Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Jaw-dropping on all fronts, this wine by the pioneering Franscioni family approaches regional perfection. Black plum fruit meets with dried violet and lavender on the extremely well-integrated nose, while a mineral tension frames the palate. Flavors of black plum and blackberry jam are cut by rocky earth and wild mint, and the acidity is vibrant but not overpowering.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Seeing a touch of whole clusters in the fermenter, the 2014 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is another pretty, savory wine that offers lots of red currants, dried cherries, spice and herbs, with a touch of the Garys' vineyard minerality and dried earth emerging with time in the glass. Medium-bodied, nicely textured and balanced on the palate, with good acidity, drink bottles over the coming 5-6 years.
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Wine Spectator
Full-bodied, offering rich, supple fruit balanced by potent, tea-stained tannins, making this an engaging tug-of-war, with the fruit pulling through. Drink now through 2021.
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.