2012 Pinot Noir

The always candid Gary Franscioni is one of the pioneers in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Few people know this stretch of land - with all of its complexities and nuances - more intimately. Still curious as ever, Franscioni continues to fine-tune his approach in his newly developed vineyards, and it shows in the quality of the wines. Franscioni describes 2012 as the largest crop since 2006, mostly the result of higher than normal cluster weights. In 2012, Roar did not bottle their Garys' and Pisoni vineyard-designate Pinots, instead all of the fruit went into the appellation wine. Franscioni's son, Adam, is playing an increasingly greater role at the winery, which ensures things will be in good hands for the next generation. Roar also has a new winemaker, Scott Shapley, who takes over for Ed Kurzman.