Winemaker Notes
In the glass dark ruby with a purple core. Aromas of toasty vanilla mingling with cherry blossoms. Allspice intermingles with cherry and pomegranate. A lush elegant wine with a finish of cocoa and barrel sweetness.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard is fabulous. Bright, punchy and explosive, the 2021 captures the essence of this Santa Lucia Highlands site. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, licorice and mint saturate the palate. Even with all of its intensity, the 2021 retains terrific freshness and verve. This Capiaux wine emerges from the one parcel at Pisoni planted with own rooted vines.
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.