$24 Editors’ Choice Pinot Noir from $100+ Terroir
- 92 pts Wine Enthusiast92 pts WE
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2018 Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
One-of-a-Kind Terroir Meets One-of-a-Kind Expertise
Bernardus normally tops the charts with swanky vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs that keep the Monterey champion on every critic's radar. Wines from the heralded region that they pioneered, like Kosta Browne’s 2018 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, will easily set you back over $100.
At a fraction of the price, this 2018 Bernardus boasts the same-appellation provenance, and a Burgundy expert and homegrown winemaker. It's a $24 bargain that demands clearing out some room in your cellar before this deal is gone for good.
Let us reiterate: There is nothing ordinary about this Pinot. Bernardus is a longtime member-favorite, and we don’t expect their ruby 2018 Pinot Noir to last on our virtual shelves for long.
Crafted by winemaker Dean De Korth, a Monterey native who has spent time working in Burgundy with legends like Leflaive, Lafon, and Morey, the shimmering 2018 Bernardus reflects its maker’s experience in the motherland of Pinot Noir.
The pedigree is evident in every sip of this generous, mouthwatering wine, and thanks to Wine Access members’ yearslong devotion to the singular Pinot Noirs made by Bernardus, we’re able to offer this wine at a stunning 47% off.
Beautifully ripe and intensely aromatic notes of black cherry, wild strawberry, violet, cola, and cocoa infuse the senses, before the wine fills the palate with black forest cherry and savory notes, finishing with a touch of bitter chocolate. Satiny tannins add an air of sophistication to this rich, fuller-bodied style of Pinot Noir.
This Bernardus Pinot Noir is nothing less than bottled proof of the remarkable conditions that California’s Golden Coast experienced in 2018, a vintage that benefited from near-perfect weather all season. Sun-kissed by day, the low temperatures and cool fog in the evening and early mornings enabled optimal hang-time at De Korth’s favorite sites, and resulted in a banner year for Bernardus Pinot Noir.
Just over half a year spent in French oak (about 1/3 of it new) has added Burgundy-level complexity to this value bottling, in the form of wild florals, exotic spice, and a structural silkiness that proves irresistible with a grilled steak or a bowl of wild mushroom pasta.