Adam Lee has crafted a stunning range of wines for Clarice Wine Company.
It is my great pleasure to share the outstanding wines by Adam Lee and Clarice Wine Company. Lee has been making Pinot Noir for more than 25 years from Oregon to the Santa Rita Hills. A unique winery project, Clarice Wine Company has a membership of over 600 people. As part of their community members have the chance to interact with each other, sharing wine opinions and wine list guidance, as well as recommendations for wine travel, restaurants, hotels, events and more.
Lee caught the wine bug while in Texas working in wine sales in the 1990s. Fast forward to 1994 he and his wife founded Siduri which became one of the state’s top producers of Pinot Noir. Their brand grew from 107 cases in 1994 to 25,000 cases in 2015 when they sold to Jackson Family Wines.
Clarice Wine Company is named after Lee’s grandmother who was his closest friend growing up. The wines are sourced from top sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands. I adore the 2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97) which is an otherworldly new bottling that has amazing texture, depth and power. Learn more about this outstanding wine project at https://claricewinecompany.com/ and here are my reviews of the new wines by Clarice and winemaker Adam Lee.
2025 Busy Signal Chardonnay- Sourced from the Santa Rita Hills, the 2025 Busy Singal shows great diatom character on the mid-palate with a smooth texture. Layers of peaches and walnut notes combine with green papaya on the palate. Drink 2026-2032- 92
2025 Busy Signal Pinot Noir- Brisk minerality combines with lighter guava and cranberry fruits on the palate. Inviting and soft on the mouth, with good tension, enjoy this great Pinot Noir now and over the next several years. Drink 2026-2033- 91
2024 Dial Tone Pinot Noir- The 2024 Dial Tone Pinot Noir offers bright strawberry and red cherry fruits alongside shades of salty minerals on the palate. Mediium-bodied with a soft mouthfeel, enjoy now. Drink 2026-2033- 92
2025 Esselen Pinot Noir- The 2025 Esselen Pinot Noir comes off round and generous on the mouth. Loads of salty minerals combine with a terrific melange of red and dark fruits on the palate. Gorgeous to enjoy now, watch this evolve over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2025 Felix Culpa Pinot Noir- Sourced from Monterrey County, the 2025 Felix Culpa offers red raspberry and soft tannins on the palate that mingle well with dried herbs. Its medium-bodied and juicy, brimming with freshness, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2026-2034- 92
2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Dime Box’ Pinot Noir- The 2025 ‘Dime Box’ was sourced from a range of top sites throughout the Santa Lucia Highlands. This comes off big, rich and viscous with terrific red fruited core alongside Satsuma orange zest and light flinty undertones. Drink 2026-2034- 94
2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- A glorious wine from this excellent vintage, the 2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir stands dark in the glass. Red rose petals, green herbs and shades of white pepper all dance together on the nose. The palate is dense and delicious with terrific texture, weight and freshness. With more air this shows the slightest wafts of cola and also black truffle shavings. A glorious wine, with amazing stability and clearing potential, enjoy now in its heady youth or watch it evolve for the next fifteen plus years. The regional typicity on display is extraordinarily good. Drink 2026-2043- 97
2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Rosella’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Another standout wine from this famed Santa Lucia site, the 2025 Clarice Wine Company ‘Rosella’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir shows off cloves, fig, red currants and beautiful red florals on the nose. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with terrific verve and weight. A great melange of red and dark fruits greets you on the palate, with lighter salted cola notes. Drink 2026-2042- 96