Similarly, the 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir from Alesia has set the bar higher for subsequent vintages of this label than has ever been set before. The wine comes in at 13.2 percent octane and offers up a cool, soil-driven and very classy bouquet of sweet dark berries, cassis, raw cocoa, a beautiful array of spice tones (that hint at fresh nutmeg, cardamom and allspice), a marvelous base of stony soil, woodsmoke and a touch of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a very elegant profile, a lovely core of black fruit, excellent transparency and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, poised and beautifully balanced finish. This is great juice!