Our Producers
Mail Road Wines
Mail Road Wines is Matt Dees’ remarkable expression of Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, capturing the power and concentration of wind-driven fruit from the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills.
Winemaker Matt Dees has dedicated his 20-plus-year career to making fine wine in Santa Barbara County. He prides himself on his intuitive knowledge of each block in the vineyards he farms. Having worked with many of them for most of his two decades as a winemaker, he knows them like the back of his hand, and he draws on the nuances of past vintages to make informed winemaking decisions each year.
Growing up in Kansas City, Matt learned to enjoy the simpler things in life, specifically plants and soil (and, of course, barbecue). His fascination with dirt and bugs led him to study soil science at the University of Vermont, where he had an opportunity to work at one of the first vineyards in that state. It was there that he fell in love with the grapevine first, and the wine second. He made his way west to pursue viticulture and an internship with a Napa Valley winery, which led to several harvests in New Zealand and a return to Napa as winemaker for Staglin Family Vineyards, working with consulting winemaker Michel Rolland. In 2004, when winemaking mentor Andy Erickson suggested he take a job in Santa Barbara County as winemaker for a new project called Jonata (and later The Hilt), he jumped at the chance and hasn’t looked back. The Hilt and Jonata are still Matt’s “day job,” but his “side gig” is Mail Road Wines, which he started in 2011 in partnership with Ron Piazza and Michael Palmer to uncover the power of wines grown in Botella clay and limestone soils.
THE VINEYARDS
The fruit in Mail Road Wines comes primarily from Mt. Carmel Vineyard, in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The vineyard is named for the Carmelite nuns who once lived on the land (the remnants of their abandoned monastery still stand there today). The site sits higher than most vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (800 to 1,000 feet above sea level), and its soils are a unique blend of Botella clay, diatomaceous earth, limestone and sandy loam that nurture own-rooted, organically farmed vines. Sitting between two mountain peaks, the vineyard is brutally windswept, which makes for thick-skinned (tannic) grapes with low alcohol and cool-fruited notes. “Refrigerated sunshine,” as Matt likes to say, is part of the secret to this site and these wines.
WHAT'S IN THE
GLASS
At first pour, it’s apparent that something is different here. The violet-purple color of Mail Road Pinot Noir is alluring, and on the palate you’ll find dark-hued fruit such as plum, blackberry, fig and dark cherry. Mail Road Chardonnay is decidedly leaner, with a dollop of bright acidity, as is the zero-dosage sparkling wine with its saline freshness. These are seriously elegant wines that are age-worthy (if you’re patient) and quietly powerful.
VISIT
Ask us about Mail Road’s white and gray-labeled wines. The white label wines are Mail Road’s best barrels from Mt. Carmel Vineyard, and often featured on our Reserve Flight, while the gray labeled wines (the second-best barrels that become Sta. Rita Hills blends) are typically poured on our Flight of the Day. Plan your next visit around a time that Matt will be in the room to pour these for you in person!
