{"product_id":"lucia-vineyards-garys-vineyard-pinot-noir-2022-santa-lucia-highlands-california-jd-95-vm-94","title":"Lucia by Pisoni \"Garys' Vineyard\" Pinot Noir 2022 (Santa Lucia Highlands, California) - [WE 97, #7 Top 100] [TWI 96] [JD 95] [VM 94]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 2022 vintage proved to be a year that reinforced the importance of knowing your producer. Overall, the vintage was dry and early, which resulted in beautifully fragrant and concentrated wines—but it was imperative that one acted on quick harvest decisions before an oncoming September heat wave. Rainfall was low and the California drought continued through this year. Five and a half of the seven total inches received this season fell in the month of December. This means much less rain would fall over the growing season, further stressing the vines. A warmer than average February and March began to awaken the vines earlier than expected. May brought on flowering, and with that came a stretch of cooler temperatures that slowed the growth of the vines and proved essential for tannin and color development. As a mild summer set in, smaller than average canopies and a lower-yielding crop level became apparent. A cool August allowed for phenolic development of each berry while sugar accumulation remained very slow. As September began the forecast of hotter weather materialized. All of California was facing an intense heat wave that reminded us of the 2017 and 2004 vintages. Using past vintages as a guide and wanting to harvest before the heat waves, we made longer passes through the vineyard each night to ensure all blocks were harvested at our desired moments. This approach paid off and the 2022 vintage has higher than average concentration with vibrant aromatics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGarys’ Vineyard has been named “one of the most famous vineyards in California” by Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal. It is a joint venture between Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, two native growers of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Garys’ Vineyard is planted exclusively to Pinot Noir, and the grapes have enjoyed long, slow growing seasons in this 50-acre parcel since 1997. The vineyard’s position on a sloping hillside in the center of the 16-mile long appellation offers a true representation of the Santa Lucia Highlands: alluvial soils with heavy fog and strong, cold winds in the summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaking\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Pisoni Family is committed to raising and hand-crafting exceptional wines. The limited-production Lucia wines are created using classic, gentle and thoughtful winemaking techniques. Hand-picked and sorted grapes are fermented with native yeast and aged in carefully selected French oak barrels. Our state-of-the-art winemaking facility uses gravity flow as part of a custom design conceived to merge the estate vineyards and winery. This affords us complete control of the farming and winemaking process, ensuring consistently superior quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Pinot Noir is born from the gentle sloping hillside of the Garys’ Vineyard. 2022 was an early ripening year, and harvest timing was critical. The Pinot Noir possesses a deep and dark reddish-purple color that informs the concentration to follow. Initial aromas from this wine show a core of ripe cherries, crushed blackberry and highlights of rose petal. Subtle aromas of lavender and baking spice follow. This Pinot Noir is sourced almost entirely from the complex Pisoni Clone and fermented with 100% native yeast, bringing a diverse flavor profile and showing showcasing the hands-off approach to winemaking. A rich mouthfeel and layers of soft tannin stem from the beautiful vintage, farming and gentle winemaking. Enjoy now or age for over a decade in the cellar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eRatings \u0026amp; Reviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e97 Points, Rank #7 Top 100 of 2024 - Wine Enthusiast:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eLovely layers of black cherry compote and star anise ride waves of rich spice and dark fruit on the alluring and awesome nose of this bottling from what is arguably the appellation's most iconic vineyard. Ample acidity and texture frame the dense but bright red fruit and baking spice flavors, leading into a clean, fresh and intense finish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - The Wine Independent:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eMedium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is a little closed to begin, needing a fair bit of swirling to bring out notes of kirsch, fresh blackberries, and black cherry compote with suggestions of mossy tree bark, black truffles, and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with muscular black fruits supported by rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eThe 2022 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is one of the darker, more masculine style Pinots in the lineup. Ripe black cherries, iron, roasted herbs, leather, and violet notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a concentrated, focused mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It needs a decant if drinking any time soon, and it should have an easy decade of prime drinking going forward. It's impressive. (Drink between 2024-2034)\u003c\/span\u003e\" (Aug 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e94 Points - Vinous Media:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"The 2022 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is generous, rich and ample, as the best wines of this site tend to be. Pliant dark fruit, chalky tannins and a fresh array of juicy berry fruit course through its veins. The 25-year-old vines here are hitting a sweet spot, yielding a Pinot of real complexity. The 50% new oak lends richness and roundness but is a little loud, building in volume with air. A year or two in bottle should allow it to integrate better. (Drink between 2024-2034)\" - Billy Norris (Aug 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e91 Points - Wine Advocate:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The 2022 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard opens with a similar purple-fruited compote note that runs through the Pisoni range. The palate is a touch more juicy and succulent, finishing on an energetic note that is ultimately dominated by the toasty, charred oak tannins that permeate this lineup. This is well crafted in a style that has clearly been working for the Pisoni family, but I can't help but feel this site would be better expressed with a fresher, integrated approach.\" - Matthew Luczy (Oct 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MONTEREY BAY WINE COMPANY","offers":[{"title":"750 mL","offer_id":53428198375789,"sku":null,"price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0481\/8940\/7391\/files\/USLUPN21BE.jpg?v=1782703579","url":"https:\/\/artisan.wine\/products\/lucia-vineyards-garys-vineyard-pinot-noir-2022-santa-lucia-highlands-california-jd-95-vm-94","provider":"Artisan W\u0026S","version":"1.0","type":"link"}