2001 Miura Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir

Miura Vineyards is based in Napa but sources its grapes from vineyards in Monterey County, the Santa Lucia Highlands, San Luis Obispo County and Napa Valley. Miura also has winemaking projects in northeastern Spain in the Priorat appellation and others. Miura was started in the 1990s when a group of San Francisco chefs and sommeliers decided to make wine. Miura’s owner is Emmanuel Kemiji, a well-known master sommelier and restaurateur who was part of that group. He named the project after a breed of Spanish bulls used in bullfighting. In California the estate makes Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. In Spain the estate makes Grenache and red and white Grenache blends. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the Pinot Noirs “I have tasted to date have been outstanding, suggesting this is a serious Pinot Noir specialist.”

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is a 12-mile long, narrow strip of an appellation wedged along the eastern hillsides of the Santa Lucia mountain range. Given its proximity to Big Sur and the Gabilan Mountain Range to the northeast, Santa Lucia a cool-climate wine growing district. Morning sun is often followed by maritime winds and fog in the afternoon, a weather pattern that prolongs the growing season and means long, gentle ripening of the grapes. Spanish missionaries planted vineyards in the district in the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that modern winemakers planted vineyards and began making high quality wine. The district received AVA status in 1991 and today there are 6,000 vineyard acres in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape planted, followed by Chardonnay and Riesling.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.