2011 Pisoni Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir

Pisoni Vineyards was first planted in 1982 by Gary Pisoni. The vineyards are at an altitude of 1,300 feet in the coastal Santa Lucia Range. The estate traces its roots to 1952, when Jane and Eddie Pisoni began farming vegetables in the Salinas Valley evenutally earning enough for their son Gary to buy land for vineyards. Today Gary and his sons run the estate. Pisoni is known for its Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir made in small quantities of about 500 cases annually. Under the Lucia label the estate also produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pisoni has a cult following for its wines, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Gary Pisoni, and of course, his vineyard, are respectively the rock star and the grand cru site of the Santa Lucia Highlands.”

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.