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 Susan’s Hill Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands, California
the 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
Susan’s Hill, named for Gary’s sister Susan, is a special block within Pisoni Vineyards. Planted in 2001, this block sits on a rocky outcrop and crowns one of the vineyard’s highest ridges. Its peak is exposed to the elements and buffeted by heavy winds. The coarse, rocky soils ensure that the vines are extremely stressed, resulting in wines that are dark in color and very intense.
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
Born from vines in the northern most block of the Pisoni Vineyard, the 2019 Lucia Susan’s Hill Syrah is a gorgeous representation of this fabled French varietal grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Covering a wide range of color from deep purple at its edge to near black at its center, this Syrah fills the air after only its first breath. Aromas of blueberry pie, fresh cut cedar, and star anise gain depth with each swirl in the glass, as hints of fresh violets and white flowers lend added complexity. Unmistakable purity on the palate in the form of crushed blue fruits and dark berries give way to distinct flavors of spiced plum and dark chocolate. Native fermentation with 50% whole clusters followed by a 20 month extended slumber in a 300 gallon Foudre gives this remarkable Syrah countless layers and provides a backbone of seamless tannin that suggests this wine will still amaze two decades from now
| Cases Produced | 175 |
|---|---|
| Retail Price | $60 |
| Release Date | September 2021 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 20 months in Foudre |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Whole Cluster | 50% |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
High Praise from Jeb Dunnuck:
2017 Susan’s Hill Syrah
Rave Reviews from Jeb Dunnuck: