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.
2023 Lucia Chardonnay, Estate Cuvée
the Vintage
The 2023 vintage was a test of great patience. Winter began in the Santa Lucia Highlands with significant rainfall—at eighteen inches, it was the highest seen in recent history. Following this cold and wet winter, vines shot out with vigor and strength as spring arrived. Due to the abundant rainfall, soils were teaming with activity and we quickly recognized that the season would require more work than usual in the vineyard. The farming team began shoot thinning and dropping fruit earlier and more aggressively than usual to bring the vines into balance and reduce yields to ensure physiological development. Summer and fall followed with mild weather in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This made for very slow sugar accumulation and the added hang time contributed to intense phenolic and flavor development. With this mild weather, harvest was almost a full month later than the preceding vintage—the latest seen since 1999. Low yields were essential to receive full ripeness. The final month of the growing season required additional passes to remove leaves and green clusters. Being such a late vintage, we welcomed the additional sunlight to help ripen fruit. The long, cool season ensures a bright acidity, which when combined with the rugged soils and estate-farming practices, creates rich tannins. Wines from this vintage have a trademark of vibrance to them.
the Vineyard
Grown exclusively from our Pisoni and Soberanes vineyards, the Lucia Estate Cuvée of Chardonnay is 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
The 2023 Lucia Chardonnay Estate Cuvée is a beautiful example of complimentary vineyard sites. This wine is a blend of 74% Soberanes Vineyard and 26% Pisoni Vineyards. In this wine, the fog-laden and rocky Soberanes Vineyard meets the mountainous and foggy Pisoni Vineyards. In wine terms, this combines vibrant acidity and a rich, layered texture. A deep green-gold in color, this wine promises a fresh crispness before it even meets the palate. Zippy notes of grapefruit peel, Bosc pear, fuji apple and hints of vanilla lift from the glass for a wine that maintains incredible balance from start to finish. The late harvest created depth, volume and texture on the palate, while the cool summer temperatures retained cleansing acidity. Gentle pressing and handling (no racking or filtration) further retains the character of these vineyard sites.
| Cases Produced | 708 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Winter 2025 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 12 months in 40% New Oak |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
Explore
“Top 100 Wines” of 2023:
Gary Pisoni.
Patience & Time: Winter 2024 Release