Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard is a medium-bodied, ultra-pure, fresh 2014 that offers pretty notes of raspberries, crushed flowers, violets and a hint of minerality. The 2014 vintage generally yields supple, charming wines, but this falls clearly into the more elegant, silky and lively end of the spectrum. There are 446 cases made and it should drink nicely for 4-6 years at a minimum.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fresh and zesty notes of strawberry, bright raspberry, white pepper and herbal touches of fennel show on the nose of this wine from an iconic vineyard. The herbal influence goes big on the sip, where, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and fennel decorate the light raspberry and cranberry fruit, with vanilla on the finish. It presents a lighter take than usual from this site.
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Wine Spectator
Combines power with finesse, offering a vibrant mix of spicy wild berry and black cherry flavors and floral and light oak scents. A touch of fresh earth shows on the long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2024.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.