Winemaker Notes
The Monte Linda Vineyard is situated on a steep vineyard site almost one thousand feet in elevation at the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2022 Vintage of Luli Monte Linda Pinot Noir is dark and concentrated, displaying the effects of mountain-grown Pinot Noir in a dry year. Explosive notes of raspberry, spiced plum, sage and high-toned notes of rose petal fill the glass of this wine. On the palate, the Monte Linda Pinot Noir brings firm tannins and layered structure that gives an extremely long finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
Dark and rich, the 2022 Pinot Noir Monte Linda Vineyard overflows with spiced cherry, crushed rocks and orange peel, firming up on the finish and leaving behind a lingering dark chocolate richness. It's difficult to find Pinot Noir that truly tastes like Pinot Noir at any semblance of an affordable price, let alone one that tastes like a place. The 2022 Pinot Noir Monte Linda Vineyard turns that notion on its head.
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.