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, Soberanes Vineyard Syrah 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
The Soberanes Vineyard is the latest joint venture between the Pisoni and Franscioni families. Situated on the Santa Lucia Highlands bench adjacent to the Garys’ Vineyard and named “one of the appellation’s most esteemed properties” by the Wine Enthusiast, the site features tightly spaced vines and is planted to 33 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The clonal material planted in the loamy, rocky soil is very diverse and features over a dozen of the most renowned heritage selections from California and Burgundy.
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
The 2016 Lucia Soberanes Syrah is savory in profile and possesses a deep purple hue. Its aromas are full of baking spice, white pepper, and spring flowers—the whole mixed with blackberry and blueberry. With an underlying earthy core and gentle tannins, the palate unfolds beautifully. We’ve aged this cuvée in barrel sizes that range from 60-132 gallons to coax out added depth. This vintage we added a minimal amount of whole clusters to the fermentation to give the wine a purer and more approachable profile. The 2016 Lucia Soberanes Syrah will drink well now or age gracefully for over a decade in the cellar.
| Cases Produced | 165 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Spring 2018 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 10 months & 50% New Oak |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Whole Cluster | 0% |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
Explore
A Soberanes Vineyard Expression of Minerality Newsletters
Farming the 2015 vintage. Lucia Spring Release. 
Hens and Chicks in the Vineyard