From Samuel Louis Smith, the Santa Cruz-based micro-negociant who spent eight years running Morgan before going solo. Montanita de Oro – ‘little golden mountain’ – is his blend from the most pristine high-elevation Pinot sites in Monterey, drawing from Pelio, Michaud, and Double L at elevations climbing to 1,700 feet with full ocean views. Made in a neoclassical California style with native ferments, stem inclusion, and minimal intervention, this is Pinot of lift and energy rather than weight. Think Burgundian aspiration meets coastal-mountain California, with the kind of acidity that makes you reach for another sip.