Phelan Farm Autrement Red Blend SLO Coast 2022

High above the Pacific, where the forest meets the sea and morning fog lingers well past sunrise, sits Phelan Farm, a hidden gem in California’s SLO Coast AVA. It’s not the kind of vineyard with grand gates or polished tasting rooms. Instead, it’s a quiet, wind-swept place where vines grow with intention, farmed with a respect that borders on reverence.

At the heart of it all is Rajat Parr, a vigneron who does things differently. He calls his most expressive wine of the 2022 vintage Autrement—French for “otherwise” or “differently.” And that’s precisely what it is: a Jura-inspired red blend that defies expectation, made from Gamay, Mondeuse, and Pinot Noir, grown and vinified with a deep commitment to biodynamic and organic farming.

2022 was a vintage of patience. The coastal climate delivered a long, cool growing season that allowed flavors to develop slowly. The fruit was picked early—before sugars climbed too high—preserving the natural energy of the vineyard. Each variety brought something essential to the blend: Gamay with its bright, red-fruited lift; Mondeuse lending spice, structure, and mountain herbs; and Pinot Noir offering softness, coastal nuance, and quiet depth. Whole clusters were foot-treaded into open-top fermenters, fermented with native yeasts, and gently pressed before aging in neutral French oak. There were no additives, no new barrels, and no corrections. Just fermentation, time, and trust.

The result is a wine that speaks specifically to its terroir. It opens with delicate notes of wild strawberry, rose petals, and rhubarb, then deepens into bay leaf, forest floor, and black tea. There’s a mineral tension that runs through the wine like a tightrope—coastal salinity, granite, and pine bark. The palate is lithe, transparent, and alive, with tannins like fine chalk and an acidity that drives the wine forward without aggression.

The 2022 Autrement isn’t just a wine. It’s a reflection of place, of restraint, and of what happens when farming becomes philosophy. In a world of bold reds and louder marketing, this bottle is a whisper. And somehow, that whisper carries farther.