Lucia by Pisoni Estate Cuvee Pinot Noir 2023
(Santa Lucia Highlands, California) - [VM 95] [JD 93] [WE 93] [WS 92] [JS 92]

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.

Vineyard:
Grown exclusively from our Pisoni, Garys’ and Soberanes vineyards, the Lucia appellation-based wines are 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.”

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:
A vintage of patience paid off with this complex blend of entirely estate-farmed vineyards, as well as introducing a new planting. The 2023 Lucia by Pisoni Pinot Noir, Estate Cuvée is a blend of 41% Pisoni Vineyards, 32% Garys’ Vineyard, 15% Soberanes Vineyard and 12% WindRock Vineyard. Our most recent estate vineyard introduces another expression of intense farming and fruit expression, planted to the north of Garys’ Vineyard. The slow and late harvest brought a classic profile to the Pinot Noirs—bright, pure and balanced. Deep color and exuberant aromas of red raspberries, dark cherries, ground clove, and vanilla emit from the glass. Soft and layered tannins are woven together with notes of fresh red plum and allspice. The extended growing season is evident on the palate as well, with a long finish that extends the depth of flavor.

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée is a beautiful, super-finessed wine. This year marks the first inclusion of fruit from the newest vineyard in the Pisoni/Franscioni portfolio—WindRock—which joins the typical lineup of Pisoni, Garys’ and Soberanes. The 2023 is a model of elegance. Floral-inflected notes of blood orange, lavender and sweet spices build in a broad yet focused, supple, velvety Pinot Noir. The finish lasts long beyond each sip. Everything here speaks to refinement, polish and poise." - Billy Norris (Jul 2025)

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Red and black fruits, spice, and dried flowers emerge from the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée. Medium-bodied and supple, it offers a layered mouthfeel and a round, charming, satisfying style that's absolutely delicious. This beauty will drink nicely for 7-8 years." (Apr 2025)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"There's a gamy kick to the nose of this bottling that gives an earthy richness to the berry and chaparral aromas. The palate shows even more chaparral spice and a zippy acidity, balancing the ripe cherry flavors. " - MK (Sep 2025)

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This will win fans for sure, with its expressive profile of mulberry and boysenberry fruit allied to fresh, bouncy acidity and backed by anise, violet and iris accents through the engaging finish. Drink now through 2031. 2,300 cases made." - JM (Dec 2025)

92 Points - James Suckling:
"This bursts from the glass with fresh-picked cherries and wild strawberries, the open-textured character paving the way for a mineral-seamed, nicely structured palate. The five-spice and licorice find excellent counterparts in red, almost floral plums. Drink or hold." (Jul 2025)