Lucia by Pisoni "Garys' Vineyard" Pinot Noir 2022
(Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California) - [WE 97] [JD 95] [VM 94]
Regular price $87.00 Sale price $79.97 Save $7.03
THE VINEYARD
Garys’ 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. Pinot Noir and Syrah 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.
WINEMAKING
The 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 on native yeasts 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.
The 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 on native yeasts 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.
About this Vintage:
This 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.
Ratings & Reviews
97 Points, Rank #7 Top 100 - Wine Enthusiast:
"Lovely 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." - Matt Kettmann (Oct 2024)
"Lovely 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." - Matt Kettmann (Oct 2024)
95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 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." (Aug 2024)
"The 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." (Aug 2024)
94 Points - Vinous Media:
"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." - Billy Norris (Aug 2024)
"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." - Billy Norris (Aug 2024)