Lucia is a small collection of wines crafted by the Pisoni family from the estate-farmed Pisoni, Garys’ and Soberanes Vineyards.
2023 Lucia Syrah, Susan’s Hill
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
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
Sourced from the highest elevation block of Pisoni Vineyards, Susan’s Hill produces a dense, concentrated style of Syrah. The 2023 Lucia Syrah Susan’s Hill is artfully crafted to balance the intensity of this fruit and the rugged beauty of this hillside. Using careful and refined winemaking, and extended aging to twenty months in Foudre, this wine is an impressive bottling. A deep purple color in the glass is followed by notes of fresh black currant, Santa Rosa plum, muddled blackberry along with undertones of leather and tobacco. On the palate, this Syrah coats the mouth with its powerful tannins. However, the finish is balanced by lift and delicate bergamot and elderflower. This is a muscular wine with abundant tannin that will provide for a long life in the cellar.
| Cases Produced | 145 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Summer 2025 |
| Winemaker | Jeff Pisoni |
| Barrel Aging | 22 months in Foudre |
|---|---|
| Barrel Origin | 100% French Oak |
| Whole Cluster | 80% |
| Fermentation | 100% Native Yeast |
Garys’ Vineyard and Susan’s Hill: 
Gary Pisoni.
Garys’ Vineyard & the 2013 Vintage of Pinot Noir and Syrah. A unique sense of place.