2022 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 with 7 inches of rainfall
- Growing season started two weeks earlier than normal
- Light frost event towards the end of February
- Due to low rainfall, shoot growth and yields were low
- Low temperatures until heat wave that brought on harvest decision
- Harvested before heat to retain vibrant aromatic profiles
WINERY
- Hand Sorting
- 100% native-yeast fermentation
- 45% whole-cluster fermentation
- 100% French oak barrels: 65% new oak
- Minimal intervention is practiced
- Only natural settling of the wine is utilized: No use of fining or filtration
Notes
The Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir is comprised of vineyard blocks from the several different ridges and soil types at Pisoni Vineyards. The highly complex terrain and older vines bring about a wildly complex and beautiful expression of Pinot Noir. The early season of 2022 brought phenolic development early, which results in wonderfully pure and rich aromatics followed by excellent tannin structure. Deep purple, this wine leaps from the glass with aromas of violets, spiced plum, lavender, crushed strawberry and rose petal. The texture is equally impressive with rich layers of gentle tannins. On the palate one gains a sense of power from the wine, with evolving richness, and the integration of carefully selected French Oak barrels. After hand-picking, sorting, native fermentation, this wine is aged in barrel without racking or moving for 10 months. Bottling is then carried out carefully and without fining or filtration to obtain the most exquisite Pinot Noir.
- Mark & Gary Pisoni, Vineyard Managers
- Jeff Pisoni, Winemaker
- Alcohol: 14.1%
- Cases Produced: 740
- Bottled Date: August 22, 2023
- Release Date: September 2024
A Legend in the Highlands. 
The Much-Awaited Vintage: 
Glowing Reviews from Jeb Dunnuck for