60% Below Market Pricing on Grand Cru-Level Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

2021 Optik "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay (Elsewhere $40) $14.95

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer

The wine itself strikes a beautiful balance between rich, toasty, golden fruit and zesty, saline, vibrant acidity. There's plenty of texture and power for folks who want a more classically styled California Chardonnay, with some well-integrated oak from barrel fermentation, but the cold, fog-laden ocean air and marine shale soils of Bien Nacido keep this wine focused, bright, and infused with stony minerals. I was super impressed with this wine, and we went deep on it to get the very best possible pricing to pass on to you. Enjoy!

93 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Readers looking for a richer, textured, beautifully balanced Chardonnay will love the 2021 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard, a ripe, seamless effort displaying textbook orchard fruits, plenty of spice and background oak, medium to full body, and a great finish. It's well worth seeking out." (08/2023)

93 points Wine Enthusiast: "There's a great deal of restraint on the nose of this bottling, which shows crushed rocks, apple flesh and a hint of lime. The palate continues a similar track, as apple skins cut through the Asian pear core, with a firm tension throughout. (MK)" (09/2023)

Mariah Mier | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 06, 2025

The delicate subtlety of the citrus blossom on the nose is deceptive; this chardonnay packs a lot of power when you take a sip. The palate has a savory undertone, rich and buttery, with notes of cantaloupe and a peppery oak finish. Creamy and fruity, the best of both worlds!

2021 Optik "Solomon Hills Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir (Elsewhere $50) $19.95

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer

Solomon Hills is situated in the very western portion of Santa Maria Valley, close to the 101 HWY. The vines here grow in ancient sand dunes and are constantly buffeted by ocean breezes. Fruit from this renowned vineyard typically commands top dollar with wines from the likes of Paul Lato, Ojai, Foxen, Daou, and others selling for $60–$120. The Solomon Hills Estate wines produced by the Miller Family themselves currently sell at $75 a bottle. Optik is a collaborative project where famed winemaker Joey Tensley works with Solomon Hills fruit to craft his own expression of this distinctive site. If you know the Tensley wines, you'll likely deduce that this is a more fruit-forward, opulent style than you might typically see from this ultra-cool climate location. Joey uses his skills to full effect here, coaxing a downright exotic, silky Pinot Noir from the excellent 2021 growing season.

His bold interpretation of the fruit juxtaposes the vineyard's traditionally more savory qualities with deep red fruits and Asian spice. Dark cherry meets seared strawberry and crushed forest berries. A lush, silky mid-palate is punctuated with amaro-like alpine herbs and pomegranate liqueur. Great length on the palate with berry fruits running long into the finish with dried flowers, warming spices, and suave oak tones. It all works beautifully together for an out-and-out crowd-pleasing wine. With huge press from top critics and a very affordable Insider's Advantage price, this one is set to fly off our shelves in a hurry!

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "From a site just to the west of Bien Nacido, the 2021 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard is slightly deeper ruby-hued, with a terrific, darker cherry, smoked herb, and black tea-driven profile carrying medium to full-bodied richness and depth as well as ripe, supple tannins. As with all these Optik releases, it's impeccably made and a joy to drink." (08/2023)

94 points Vinous: "The 2021 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard is a gorgeous wine off this site. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and rose petal all grace this racy, extroverted Pinot Noir. There is a bit of new oak in the 2021, but it works well. This is a terrific expression of Solomon Hills. The 30% stems are not especially evident. (AG)" (07/2023)

Simon Li | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 06, 2025

This Pinot Noir is like pulling you in with a smell of fresh-picked raspberries and darker cherries that have a hint of peppery spice. When you take a sip, that juicy fruit is front and center but with a savory, earthy vibe that keeps it from simple. It finishes so clean and tasty that it pretty much begs you to pour another glass. With this amazing price, it makes this wine even better.

Mariah Mier | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 06, 2025

Fans of spicy, complex and powerful medium-bodied pinots won't want to miss out on this one. Red fruit and tobacco on the nose interlace with pomegranate, smoked rosemary and clove on the finish. This is a lot of wine for the price!