2021 eStCru Overt Red Wine Mendocino 750 ml

You CANNOT normally drink the work of Erica Stancliff at a discount.

An in-demand consultant who’s done a stint at Rudd and worked for Paul Hobbs, she’s been highlighted in Forbes, the Robb Report, and Wine Enthusiast. She also holds the title of enologist under Michael Browne (of Kosta Browne) at CIRQ.

Stancliff is on a rocket-like trajectory, which is why we jumped on our first allocation from her eStCru line—and that led us to one of our flat-out greatest red-wine discoveries of the year. 

Erica’s delicious micro-production 2021 eStCru Wines Overt Red Wine Mendocino is so exclusive it’s not even on her website. A phenomenal do-it-all Bordeaux-style blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, it was destined to go to a few select restaurants, until we swooped in on this vibrant yet silky red that will go perfectly with just about anything, from asado off the grill to balsamic-marinated mushrooms grilled with thyme and rosemary. 

Showing all the beautiful aromatics of Cabernet Franc, the wine is built on a frame of silky Merlot, beefed up by a bit of inky Petit Verdot. It’s just the kind of all-purpose red we love to have on hand all season—the kind that’s becoming a rarity in Napa Valley and Sonoma. 

Erica sourced this one from Mendocino County, the underrated California land of riches that is rising as rapidly as any region in the state. And in this wine, you can practically taste the forest-inflected aromatics and the cool influence of the Pacific breeze. 

A bottle to pop without hesitation, this is one hell of a deal. We’ll be drinking it nonstop and hope you will too.