PRESS
EDIBLE MONTEREY BAY Winter 2024 Strong Silent Types
VINOUS MEDIA 8.15.24 Santa Barbara: California’s Undiscovered Jewel
“Syrahs and a stellar Gamay lead the way in this range from Samuel Louis Smith, a small winery based in Salinas. Smith sources from hillside sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Santa Lucia Highlands and Gabilan Mountains that seem especially well suited to a style that favors savory complexity and energy. As good as these wines are, my feeling is that there is a lot of room for them to grow in future vintages. I was impressed.”
“Syrahs and a stellar Gamay lead the way in this range from Samuel Louis Smith, a small winery based in Salinas. Smith sources from hillside sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Santa Lucia Highlands and Gabilan Mountains that seem especially well suited to a style that favors savory complexity and energy. As good as these wines are, my feeling is that there is a lot of room for them to grow in future vintages. I was impressed.”
WINE ENTHUSIAST 12.13.22 Is the Carmel Coast California’s Next Pinot Noir Star?
VINOUS MEDIA 5.3.22 Santa Lucia Highlands: Back-to-Back Greatness in 2018 and 2019
“Sam Smith’s day job is at Morgan Winery, where, alongside founder Dan Lee, he oversees the annual production of over 30,000 cases of wine. Here, at his personal project, things are quite a bit different. These wines are made in miniscule quantities, up to 250 cases on a given wine. They are also incredibly well-priced, especially considering their quality, which is in the upper tier of the region. As is the case at Morgan (and elsewhere), I am especially intrigued by what Smith is doing with Syrah as these 2019s would not be out of place in a blind tasting alongside serious examples of the variety from the Old World. Readers who are looking for unadorned Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and, of course, Syrah really need to check these out.” JR
DECANTING MONTEREY 1.18.21 Samuel Louis Smith “Unmanipulated Elegance” in Limited Production Wines
THE WINE WRITE 11.1.20 Talking Wine with Samuel Louis Smith
WINE ENTHUSIAST 5.21.19 Meet Monterey’s New-Wave Winemakers
CURRENT & PAST RELEASES
2023 CHARDONNAY / Les Granitiers / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 91 VM, 94 WE, 96 JD
2023 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA RITA HILLS 96 WE, 95 JD
2023 PINOT NOIR / Montañita de Oro / MONTEREY COUNTY 96 JD
2023 PINOT NOIR / Pelio Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE, 97 JD
2023 PINOT NOIR / Double L Vineyard / SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS 98 WE, 95 JD
2023 PINOT NOIR / Michaud Vineyard / CHALONE 93 WE, 97 JD
2023 GAMAY NOIR / Escolle Vineyard / SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS 93 VM, 95 WE, 94 JD
2023 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 95 WE, 98 JD
2023 SYRAH / Coastview Vineyard / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 97 WE, 99 JD
2022 CHARDONNAY / Les Granitiers / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 94 WE
2022 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA RITA HILLS 95 WE, 92 VM
2022 PINOT NOIR / Montañita de Oro / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE
2022 PINOT NOIR / Pelio Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 96 WE, “Cellar Selection,” 90 VM
2022 GAMAY NOIR / Escolle Vineyard / SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS 91 WE
2022 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 95 WE, 93 VM
2022 SYRAH / Nelson Vineyard / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS / Sans Soufre 92 WE “Hidden Gem”
2022 SYRAH / Coastview Vineyard / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 95 WE “Cellar Selection,” 94 VM
2021 BLANC DE BLANCS / Pelio Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE, 95 JD
2021 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA RITA HILLS 96 WE
2021 PINOT NOIR / Montañita de Oro / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE
2021 PINOT NOIR / Pelio Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 98 WE
2021 GAMAY NOIR / Escolle Vineyard / SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS 95 WE
2021 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 96 WE
2021 SYRAH / Nelson Vineyard / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 93 WE
2020 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA RITA HILLS 93 WE, 92 VM
2020 CHARDONNAY / Les Granitiers / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 93 WE
2020 CHARDONNAY / Les Granitiers / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 93 WE
2019 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA RITA HILLS 94 WE, 93 VM
2019 CHARDONNAY / of Redwood Royalty / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 92 WE
2019 PINOT NOIR / Montañita de Oro / MONTEREY COUNTY 92 WE, 93 VM
2019 PINOT NOIR Noir / Carmelita / MONTEREY COUNTY 95 WE, 94 VM
2019 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 93 WE, 93 VM
2019 SYRAH / Serine Sauvage / GABILAN MOUNTAINS 96 WE, 94 VM
2018 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard /STA. RITA HILLS 94 WE, 92 VM
2018 PINOT NOIR / Montañita de Oro / MONTEREY COUNTY 95 WE, 93 VM
2018 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 94 WE, 94 VM
2017 CHARDONNAY / Spear Vineyard / STA. RITA HILLS 94 WE, 92 VM
2017 PINOT NOIR / Albatross Ridge Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE, 93 VM
2017 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 94 WE, 92 VM
2016 PINOT NOIR / Albatross Ridge Vineyard / MONTEREY COUNTY 93 WE
2016 SYRAH / Sandstone Terrace / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 94 WE
2014 PINOT NOIR / Radian Vineyard / STA. RITA HILLS 93 WE
2014 SYRAH / Lafond Vineyard / STA. RITA HILLS 91 WE