Eden Rift Pinot Noir Reserve Cienega Valley 2019

Add 1+ bottles to your cart and receive an additional 50% SAVINGS!

If by “Dry January” you mean dry reds and whites, count us in. One of our absolute favorite, single-vineyard, 93-point Pinots from the Central Coast is here to fulfill that mission for a completely unfathomable deal. We can only list it for $49.95 (compare at $72 normally) – BUT, placing just one or more bottles in your cart drops an extra 50% off! Snagging a few of these sultry, brambly charmers is a no-brainer.

Eden Rift is carving its own path and crafting some of the most spectacular expressions of Central Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that could easily outpace wines triple the price. Christian Pillsbury acquired the estate in 2016 and filled out his buzzing team with young and ambitious wine industry folks, including Cory Waller (Calera’s previous assistant winemaker) – but the vineyard has been in operation for far longer, since 1849.

Theophile Vache planted the 120-acre estate initially, perched on the hills along the San Andreas Faultline in the Cienega Valley AVA. Early vintners focused on some of the first Pinot Noir plantings in California, sown on Eden Rift’s limestone and dolomite-packed land in 1860 – but both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were somewhat forgotten on the property after prohibition, until Christian and his team swept in a few years back, producing some bonkers-level delicious wines ever since. Its closest neighbor is the legendary Calera, the winery that essentially put Cienega Valley on the map in modern times after discovering the climate and terroir were almost identical to Burgundy’s.

Cory favors fruit from vines that struggle, and in the cellar, he leans toward native yeasts and neutral vessels. For him, getting the voice of the vineyard into the bottle is an urgent and achievable mission, and we’ve witnessed it in every release of theirs we’ve tasted... no exceptions today. This 2019 leans sultry and savory, with pepper-crusted dry-cured salami and peppery beef jerky adding nuance to a core of brambly blackberries, Bing cherries, pear compote, rosemary, and dried rose petals. Undeniably stunning and rich with complexities that make it worthy of the $72 price the winery sells it for... and an absolute mind-melting steal for our price! Why not go for a case?

PAIRING IDEAS: This is a Pinot that can easily hold up to some red meat and some spice. I paired it with one of my favorite dishes – this beef and broccoli – and amped up the ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic to make it extra potent with this spicy, seductive wine.