Lucia by Pisoni 2023 Pinot Noir "Estate Cuvée" Santa Lucia Highlands 750ml

The Pisoni family has spent generations farming Monterey County, and the Lucia Estate Cuvée is their most complete statement of that legacy — a single wine drawn entirely from their own vineyards across the Santa Lucia Highlands, blending the distinct character of multiple sites into one cohesive expression. The 2023 vintage marks a genuine milestone for the cuvée: the first-ever inclusion of fruit from WindRock, the newest addition to the Pisoni/Franscioni portfolio, planted just north of the celebrated Garys' Vineyard. The final blend runs 41% Pisoni Vineyard, 32% Garys' Vineyard, 15% Soberanes Vineyard, and 12% WindRock — four genuinely distinct sites brought together in a single bottle.

2023 tested the family's patience from the very start. Winter arrived with eighteen inches of rainfall, the highest the region had seen in recent history, followed by vigorous spring growth that demanded aggressive shoot thinning and fruit dropping just to bring the vines back into balance. Mild summer and fall weather followed, extending the growing season considerably and producing what the Pisoni family calls "a classic profile" — bright, pure, and genuinely balanced fruit. Every grape is hand-picked and sorted, fermented with native yeast, and aged in carefully selected French oak barrels at the estate's own gravity-flow winemaking facility — a custom-built design that merges the vineyards and winery into a single, tightly controlled production process.

The critical reception has been genuinely extraordinary across every major publication. Decanter awarded 95 Points, and Antonio Galloni at Vinous matched that score exactly, calling it "a beautiful, super-finessed wine... a model of elegance," with "floral-inflected notes of blood orange, lavender and sweet spices" building "in a broad yet focused, supple, velvety Pinot Noir," the finish lasting "long beyond each sip" — "everything here speaks to refinement, polish and poise." Wine Enthusiast awarded 93 Points, describing "a gamy kick to the nose" that gives "an earthy richness to the berry and chaparral aromas," with the palate showing "even more chaparral spice and a zippy acidity, balancing the ripe cherry flavors." Both Wine Spectator and James Suckling scored the wine 92 Points. Pisoni's own tasting notes describe "deep color and exuberant aromas of red raspberries, dark cherries, ground clove, and vanilla," with "soft and layered tannins" woven together with "fresh red plum and allspice," the extended growing season carrying through to "a long finish that extends the depth of flavor." This is a genuinely exceptional vintage from one of the Santa Lucia Highlands' most celebrated family estates.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Lucia by Pisoni is crafted by the Pisoni Family, whose generations of farming history in Monterey County have made them one of the most respected names in Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. The Lucia wines are hand-crafted entirely from the family's own estate vineyards — Pisoni, Garys', Soberanes, and, as of this vintage, WindRock, the newest addition to the Pisoni/Franscioni portfolio, planted just north of Garys' Vineyard.

The 2023 growing season began with a wet, cold winter delivering eighteen inches of rainfall, the highest seen in recent history, followed by vigorous spring growth that required earlier and more aggressive shoot thinning and fruit dropping to bring the vines into balance. Mild summer and fall weather extended the growing season, producing a classic, bright, pure, and balanced expression of Pinot Noir. Grapes are entirely hand-picked and sorted, fermented with native yeast, and aged in carefully selected French oak barrels, produced at the estate's gravity-flow winemaking facility, custom-designed to merge the vineyards and winery for complete control over both farming and winemaking. The 2023 Estate Cuvée is a blend of 41% Pisoni Vineyard, 32% Garys' Vineyard, 15% Soberanes Vineyard, and 12% WindRock Vineyard.

Critics Reviews

Decanter — 95 Points

Antonio Galloni, Vinous — 95 Points:
"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."

Wine Enthusiast — 93 Points:
"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."

Wine Spectator — 92 Points

James Suckling — 92 Points

Pisoni Vineyards (official tasting notes):
"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."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Deep color, with exuberant red raspberry and dark cherry leading, joined by ground clove and vanilla. A gamy kick adds earthy richness to berry and chaparral aromas, alongside floral-inflected blood orange, lavender, and sweet spices.

Palate
Broad yet focused, supple and velvety, with soft, layered tannins woven together with fresh red plum and allspice. Chaparral spice and zippy acidity balance ripe cherry flavors throughout.

Finish
Long, extending well beyond each sip, closing with refinement, polish, and poise — a genuine reflection of the vintage's extended, patient growing season.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Roast duck or squab
• Grilled salmon
• Mushroom risotto
• Aged, earthy cheeses