Miner is a dynamic family-owned winery situated within the eastern hills of the Oakville appellation in the heart of Napa Valley. Founded by Dave and Emily Miner, Miner Family Winery crafts wines by sourcing fruit from Napa Valley and other exceptional California Vineyards. Miner Family Winery has been making Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands since 1997. For this issue we tasted the Miner Family Pinot Noir sourced from the Sierra Mar Vineyard and Rosella’s Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Sierra Mar, meaning Mountain Sea in Spanish, rests at 1,000 feet in elevation and is one of the highest altitude vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Because of the high elevation and thin soils, the vineyard produces low yields of highly intense fruit. Rosella’s Vineyard benefits from its hillside location and weather patterns of foggy mornings and long, sunny afternoons. These are ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Michelle Shafrir recently took over as the Director of Winemaking and 2022 was her first vintage.

The deep ruby color unveils aromas of red rose petals, boysenberry, black cherry, cola, spices and liquid minerality. The palate expands with a delightful array of juicy red fruits, ripe cherry, red licorice, and a high level of minerality offering lift through a delicious finish. An impressive first vintage for Winemaker Michelle Shafrir!

By Perry Miroballi