2019 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

The Franscioni family are Santa Lucia Highlands grape-growing and winemaking pioneers with farming roots in the region going back to 1890. The Franscionis co-own and farm the famed Garys’ Vineyard with the Pisonis. The two families partnered to establish the Soberanes Vineyard, which is proving to be one of the region’s truly outstanding sources for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The Franscionis’ own wines, sourced from estate vineyards (except in 2020, when they were unable to use their own fruit because of smoke taint), are consistently among the very best being made in the Santa Lucia Highlands. These are unapologetically bold, full-throttle wines, even in elegant vintages like 2019 and 2018. The Franscionis are not afraid of new oak, and wood it can be pronounced when the wines are young, bottle age usually more than mitigates that imprint.