2021 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir
FARMERS. WINEMAKERS. Members of the Pisoni Family work together, committed to growing exceptional grapes and crafting compelling wines from their vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
First planted by Gary Pisoni in 1982, and now managed by his son Mark, Pisoni Vineyards consists of small vineyard blocks arranged on and around the ridges of the mountainous landscape. Ranging in size from one-half to 17 acres, the vineyard blocks perch at an altitude of 1,300 feet in the granite-laced mountains of the coastal Santa Lucia Range.
The Pisoni Family produces essentially one wine per year under this label. The wine is a blend from several blocks on the Estate and is hand-crafted to best represent the vineyard and spirit of the Pisoni Family. Jeff Pisoni, Gary’s other son, is the winemaker for the Pisoni Estate wines. Total production ranges from 500 to 800 cases annually, depending on yield.
VINEYARD
- One of the highest-elevation vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands: 1,300 feet
- Decomposed granite soil. High amounts of schist and quartz
- Heavy fog influence
- 36 planted acres with 30 individually farmed blocks or sub-blocks
- 100% sustainable farming
- Hand-farmed & hand-harvested
VINTAGE
- Dry winter brought only seven inches of rainfall
- Rainfall was later than normal which helped soil moisture
- Budbreak started at the end of March, later than normal
- Summer was very mild with low vine vigor due to limited rain
- Harvest was excellent and progressed under cool, steady weather
- Low vigor and cool weather brought great concentration and elegance
WINERY
- Hand Sorting
- 100% native-yeast fermentation
- 40% whole-cluster fermentation
- 100% French oak barrels: 62% new oak
- Minimal intervention is practiced
- Only natural settling of the wine is utilized: No use of fining or filtration
Notes
Our much-awaited 2021 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir is the beautiful result of ideal growing conditions, diligent farming practices, and careful winemaking. Sporting a deep reddish-purple color that foreshadows the depth, this is one of our most exciting bottlings of recent vintages. Aromas of violets, black cherry, Santa Rosa plum, and spiced sandalwood emanate from the glass. The palate is equally complex and remarkably structured. The long growing season, careful fermentation and some whole cluster inclusion brings power and understated elegance with finishing notes of dark berry coulis and Herbs de Provence. The 2021 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir is a strict barrel selection sourced from six different blocks of our estate vineyard. This vibrant and structured wine will benefit from a long decant in its youth—but will reward with long aging in the cellar.
- Mark & Gary Pisoni, Vineyard Managers
- Jeff Pisoni, Winemaker
- Alcohol: 14.1%
- Cases Produced: 680
- Bottled Date: August 17, 2022
- Release Date: September 2023
Living by Night: 
2018 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir 
Pisoni Vineyards Honored as