Compelling wines at compelling prices is the mantra here with Alta Heights. The appellation is legally and simply California, but qualified by Joanna and Sean as California Alpine Wine. The distinction is key: Alta Heights is not a product of valley floors but of mountain tops that make for singular wines of deep concentration and driving natural acidity. This wine is entirely from the rocky heights of Signal Mountain along the Mendocino coast ridge, the highest vineyard site in Mendo (Sonoma too for that matter, and tied for highest in Napa) at 2,742 feet in elevation, growing on 30%+ grades and planted to seven selections of Pinot Noir. The vines are dry-farmed and tended biodynamically, and the wine is made traditionally and aged in barrel for 12 months (in warmer years, some whole cluster is used during ferments; in colder years, the grapes are all de-stemmed and consequently as much as 10% new wood may be employed during the aging process). No fining and no additives whatsoever except minimal effective SO2. Production averages 1,500 cases.