Samuel Louis Smith - 'Nelson Vineyard - Sans Soufrè' - Syrah - Santa Cruz Mountains, CA - 2022 - 1500ml

Notes from the Winery/Importer

V.22 Record December rains, a cold and dry January, and a warm and dry first few weeks of February preceded below-freezing temperatures later in the month. This was the first hurdle, as soil temps had risen and bud break commenced the first and second weeks of March (about one week early). Some rain late March helped to cleanse soils and quench vines, yet another shock to the system was looming. A succession of heatwave,frost, rain confirmed that 2022 was going to be anything but easy. Weather through flowering was cool and windy per usual. This, paired with low nutrient and groundwater availability due to the drought, lead to below-average cluster counts and widespread shatter. Average to above average temperatures, along with less marine layer through the summer, confirmed that 2022 would be an early year. A week-long heatwave starting Labor Day Weekend hastened ripening and further diminished crop loads. Thankfully, weather for the remainder of harvest was average to below average, though the heatwave and tiny yields forced most parcels to ripen simultaneously – shifting the stress from vineyard to winery. At first glance, 2022 seems to be a combination of 2014 and 2017. Regardless, the end result for the vintage was clean, fruit-driven, and fairly opulent wines with individuality determined by pick date (before, durning, or after the heatwave). This is a vintage that truly tells a story.

Notes on the Producer

Micro-négoce

Samuel Louis Smith functions as a micro-négociant based in Salinas, California. Organic viticulture, mountainous sites, and minimal intervention in the cellar are tenets of the brand. SLS presents a compelling cross-section of the Central Coast, focusing on Sta. Rita Hills chardonnay, Monterey pinot noir, and Santa Cruz Mountains cool-climate syrah. The wines are made in a neoclassical style where light handling, wild fermentations, and stem inclusion in the reds create wines of place and purity, aroma and structure.

In the future, the core of SLS will be made with dirty fingernails and estate grown grapes. For now, Sam is dedicated to sourcing fruit from the most distinctive honestly- and sustainably-farmed vineyards. He is also head winemaker at the historic Morgan Winery, a pioneer of organic viticulture and traditional winemaking in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA.

Background

Sam studied Economics, French, and Spanish at UC Santa Barbara. A nagging desire for wine knowledge and proximity to good surf led Sam to Bordeaux- the perfect place to spend a semester abroad. Coinciding with the iconic vintage of 2009, it opened his eyes to the world of haute cuisine and fine wine. Though somewhat reticent and cold, Sam’s Bordelaise host family ate and drank quite well; their pairing of confit de canard with ’89 Margaux on a cold Sunday afternoon in November still serves as an epiphanous moment for him.

Wine and everything it embodies are still the most cerebral and inspiring experience for Sam. Making pinot noir in the Willamette Valley and cool-climate syrah in the Northern Rhône, and cutting his teeth as assistant winemaker for Margerum Wine Company gave him the opportunities to find where his palate and California’s cool, mountainous Central Coast terroir converge.

Watercolor paintings, also found in black and white on the labels, are Sam’s originals.