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.
2019 Lucia, Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands, California
the 2019 Vintage
The beautiful weather and mild seasons of 2018 continued into 2019, cultivating another excellent year for grape growers and winemakers. The 2019 vintage saw 15.2” of winter rainfall. This is dry by most region’s standards, but a very nice amount for the Santa Lucia Highlands. It provided good soil moisture to start the season. Budbreak began late due to the lengthy cold front in February and March, which brought snowfall to the tops of the Santa Lucia mountain range. As the season transitioned into summer, the canopies were strong and the weather remained cool with heavy fog. Verasion developed late but progressed quickly as temperatures rose. This was beneficial in creating a consistent level of development and ripeness.
Approaching fall, weather remained steady, yet the drying soils brought harvest about more quickly: our Chardonnay grapes from Soberanes Vineyard were the first to harvest on September 13. The Pinot Noir harvest started with the Garys’ Vineyard on September 14. First harvest at Pisoni Estate was Pinot Noir on September 20. The harvest then continued at a steady gallop until the final day of picking on October 16. The resulting wines show great purity and focus, with richness and concentration and exceptionally fine tannins. The 2019 vintage brings a profile that is generous in flavor, but still refined and built for aging.
the Vineyard
Grown exclusively from our Pisoni, Garys’ 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 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 with native yeast 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 stunning melange of three truly unique vineyard sites (52% Pisoni, 18% Garys’, and 30% Soberanes), the 2019 Lucia Pinot Noir exhales deeply as its ruby hue trickles down the side of the glass. Notes of spiced plum, black cherry and sage quickly fill the glass. This wine is initially tightly wound, but each passing minute allows for new layers and aromas to unfold. At first, subtle notes of dried raspberry and sous bois were most prominent, but time in the glass promotes the expression of richer, more powerful notes of black cherry, crushed strawberry, sandalwood, and baking spice. The trademarked coastal fog and stiff afternoon winds of the Santa Lucia Highlands provide the refreshing acidity necessary for a long life in bottle.
| Cases Produced | 1560 |
|---|---|
| Retail Price | $48 |
| Release Date | Spring 2021 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 11 Months in 40% New Oak |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Whole Cluster | 20% |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
A Legend in the Highlands. 
High Praise from Jeb Dunnuck:
Beauty in Grafting