Page 94 - Demo

94 WINTER 2025 slovisitorsguide.com
Wine Tasting
Mystic Hills Vineyard — Epic wines,
hospitality and family ties
From the time they planted their
Mystic Hills Vineyard, Joel and
Judy Cox have consistently dem-
onstrated a passion for providing
unsurpassed experiences and award-
winning wines. By offering private,
complimentary tastings at their vine-
yard and winery, the Cox family lends
a personal touch to their interactions
with each guest.
“We have so much love for
people,” Judy said. “We offer private
tastings by appointment only, which
allows us to spend two or three hours
with each person or group. This gives
Academy-award-
winning film editor
and family welcome
visitors to their
boutique winery
us the chance to get to know one
another, share our story, and just enjoy
being together.”
Theirs is a true love story filled
with tenacity, hard work, and family.
Married for 56 years and counting,
Joel and Judy encourage and support
one another even when their careers
sometimes take them miles apart.
Their winery is a family-run operation
with their children and grandchildren
pitching in to help with the vineyard,
oversee tastings, and manage the wine
club.
Joel, an Academy Award-winning
film editor who frequently works with
Clint Eastwood, has edited numer-
ous films including “Gran Torino”,
“Unforgiven”, “Million Dollar Baby”,
“The Bridges of Maddison County”,
“Letters From Iwo Jima”, and more.
He fell in love with Bordeaux wines
while traveling with Eastwood to the
Cannes International Film Festival.
In 2004, Joel and Judy purchased
their 14-acre hillside ranch in San
Miguel and planted their boutique
vineyard in 2007. Utilizing the same
professional and creative love he holds
for film, Joel consistently earns awards
for each of their Mystic Hills wines.
Award-winning wines
Winemaker and vintner Keith
Roberts has been with Mystic Hills
since the beginning, working the
vineyard and creating hand-crafted,
estate-grown Bordeaux-style wines
with Joel. Their teamwork has led to
the winery being named the Monterey
County Winery of the Year and San
Luis Obispo County Winery of the
Year.
“Joel puts the same integrity and
hard work into everything that he
does,” Judy said. “When he sets out to
do something, he does it right. And,
Keith is such a wonderful, knowledge-
able guy. He has so much experience,
and he has the same ideas as we do, so
it’s just an ideal partnership.”
The climate at the winery, which is
part of the Pleasant Valley Wine Trail,
typically consists of crisp mornings,
hot days, and cool afternoon winds.
These temperature swings and the way
the team works the land contribute to
the growth of superior fruit for Mystic
Hills wines.
“We don't fertilize, we don't spray
our vines, and this ensures pure,
beautiful wine,” Judy said.
Making beautiful wines with
consistent balance and character takes
time. After the grapes are harvested by
hand and separated, they are placed
in neutral oak barrels and aged 18
months before blending, then left
alone for another year. Once bottled,
it’s another six months before the
wines are released.
Not long after releasing their first
Mystic Hills bottles in 2011, they
started racking up awards includ-
ing gold at the 2015 San Francisco
Chronicle Wine Competition for their
2011 Unforgiven wine. Aptly named
after Joel’s Oscar-winning film with
Eastwood, this rich, velvety blend of
cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc,
merlot, petit verdot, and malbec
remains a favorite among customers.
In addition, Mystic Hills has
consistently earned awards from such
prestigious events as the New York
International Wine Competition,
the Critics Challenge International
Wine Competition, the Los Angeles
International Wine Competition, and
more. Their 2017 Reserve Unforgiven
is bottled in pristine quality glass and
available in limited quantities. Each
bottle is hand-signed, and decorated
Owners Judy and Joel Cox. Photography by Brandon Bomberger.