Lucia Vineyards Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 Front Bottle Shot
Lucia Vineyards Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 Front Bottle Shot Lucia Vineyards Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

Fragrant, floral, and spicy: the aromas of this Soberanes Pinot Noir seem to leap from the glass. Dark red in color, the wine offers notes of rose petal and lavender as well as a seamless blend of graphite, cherry, blackberry and wild strawberry. All combine to give it a truly elegant nose. Minerality is evident in the crystalline purity and focus of the wine. Its rich palate is replete with soft, velvety tannins that conclude with a subtle, many-layered finish. Be sure to give this wine air; if cool, allow it to warm up a little so that the shift in temperature makes present the full range of its different aromas. We’re especially proud of the balance between the phenolic maturity of this wine’s tannins and its aromatic finesse. This wine will age wonderfully for a decade, but also drinks well now.

Professional Ratings

  • 95
    The 2016 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard sports a darker ruby color as well as broad, expansive aromas and flavors of black cherries, red currants, spice and sous bois. This medium to full-bodied, earthy, beautifully concentrated effort has a touch of Côte de Nuits-like character and will drink beautifully for 7-8 years.
Lucia Vineyards

Lucia Vineyards

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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.”

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Santa Lucia Highlands

Monterey, California

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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.

FBR121233_2016 Item# 508249