#8 on Hi-Time's Top Red Wines from North America
Base out of Santa Cruz, Sanuel Luis Smith is focused on some of the coolest sites of the Central Coast. Mountainous terroir, organic viticulture and minimal intervention in the cellar are tenets of the brand. Sam embodies a neoclassical style where lower alcohol and higher acidity, stem inclusion in the reds and native fermentations with little to no additions create wines of place and purity, aroma and structure. In short, these are wines that will rival those from the Northern Rhone Valley. Over the course of his career, Sam has worked in Santa Barbara (Brander, Tres Hermanas, Margerum), Australia (Mitchelton), the Willamette Valley (Tendril), the Northern Rhône (Villard) and Champagne (Nowack & Sélèque).
Sandstone Terrace is a blend of primarily Santa Cruz Mountain cool-climate syrah sites with the common thread of sandstone-derived soils. In most vintages, it embodies the sexy, spicy and floral side of the varietal. All three vineyard sources for this wine are either farmed organically or are being converted to organics.
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "Smith calls himself a micro-négociant, working in Santa Cruz with a range of cool-climate sites within the Central Coast, most notably in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey. Having spent eight years working for Morgan in the Santa Lucia Highlands, after stints with Margerum and Villard, he also oversees the farming at Thomasen’s Split Rail Vineyard in Corralitos, always in search of organically farmed mountainous terroir. He employs native yeast, does not fine or filter, and typically forgoes malolactic fermentation."
"A gorgeous cuvée from three cool-climate sites (50% Gail, 40% Nelson, and 10% Coastview), the tiny production 2023 Syrah Sandstone Terrace shows the terroir of what winemaker Sam Smith says is the prevailing soil type in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the inviting nuances of each place, some extremely cool-climate and others surrounded by redwoods. White pepper, garrigue, smoked meat, and iron are all there, expertly layered around a light-bodied frame of persistent freshness and complexity. The grapes were native-fermented 85% whole-cluster before spending 10 months in barrel, 95% of it neutral. The wine is elegant, composed, fruity, and gamey, as luxuriously inviting as blue velvet. Drink now through 2030."
Base out of Santa Cruz, Sanuel Luis Smith is focused on some of the coolest sites of the Central Coast. Mountainous terroir, organic viticulture and minimal intervention in the cellar are tenets of the brand. Sam embodies a neoclassical style where lower alcohol and higher acidity, stem inclusion in the reds and native fermentations with little to no additions create wines of place and purity, aroma and structure. In short, these are wines that will rival those from the Northern Rhone Valley. Over the course of his career, Sam has worked in Santa Barbara (Brander, Tres Hermanas, Margerum), Australia (Mitchelton), the Willamette Valley (Tendril), the Northern Rhône (Villard) and Champagne (Nowack & Sélèque).
Sandstone Terrace is a blend of primarily Santa Cruz Mountain cool-climate syrah sites with the common thread of sandstone-derived soils. In most vintages, it embodies the sexy, spicy and floral side of the varietal. All three vineyard sources for this wine are either farmed organically or are being converted to organics.
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "Smith calls himself a micro-négociant, working in Santa Cruz with a range of cool-climate sites within the Central Coast, most notably in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey. Having spent eight years working for Morgan in the Santa Lucia Highlands, after stints with Margerum and Villard, he also oversees the farming at Thomasen’s Split Rail Vineyard in Corralitos, always in search of organically farmed mountainous terroir. He employs native yeast, does not fine or filter, and typically forgoes malolactic fermentation."
"A gorgeous cuvée from three cool-climate sites (50% Gail, 40% Nelson, and 10% Coastview), the tiny production 2023 Syrah Sandstone Terrace shows the terroir of what winemaker Sam Smith says is the prevailing soil type in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the inviting nuances of each place, some extremely cool-climate and others surrounded by redwoods. White pepper, garrigue, smoked meat, and iron are all there, expertly layered around a light-bodied frame of persistent freshness and complexity. The grapes were native-fermented 85% whole-cluster before spending 10 months in barrel, 95% of it neutral. The wine is elegant, composed, fruity, and gamey, as luxuriously inviting as blue velvet. Drink now through 2030."
