Fabulous Case-Buy Opportunity on a Limited-Production Pinot

2019 Lester Family Vineyard "Brando" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir (Elsewhere $55) ($19.95)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 30, 2024

Lester Vineyard is one of the jewels of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This small but might estate sits in the southern foothills of the mountains near the farm town of Corralitos. Just a few miles from the Monterey Bay, a heavy coastal influence drenches the vines in daily fog and very cool temperatures. The mature vines, a diverse mix of heritage selections and Dijon clones, grow in extremely sandy soils and are expertly tended by legendary Santa Cruz Mountains viticulturist, Prudy Fox. Lester Family Vineyard's approach to creating wines is somewhat unique. They take a selection of fruit from across the estate and give several different winemakers the opportunity to craft a wine that is their own expression of how the fruit speaks to them. Whilst a strong signature of the estate's terroir is shared across the wines, each has some unique and interesting characteristics that reflect the choices of the respective winemaker.

Lester's "Brando" bottling is made by celebrated winemaker Ian Brand. Choosing to pick his parcels of fruit quite early, Ian really leaned into the savory, foresty elements you can capture with Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. Crunchy red fruits, dried spices, pine needle, forest floor, chaparral, camphor, truffle and dusty earth. At just 12.2% ABV, this wine is certainly a more savory style that will appeal to folks who relish earthier, more restrained styles without bombastic fruit. Our simply incredible Insider's Advantage pricing shouldn't be missed and is truly phenomenal for wines of this caliber.

Alexandre Tweedie | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 28, 2024

An incredibly interesting and exciting project is taking place at the Lester Family Estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains: two to three different winemakers are given fruit from the same vineyard and terroir, and are then tasked with vinifying their own unique and personal expression and spin on the vineyard and its fruit.

The "Brando" expression from the 2019 vintage is made by famed vigneron Ian Brand of I. Brand Family Wines, showing off a racy, acid driven style of high-toned, delicate Santa Cruz Mountains style. Clocking in at only 12.2% ABV, Brand was able to have his Pinot Noir express a flashy form of freshness — lifted and exalted notes of brisk kirsch, gentle Dolcetto-style sour cherry, with tense touches of green tomato leaf and forest foraged herbs. If you're a fan Santa Cruz Pinot and Mountain wine in general, the purity of fruit here is absolutely unbeatable, and our current pricing is just as unbeatable!