From 3 acres of dry-farmed Pinot Noir vines deep in the emerald triangle, my final vintage of Creature is now in bottle, but by no mains contained.

Hand harvested by a marijuana trim squad September 15th, and trucked seven hours south overnight by the grower Mykal Coelho, this pristine Lost Coast fruit was destemmed into open top bins, with 10% Chardonnay included. Wild fermentation took about 12 days, before I gravity drained the free run into neutral French barriques. The pressings were kept separate, and after a natural malolactic fermentation in barrel, the wine was topped up and received a small dose of sulfur. On June 7th, we gravity drained each barrel into the bottling tank, and immediately bottled that afternoon for freshness.

Tasting notes: Alpine-esque Pinot, with Nebbiolo notes or roses, tar, and Rooibos tea. Mandarin orange, sour cherry, redwood duff, balsamic-tinged, with a granite/alluvial minerality on the palate, and lingering iced oatmeal cookie and cola flavors.

Alcohol 12.6%. Unfined and unfiltered. Chillable. 156 cases made.

“Darren Delmore is a San Luis Obispo native who set out to work at numerous wineries across both hemispheres to return to his hometown and harness these vineyards' oceanic proximity. The through-lines at Delmore are organically farmed grapes, native fermentations with minimal sulfur additions, some whole bunches and élevage in neutral wood. The finished wines showcase aromatic purity, textural richness and an ever-present oceanic profile.