2022 Vinos Finos de California Sabroso Central Coast 750 ml

“#%^&ing delicious!”

That’s how legendary winemaker David Ramey described the 2022 Vinos Finos de California Sabroso. Wine Enthusiast raved about it too, calling the wine—whose moniker means “delicious”—“refreshingly fun yet also elegant” and bestowing 93 points and Editors’ Choice honors on the bottle. 

Winemaker Ted Glennon made his name about a decade ago, when he was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Sommeliers of the Year. He’s earned massive fans as a vintner, and most of his wines tend to go to hip local restaurants like SF’s State Bird Provisions, where they pour Ted’s organically farmed wines with abandon.

Vinos Finos de California is Glennon’s project celebrating historic vineyards and a time when all California wines weren’t necessarily big bruising powerhouses. He’s a native of Monterey, and thanks to his long career in the wine industry, he’s got insider access to some of the Central Coast’s best—and most under-the-radar—vineyards.

For the 2022 Sabroso, he leans on three organically farmed sites to meld together a blend. First, there’s the backbone of the wine: 1975-planted Grenache from well-drained, gravelly soils in Arroyo Seco. That’s rounded out with 18% own-rooted Zinfandel from the Carmel Valley—a rarity in the US, where phylloxera has necessitated grafted vines nearly everywhere—plus 35% own-rooted Cabernet Pfeffer from the Siletto Vineyard in San Benito.

Pfeffer is a grape held in fascination by many California winemakers. It’s not related to Cabernet Sauvignon, only about 15 acres of it are planted to it in the state, and the light, peppery, perfumed reds it creates are so beloved that there’s fierce competition for the fruit. That makes it a perfect partner in this quaffable bottle.