Lucienne Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012

  • 92 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
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Lucienne Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 Front Bottle Shot
Lucienne Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 Front Bottle Shot Lucienne Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 Front Label Lucienne Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 Back Bottle Shot

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2012

Size
750ML

ABV
14.5%

Features
Green Wine

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

This wine shows fragrant strawberry and blackberry aromas with earthy cocoa undertones. Silky and richly textured, this wine's palate impression is balanced by a high-note of acidity recalling tart plums. Harmonious red and black fruit flavors come together with earthy spice notes on this wine's long finish.

Professional Ratings

  • 92
    A heady swirl of aromas ranging from earthy red iron to hard cinnamon candy and violet flowers emerge in this wine sourced from the historic Smith Vineyard. The flavors, which arrive on a silky palate, start with dark chocolate, root beer extract and lots of geologic influence before hitting raspberry fruit.
  • 91
    A graceful, charming effort that's rich and complex in flavor, with a core of currant, raspberry and smoky, toasty oak. Gains focus and persistence on the finish, where the flavors weave together amid firm tannins. Drink now through 2023.

Other Vintages

2018
  • 97 Decanter
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
2016
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
2015
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
2014
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2013
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
Lucienne

Lucienne

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Lucienne, California
Lucienne Winery Video
Owned by Nicolaus Lucien Hahn, the winery is a separate facility tucked into the Hahn Estates winery, actually a winery within a winery. As the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation has become one of the most prestigious Pinot Noir growing regions in California, Lucienne has resolved to focus top vineyard practices, expert winemaking, and the highest quality equipment to produce Pinot from the exceptional estate vineyards of Lone Oak and Doctor’s Vineyard.

The inaugural release was the 2005 vintage which includes a Santa Lucia Highlands appellation and a Lone Oak single vineyard designation. The Lucienne Pinot Noir grapes were hand selected from very small and special blocks of the Doctor's and Lone Oak Vineyards. We wanted Lucienne to express a "sense of place" and we feel that these two wines are a perfect "marriage" of Pinot Noir styles with one more masculine and full-bodied and another more silky and elegant in nature.

Winemaker Paul Clifton crafts the Lucienne wines utilizing his passion for Pinot Noir and cool climate viticulture. The two wines—a Santa Lucia Highlands appellation and Lone Oak single vineyard designation—are produced in small quantities with the first vintage coming from 2005. The wines are focused and elegant with a silky mouthfeel and pure velvety Pinot Noir flavors.

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Let’s start with the obvious – Central Coast Pinot Noir is an incredibly broad category. This of course is because the Central Coast appellation is enormous, and it contains several stellar Pinot Noir regions within it, all of them kept cool by elevation or proximity to the ocean (or both). So we’ll break things down a bit with a brief look at each of these: Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills. These are not the only Central Coast sources of good Pinot Noir, but they are the major ones. So let’s get started.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, just west of Silicon Valley, producers craft excellent Pinot in spite of serious challenges. The land is mountainous, rugged and can be foggy, the topsoil is thin and poor and yields tend to be low. Yet Pinots from the likes of David Bruce, Martin Ray, Mount Eden and Thomas Fogarty exhibit undeniable quality, along with bright red fruit, minerality, earth and herbal hints.

Just south lies the large Monterey appellation. Monterey Pinot Noir is grown in coastal areas, taking optimal advantage of the cooling effect of the Pacific. The most highly regarded of these is the Santa Lucia Highlands. Situated on hilly benchlands south of the city of Monterey, this central coast region relies on a long growing season, night and morning fog and consistent afternoon winds to produce world class Pinot Noir. Attributes include intense, rich fruit, subtle earthy notes, spice and a silky texture. Look for producers like Siduri, Kosta Browne, Talbott and Lucienne.

The Santa Maria Valley in northern Santa Barbara County (a section of it falls into southern San Luis Obispo County) is also a haven for quality Pinot Noir. A mere 15 miles from the Pacific, the valley runs east-west, creating a natural tunnel through which ocean breezes and fog flow. This effect lengthens the growing season and promotes both ripeness and development of acidity, lending Santa Maria Valley Pinots their characteristic full flavor, balance and elegance. The famous Bien Nacido Vineyard is located here, and notable producers include Cambria, Foxen, Byron and Au Bon Climat.

Finally, we arrive at the Sta. Rita Hills, also in Santa Barbara County. Located in the western part of the Santa Ynez Valley, it too benefits from an east-west orientation that leads to the same conditions mentioned above. Once again the result is extended hang time for the grapes, which can be tasted in the vibrant, ripe red fruits evident in these Pinots, along with dense coloration and an impression of richness and intensity. Try wines from producers like Ken Brown, Ampelos, Fess Parker and Melville.

As you can see, California’s Central Coast offers a wealth of options for any lover of Pinot Noir. Cheers!

YNG751122_2012 Item# 140349

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