2023 Ruth Lewandowski "Cuvée Sara Beth"

This is a wine that, more than anything, represents the universal law of ‘push and pull.’ The rule, that for every action, there exists an equal and opposite REaction. That is the beauty of the dynamic duo that is Sara and Evan. You may recall the original iteration of Cuvée Sara Beth, that first time Sara had the GALL, THE AUDACITY to tell Evan not to make Pinot noir. Exactly similar story here. When Evan leads enthusiastically with “Hey Sara, what do you think about…” the reply is almost invariably “…let me stop you right there; NO.” So it was in 2023, when Evan heard that there might be some available Gamay from a stunning vineyard site in Santa Maria. Truth be told, it might have actually gone differently…Evan, already aware of what Sara’s answer would be, likely didn’t even pose the question at all, preferring to apologize rather than ask for permission. Gamay is a variety Evan’s always wanted to have a crack at, but most of the Gamay from up Sonoma/Mendocino way is spoken for (and fought tooth and nail for). Besides, getting to work with the the variety from such a different area, such as Santa Maria, he simply couldn’t pass it up. Presqu’ile Vineyard is ideally situated, perched above the plain that spills over into the Pacific on deep sandy loam soils. On a clear morning (which there aren’t all that many of), one can easily see, the ocean…smell the sea in the air. Moderate average temperatures and a long fairly even ripening window combined with these soils produce wines of concentrated fruit and a spicy, distinctly (almost overtly) peppery character. Red currant and lilac and outrageous white pepper on the nose lead to a balanced density and structure rarely seen with this grape. Astoundingly enigmatic when tasted alongside it’s northern California counterparts, this truly is stand out California Gamay at it’s best. And now that Sara’s tasted the finished product, Evan isn’t in quite as much trouble as he was this time last year. - RL Wines