Jason Drew spent years making wine for other people before he finally said, “BASTA!” After cutting his teeth at Chateau Souverain and managing vineyards across Northern California, he and his wife Molly started their own label in 2000, working out of an industrial warehouse on the Central Coast with tiny lots of Pinot and Syrah.

In 2004, they found their estate: 26 acres of forgotten apple orchard on the northwestern tip of Greenwood Ridge, at 1,200 feet elevation in what's now the Mendocino Ridge AVA. This wasn't just any coastal site—it was the westernmost vineyard in all of Mendocino County, perched right at the fog line where cold Pacific air funnels through gaps in the ridges.

They went all in. Sold their house and built a winery from scratch. Planted 10.5 acres to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay using California heritage selections, suitcase clones, and Dijon material. And they farmed it all organically from day one.

The Mid-Elevation bottling captures something specific: vineyards between 800 and 1,400 feet, right where the fog kisses the vines each morning but burns off by noon. Too low and you're in the fog all day. Too high and you miss that maritime influence entirely. It's the Goldilocks zone for Mendo Pinot.

The 2023 vintage blends fruit from three sites: Drew’s own Faite de Mer Farm Estate Vineyard on Mendocino Ridge, plus Clow Ridge and Valenti Ranch in Anderson Valley. All picked at that sweet spot of ripeness—13.5% alcohol, keeping balance and a spring in its step. 

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• Great Critical Praise at a Reasonable Price: Antonio Galloni called the wine “Absolutely gorgeous,” and his 94-point score puts this $39 wine in the same league as bottles costing three times more. Wine & Spirits has put Drew in their Top 100 NINE TIMES. 
  

• The 2023 Vintage Magic: Cool, late-ripening years are when coastal Pinot Noir shines brightest. Galloni called it perfectly: "The cool, late-ripening year is especially well suited to the house style." 2023 played to every one of Drew's strengths, giving a wine with brightness and lift and stunning purity of fruit.
  

• Real Organic Wine: Certified organic on a working farm with apple orchards and truffle plots alongside the vines. Drew sees the value in polyculture, not monoculture. 

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Pop and pour at 58-60°F.
  

• Drink now through 2033. The firm acidity means this will hold and improve through its 10th birthday.
  

• Perfect with roast duck, shiitake risotto, or grilled steelhead with herbs.