Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Maybe the best wine from Adam in 2014 is the 2014 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard. Giving up the classic minerality that's common from this site, it has lots of sweet black raspberry and violet nuances, medium-bodied depth and richness and a fresh, focused, elegant style on the palate. It showed more tannic structure with time in the glass, yet given the fruit and balance, I've no doubt it will be approachable on release. Range: 92-94
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Wine Enthusiast
Adam Lee's bottling from one of the region's most famous vineyards is a winner for fans of the rich style of Pinot, lush with blackberry jam, lilac, cinnamon and gingerbread. The palate is similarly dense, soft and sultry, with tart olallieberry jam and plum jelly, but also lively with thyme, spearmint and a unique lemon verbena kick.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Although striking for its richness and the sense of fruity density that are the hallmarks of this renowned site, Siduri’s latest Pisoni bottling is a slightly supple, exceptionally well-structured Pinot whose solidity and inklings of varietal velvet raise expectations of very good things ahead. That is not to say that it is in any way hidden or closed at the moment, but those willing to look past its admittedly delectable juiciness and allow it a chance to fully unfold will find that waiting for some three to five years was the far better course than hasty drinking.
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.