With generations of farming history in Monterey County, and a commitment to making exceptional wines, The Pisoni Family hand-crafts the Lucia wines from the Pisoni, Garys’ and Soberanes Vineyards of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
2016 Lucia, Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands, California
the 2016 VINTAGE
After a difficult 2015 harvest and years of prolonged drought, the 2016 vintage saw beautiful weather conditions and a welcomed average yield of fruit. Rain returned to Monterey County in the beginning of the 2016 season (approximately 12 inches, the most our area has seen since 2011). Budbreak began the second week in March and vines showed more life and energy due to the early-season soil moisture. Strong vine growth required additional labor to tend to the shoots. Summer saw a balanced fruit set and weather conditions typical of the windy, fog-blanketed Santa Lucia Highlands. August temperatures were cooler than average which allowed for a slow, gentle ripening up to harvest. Patience was necessary for harvest—it began the first week of September and continued through the first week of October.
the Vineyard
Lucia Chardonnay is a blend from the renowned Pisoni and Soberanes Vineyards. The Lucia appellation-based wines are a wonderful representation of our estate vineyards, of which each block is cultivated to the same high standards. These wines offer excellent value, and Jeb Dunnuck of Wine Advocate has previously described these AVA blends as “a perfect example of the incredible quality that's consistently coming from this estate.”
the WINEMAKING
The Pisoni Family is committed to raising and hand-crafting exceptional wines. The limited-production Lucia wines are created using classic, gentle and thoughtful winemaking techniques. Hand-picked and sorted grapes are fermented on native yeasts and aged in carefully selected French oak barrels. Our state-of-the-art winemaking facility uses gravity flow as part of a custom design conceived to merge the estate vineyards and winery. This affords us complete control of the farming and winemaking process, ensuring consistently superior quality.
TASTING NOTES
A blend of 62% Pisoni Vineyards and 38% Soberanes Vineyard, the 2016 Lucia Chardonnay possesses lively aromas of citrus oil, orange peel, and golden delicious apple coupled with beautiful green mango notes. This cuvée combines a variety of Wente Chardonnay clonal selections to bring concentration and texture. The high-altitude blocks of Pisoni Vineyards create a phenolic structure and the vines at the Soberanes vineyard give a refreshing, bright acidity on the palate. This is a wonderful chardonnay to enjoy now that will also cellar well for several years.
| Cases Produced | 582 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Spring 2018 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 11 Months in 22% New Oak |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Whole Cluster | 0% |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
Barrel Size Matters for Lucia Chardonnay 
Jeb Dunnuck’s Vertical Tasting of Pisoni Estate Chardonnay 
Hens and Chicks in the Vineyard