2022 Phelan Farm "Autrement", San Luis Obispo, California, USAABOUT THE WINE Autrementmeaning otherwise or differently in Frenchis a fitting name for this genre defying blend of co fermented red and white grapes grown on the windswept slopes of Phelan Farms biodynamic estate in Cambria, just four miles from the Pacific. The 2022 vintage is a field blend that may include Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Mondeuse, Gamay, and various white varieties (often including Albario or Chardonnay), all farmed without irrigation,

They have superb balance

In the winery

The grapes are

where chalk-rich soils enhance finesse and tension

whilst July and August were cool and very wet

Such innovations have included the purchase of a new tank press and installation of air-conditioning in the cellar

“Serraboella” is one of the most esteemed vineyard sites in Neive

the lesser-known white grape of Burgundy

Here it remains for further 8 months of aging

and Côt (the local name for Malbec)

and while small on an international scale

but had been lying dormant for over a decade