Santa Lucia
Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | NOVEMBER 05, 2019&nbsp;Two thousand seventeen in the Santa
Lucia Highlands and greater Monterey County was a year that enjoyed plenty of winter
and spring rain. That came in handy during the predictably dry but cool summer
and a major heat wave that hit all of California over Labor Day weekend. Flowering
took place on schedule, mostly in the second week of March, and the infant
fruit emerged in the middle of May, also on schedule. Fruit set was abundant
thanks to the healthy supply of ground water and resulting vine vigor, so
conscientious growers – which in this region means pretty much everybody – put
an increased priority on crop-thinning.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1572971706198-Santa+Lucia+Highlands+9_copy.jpg"> A view of Santa Lucia Highlands as seen from&nbsp;the bottom of the Pisoni family's property 

Temperatures throughout the spring
and summer were relatively cool, especially at night, as is the norm here. The
usual morning fog helped to keep growing on schedule – so, again, things went pretty
much by the book. However, the aforementioned early September heat wave, which
saw temperatures soar to over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, pushed the harvest up in most
spots, forcing the hand of a number of growers when it came to picking
decisions, and also necessitating irrigation in some vineyards with the aim of preserving
freshness in the fruit. Wise canopy management was also a plus, to protect the
soon-to-be-picked fruit from the heat by staving off potential raisining. Many
producers reported that they were harvesting a week ahead of their normal
schedule, and that held true through the end of harvest, which mostly concluded
for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by the first week of October, under clement
conditions.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1572971690322-Soberanes+Vineyard-copy.jpg"> The Franscioni and Pisoni families' Soberanes Vineyard The Style of The 2017s On account of the generally clean
fruit, 2017 has turned out to be a pretty typical vintage for the Santa Lucia
Highlands. The wines, from all varieties, are mostly fresh, highly perfumed and
fruit-driven, with solid cores of acidity and well-integrated, unobtrusive
tannins – in other words, in the style on which the region has built its
reputation. As might be expected, with many of the vines here getting older,
the wines are generally showing greater depth now than in the past, but with no
loss of energy. Syrah, in particular, continues to show great promise. I
realize that not many people cellar these wines for an extended period, which
is entirely understandable, or at least forgivable, given their up-front, fruit-driven
appeal. That said, many of these 2017s appear to have the depth, energy and
balance to easily age past a decade and, hopefully, repay that patience with
added complexity but no real loss of appealing fruit.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1572971594928-McIntyre+Vineyards_copy.jpg"> Undulating hills at&nbsp;McIntyre Vineyards 

The Price of Admission

As I have noted a number of times
previously, based on land prices and the pressing demand for skilled vineyard workers
(who can earn good money in this relatively isolated area), entry-level pricing
for Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays is quite high and, along
with the Napa Valley, probably the highest in the United States. That,
predictably, makes the region a highly attractive one for outside entities who
have big dollar signs in their eyes. The fact is that the Santa Lucia Highlands
as we know it is pretty well planted out, but that could and probably will
change. Recent history has proven that California and the TTB are not averse to
extending appellations because of pressure from well-connected, well-heeled and
lawyered-up producers eager to join the club. Just ask winegrowers in the Sta.
Rita Hills and Sonoma Coast.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1572971617519-Sleepy+Hollow+Vineyard_copy.jpg"> The Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in late afternoon 

Where’s All The Wine?

There simply isn’t that much
plantable land to begin with in this relatively small region (roughly 6,000
acres), given the hilly, often dramatically shifting topography. The best sites,
almost all of them small to minuscule, were spoken for, and planted, years ago.
Most of the producers here, and definitely the small ones, have built up a
robust direct-to-consumer/mailing list program, and the restaurants in greater
Monterey have long been loyal supporters of their local wines, so there’s just
not that much wine left for the national market, never mind internationally. The
increasing worldwide passion for fresh, low-octane, elegant Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay plays to the Santa Lucia Highlands’ strong suit, which means that
for the last several years it’s been a rare case where producers can satisfy
year-round demand. On top of that, most if not all of the best and most sought-after
wines are made in minute quantities, sometimes as little as a handful of
barrels and often even less than that.

I tasted most of these wines in late
summer 2019 in California, plus a few in New York, through late October 2019.<hr>You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/new-releases-from-santa-lucia-highlands-neighbors-oct-2018">New Releases from Santa Lucia Highlands &amp; Neighbors</a>, Josh Raynolds, October 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/santa-lucia-highlands-2015-the-grapes-of-a-wrathful-vintage-nov-2017">Santa Lucia Highlands 2015: The Grapes of a Wrathful Vintage</a>, Josh Raynolds, November 2017 <div><div><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/santa-lucia-highlands-new-releases-oct-2016">Santa Lucia Highlands: New Releases</a>, Josh Raynolds, October 2016<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/santa-lucia-highlands-new-releases-aug-2015">Santa Lucia Highlands: New Releases</a>, Josh Raynolds, August 2015</div></div>

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