in the cellar?