Winemaker Notes
As in the prior vintage, another classically true Pinot Noir color leaning toward dark ruby in the glass. Very Burgundian compilation of forest floor, juniper, meaty plum and fruity cherry. As always, this vineyard delivers a weighty yet elegant mouthful and a long, sensual finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Smooth and silky with an earthy underbrush of spice, the 2023 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is impressively textured and darkly colored, full-bodied and rich in berry fruit and damp earth. Nicely structured, the tannins are soft and supple and will support a long drinking window now through 2033.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard is bright, punchy and super-expressive. Lively acids drive through a core of red-toned fruit, chalk, mint, spice and crushed rocks. This shows terrific energy and cut. Sean Capiaux gave this fruit a bit more time on the skins in 2023.
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.