ShunYi Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2021

Velvety, tongue-soaking Central Coast Pinot is really hitting the spot lately. It’s hard to think of anything we’d rather drink. One of our top picks: this 2021 from ShunYi Cellars, made by Byron Kosuge, who’s a winemaker’s winemaker. And we have it for the unreal price of $19.95.

So expressive it would be unruly if it weren’t so elegant. This 2021 is everything we love about Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills – a smooth melding of electric fruit and savory depth. Ripe red cherries and tangy hibiscus are deftly balanced with saddle leather and sun-warmed wild grasses. Bright orange peel and fleshy cantaloupe dance in the juiciness, with pretty flecks of lavender, chamomile, thyme, and shale. The briny goodness of sea spray hits racy acidity for an all-out mouthwatering effect. Just delectable! Instead of the $50 you’d pay at the winery, we have it for under $20. (It’s sold out on their website anyway – they only made six barrels.)

The winemaker is Pinot purist and longtime vine whisperer Byron Kosuge, a sought-after consultant for boutique wineries from Napa to Sonoma to Santa Barbara and all the way down to Chile. It’s not easy to find a Kosuge bottle at our price. He was a smart hire by ShunYi founder George Zhang, who got serious about wine while managing credit risk for a major bank in Napa. Zhang knew enough to invest in fierce quality and decades of experience.

The label bears the Chinese characters “chóng féng,” or “to reunite” – making this a really nice choice for an overdue get-together with good people. Zhang suggests drinking this with duck, but we’re thinking about spicy pork xiao long bao at Dumpling Home (not Dumpling House) in San Francisco. It’s flavorful and full-spectrum enough to go with almost anything, though. There’s no minimum purchase for our 60% discount, but order at least six to ensure free shipping… and to minimize the chance of tasting it and saying “I should have gotten more."