2022 Private Property Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 750 ml

Scott Caraccioli represents the fourth generation of a family that has been farming the Salinas Valley in Monterey County for decades. They're best known for their eponymous wine label, under which they produce some of North America's finest sparkling wine. Private Property is Scott's side hustle—one that shows off his family's phenomenal vineyard sources.

The result: Private Property Pinot Noir. It's a bottle that not only does its Santa Lucia Highlands provenance proud, but delivers quality that's nearly impossible to find for a weeknight price.

In the Santa Lucia Highlands, which skirts the Salinas Valley inland from the town of Monterey, Pinot Noir has found one of its greatest homes in the New World. The appellation's reputation was built on the grape: cool maritime winds funnel through the valley, tempering the California sun and creating one of the longest, most even growing seasons anywhere. The result is Pinot Noir with remarkable elegance and complexity—the kind that can command upwards of $100 per bottle.

Some of California's most celebrated Pinot Noir producers—names like Pisoni, Lucia, and Roar—source from here, and the waiting lists for their wines can stretch years. The terroir is that good. But Scott has something most winemakers don't: access to his family's sustainably farmed vineyard holdings, which allows him to bottle world-class Pinot at a price that defies logic.

This 2022 was hand-harvested from three sites across the AVA, each contributing distinct character through classic clones 115, 667, and 77. The fruit was fermented in small open-top tanks with gentle manual punch-downs before aging for eight months in neutral French oak—a winemaking approach designed to let the vineyard sources shine through.

The wine shows the brightness and energy Santa Lucia Highlands is famous for: It’s ruby-hued and lifted, with aromas of wild strawberries, rose petals, and earthy forest notes. The palate delivers vibrant red fruit framed by silky tannins and a refreshing acidity that carries through to a persistent finish. It's a wine that captures everything great about Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir.