2016 Syrah Soberanes Vineyard

Jeff and Mark Pisoni described the 2016 Santa Lucia Highlands growing season as “completely uneventful, and that’s a great thing,” according to Mark. The Pisoni name is inextricably linked to the fame of the region for the family’s grape-growing excellence (Mark covers that, and their legendary father, Gary, is still involved), and Jeff’s winemaking successes have brought even greater recognition for their work in recent years. Those who follow the Lucia wines, which are sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit, are going to love these 2016s, which are balanced to age but also show abundant, up-front fruit and suppleness that make them awfully easy to drink even now. Incidentally, the Pisonis’ high-altitude Susan’s Hill vineyard, which was planted to Syrah in 1982, is producing an exceptional wine, and I count this 2016 version as among the best New World renditions of the variety that I have tasted this year.