Vinous 95 – best Lucia ever:
The 2023 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée is a beautiful, super-finessed wine. This year marks the first inclusion of fruit from the newest vineyard in the Pisoni/Franscioni portfolio—WindRock—which joins the typical lineup of Pisoni, Garys’ and Soberanes. The 2023 is a model of elegance. Floral-inflected notes of blood orange, lavender and sweet spices build in a broad yet focused, supple, velvety Pinot Noir. The finish lasts long beyond each sip. Everything here speaks to refinement, polish and poise.
Also Decanter 95 – their top Pisoni Pinot ever:
The Estate Pinot Lucia by Pisoni is a blend of fruit from the 15.8-hectare Pisoni Estate, nestled against the Santa Lucia mountain range, and Soberanes Vineyard, a 15.4-hectare, seaward-facing alluvial terrace that slopes five degrees toward the valley floor. The wine is fermented with native yeasts (18% whole cluster) in 40% new French oak and aged for up to 11 months. It’s a bold, juicy red, with dark, concentrated cherry fruit and sandalwood that shows real staying power on the mid-palate. Notes of dark mahogany wood, a touch of cocoa powder, and apple-skin tannins build toward an intense, dark-fruited finish, carried by blood orange and red plum and crafted by winemaker Jeff Pisoni.
This is now made by Jeff Pisoni’s wife, Bibi Rave Gonzales, who formally made Pahlmeyer and Wayfarer. And it’s simply magnificent.