Mountain Misery
Valley Royce Lee & Shiva Osteen (Sierra Foothills, California)

Time is weird. In what feels like no time, from conception to conclusion, Shiva Osteen and Valley Royce Lee’s Mountain Misery project garnered the type of cult following that doesn’t come around too often in California. Working just outside of Nevada City, a goldrush town that now feels like a Tesla haven, Mountain Misery—named for the flower—early on expressed a deep understanding of organic farming and natural winemaking in both the contexts of California and abroad. For reasons unbeknownst, the duo have decided to split ways. 2021 is their last vintage, and I’m happy to be able to share a couple of special cuvées. If there was ever a time to buy a couple of California wines to both drink now and tuck away in the cellar, this is it.
Feral Blush
Cabernet Sauvignon pressed through Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon / Gewurztraminer skins
$35
The Spider Garden
Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon
$37