Some customers here at Mission already know about my obsession with Radian Vineyard: the super-chalky, wildly-windy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard in the rugged Santa Rita Hills appellation near Santa Barbara. I'd never seen anything like it in California when I first visited last October, and I've been consumed with drinking its wines ever since.

What makes Radian wines so special? The sheer electricity. The combination of diatomaceous earth and cool mountain air creates a vibrant minerality that is completely unmatched by any fruit I've ever tasted in my 15+ year career. The Chardonnays are more Chablis-like than real Chablis. The Pinot Noirs are more complex than many Grand Cru Burgundies. The cliffs of Radian look like Dover, and the soil is full of chalk like Champagne.

Always limited in supply, our customers have had to compete with me for what few bottles we get into the store from both The Hilt and Liquid Farm, but at the moment we have a few cases in stock. As Vinous critic Antonio Galloni said in his review: "For readers who want to know what Pinots from Radian are like, well, this is a pretty great example!" Don't miss out. These Radian wines are single-handedly keeping California wine on the cutting edge of cool.

-David Driscoll, Mission Sales Director

2019 Liquid Farm "Radian Vineyard" Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir $69.99

94 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2019 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is a bold, luscious wine that shows the more virile side of the Santa Rita Hills. Deep red/purplish fruit, spice and exotic floral notes build effortlessly in the glass, For readers who want to know what Pinots from Radian are like, well, this is a pretty great example! -Antonio Galloni

Vinous extended notes: There’s plenty to like in these new releases from proprietor Jeff Nelson and winemaker James Sparks. The 2019 Chardonnays are all compelling. I would be thrilled to drink them any day of the week. In 2019, the Chardonnays seem especially precise, aromatic and delineated. Then again, Liquid Farm works with an enviable collection of vineyards. Pinot Noir is a more recent addition to the Liquid Farm range. Here, too, the wines are pretty strong. The Radian and Sanford & Benedict Pinots are especially fine. 

-David Driscoll