2018 Pisoni Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir

About 2018 Pisoni Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir:

This Rosé is from a blend of Pinot Noir grapes harvested from the vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The multiple vineyard sites contribute an added complexity to the wine in both aromatics and texture. The cool weather from the Santa Lucia highlands is the critical factor to maintaining the bright acidity in this rosé.

Tasting Notes:

Crisp and refreshing, the 2018 Lucy Rosé blossoms in the glass with notes of nectarine, white peach, rose petal, and a delicate hint of sea breeze. Possessing a pale coral color derived from gentle pressing and minimal skin contact, this barrel select cuvée is bred from the estate vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Flavors of crushed strawberry, watermelon, and citrus mingle with a textured and complex palate. Neutral oak barrel fermentation yields beautiful volume, complimented by mouthwatering acidity on the finish. Best served chilled, this rosé pairs perfectly with almost any dish and every occasion.

Barrel Selection:

Pisoni Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir is fermented then aged for only three months to retain the most fresh characteristics. The winemaker utilizes the oak barrels of at least a decade in age so they are truly “neutral.”

Growing Notes:

2018 was an excellent year for grape growers and winemakers. Enough rain in winter, moderate temperatures in spring and summer, and an excellent harvest to look toward in fall. The Santa Lucia Highlands received 8 inches of rain–less than average, but sufficient for the vines and very welcome after several drought years. Budbreak began on March 15th and was followed by more spring showers on the 21st, adding nicely to soil moisture. In spring, temperatures remained moderate. Growers kept their fingers crossed, hoping to avoid summer heat spikes. This season was also temperate, with highs lower than we’ve seen in years. The characteristic wind and fog persisted, too. Vine growth was slow because of the cool weather; and veraison, when grapes turn from green to purple, long. The vineyard performed more than the usual number of “green harvests” to drop fruit and encourage uniform ripening. The weather stayed cool up to fall.  Throughout the slow, steady ripening and exceptional weather, the winemaker waited with great anticipation to bring in fruit as soon–but not before–it was ready. The Chardonnay grapes were harvested first, beginning on September 12. On the 13th the harvest for Pinot Noir began, and continued to do so through October 8th, timing each vineyard block according to its own readiness. The resulting wines are beautiful, with great acidity, freshness, concentration, and tannin development.

Harvest Dates: September 12- October 8, 2018 (Chardonnay), September 13-October 8, 2018 (Pinot Noir)

Winemaking Notes:

Because the fruit developed so gradually, the maker sampled and tasted grapes for Pisoni Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir more than they typically do.

Combining the use of whole cluster pressing with saignée of Pinot Noir allowed them to create a more complex wine. This combination brings the light, crisp and elegant character with minimal phenolics from gentle whole-cluster pressing and slightly more fullness from the saignée barrels. The Lucy Rosé is fermented then aged for only three months to retain the most fresh characteristics. The maker utilizes barrels of at least a decade in age so they are truly “neutral.” This heightens the texture while minimizing the flavor impact of the oak.

About The Winery:

It all started with a dream about Pinot Noir. A true visionary in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Gary Pisoni has worked tirelessly since collecting and making his first wines in the 1970’s, planting Pisoni Vineyards in 1982, and the producing of the first Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir with his sons in 1998. As dreamers often do, Gary felt something on his family’s land that was seemingly not there and followed his intuition relentlessly to uncover it. Multiple costly drilling attempts failed before bringing water up from beneath the solid granite that makes up the hillsides, a feat so many believed to be impossible.

Today, Gary’s vision of Pinot Noir in the rugged and rocky mountains above the Salinas Valley has been more than realized. Multiple blocks of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah varietals pepper the landscape at elevations from 900 to 1,300 feet, from which we produce wines that seem destined to come from this remarkable site. As a winemaker, Gary has always been intent on communicating the personality of the land from which the wine was grown — a task he now shares with his sons, vineyard manager Mark and vintner Jeff.