2023 Anonymous Wine Collective Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
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RW
I'm beyond excited to bring these next Anonymous releases to you! I have huge ambitions for what we can achieve with this project, and this duo of Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and Pinot Noir represent the next leap forward in the plan. I think these wines are probably the most exciting bottlings yet under Anonymous especially since I know the caliber of the producer that we partnered with! Again, we're sworn to secrecy here but what I can tell you is that this Pinot Noir is entirely estate-grown and produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains by one of the most highly revered producers in the region. The vineyards are farmed according to organic and biodynamic protocols, with a big focus on heritage clonal material and high-density hillside plantings. The Pinot Noir is fermented using around 30% whole-clusters, in tiny one-ton micro-fermentations. Native yeast and gentle hand-punch downs are used for precise and delicate extraction. The wine is then aged in top notch French cooperage, around 15% new oak. This wine is absolutely singing aromatically - a bouquet of fresh picked roses, bay laurel, baking spice and dried citrus peel. The palate is so pure and vibrant with juicy red berry fruits, cool raspberry, Alpine strawberry, some complex amaro-like herbs and sassafras elements. Texturally the wine is lifted and elegant, with very fine silky tannins, and perfectly crunchy acidity that buoys the ripe red fruits perfectly. Savory Coastal Redwood grove elements add some extra intrigue and very typical terroir driven flavors to the wine highlighting its cool climate, mountain origins. So enjoyable and expressive as a young wine, tasting great from the first sip, but I know from experience that these wines also age beautifully, and I hope I'll be diligent enough to save a few bottles to drink 10 years from now and be very happy. Simply unbelievable value for money here at more than 50% off the typical cost of this exact same juice. I couldn't be more stoked on how this bottling turned out! Enjoy, cheers!
Staff Reviews
SB
Scott Beckerley
Review Date: 11/2025Scott Beckerley
Like its counterpart Chardonnay, this Santa Cruz Pinot Noir is a lesson in getting so much more than what the price is. I just love cooler climate Pinot Noir! The bright red cherry nose is complex and rather pretty. There are hints of lightly fresh-turned earth and orange rind. In the mouth, it favors more tart cherry fruit, some very light chalk, some ripe cranberry and the lightest smidgen of baked black cherry fruit. A real delight and has the possibility of so many food pairings!
SL
Simon Li
Review Date: 11/2025Simon Li
This wine's aroma is a captivating blend of hibiscus and a distinctive hint of juniper berry, suggesting its cool-climate mountain origins. It zips across the palate with a focused, energetic pulse, carrying flavors of tart red plum and a touch of blood orange. The structure is built on a precise, stony spine, supported by tannins that feel more like fine, powdery mineral dust than silk. The finish is remarkably long and clean, tapering into a mouthwatering echo of savory herbs and citrus zest. This is a wine of brilliant tension and purity, a true-to-terroir expression that is all about finesse and coiled energy.
AH
Aaron Hughes
Review Date: 10/2025Aaron Hughes
See, I did this on purpose. I reviewed the bigger wines first and then turned to this one, because I knew it would be a little treat. My two favorite wine regions are, by no coincidence I'm sure, ones I've spent the most time in personally. Santa Cruz Mountains is absolutely one of the top two for me. I feel like it has a really interesting terroir, always giving this forest floor loamy earthiness to the Pinots and Cabernets that I've had, and this is no different. There's a kind of sweet ripe cherry, and dried more tart cherry symbiosis going on in the nose, with touches of that loam behind it, the palate is really well structured with touches of barrel spice but not quite leaning into creamy fruit. More cherry, some ripe raspberry, and then it goes back into the dried cherry on the finish along with more barrel spice and a little kiss of toast at the very end. This is really a pretty drinking Pinot Noir and at just $25, one of the best values you can get out of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is such an easy recommendation for someone who wants to know what the region is about, because learning the region doesn't necessarily meaning learning producers, it could also be educating yourself on the possibilities found within. That's the deepest thing I've ever written.
Notes
The fact that we can offer these wines shows the true power of the Anonymous project. Sourced from one of the most prestigious estates in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this Pinot Noir reflects meticulous craftsmanship and uncompromising detail. The fruit comes exclusively from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards, featuring heritage clonal selections and Burgundian-inspired, hand-crafted techniques. The result is a focused, precise, mineral-driven wine with elegance and depth. Thanks to a longstanding relationship with the estate, we were able to create a custom barrel selection for this independent bottling of this incredible Pinot Noir. This will be a house wine for me as long as it lasts. (Ryan Woodhouse - K&L Domestic Wine Buyer)
Details
| Type | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Origin | Santa Cruz Mountains, California, United States |
| Bottle Size | 750 mL |
| Alcohol Content | 13.9% |
| SKU | 1866053 |