2011PisoniEstate2011 Pisoni Estate, Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands.
This massively appealing Pinot Noir from the Pisoni family is hugely entertaining and pure, but easier to enjoy young than most recent editions, this wine, while structured and deep, is more in this vintage an open and giving wine. Jeff Pisoni, the winemaker here, has captured the Pisoni character in this rich and textured Pinot Noir, even in a most difficult year, in fact it is one of the best 2011 wines I’ve tasted, so kudos to the farming, the place and the talent that went into what is in the bottle. The 2011 Pisoni Estate Pinot shows dark ruby/purple color, bright fruit, floral notes and briar intensity in the nose and upfront before opening smoothly into a full throttle effort with blackberry, morello cherry, tangy currant, plum and loganberry fruits, along with cinnamon stick, mocha and mineral spice, finishing with touches of violets, earth and vanilla. This is classic Pisoni, but with a refined polish and a bit more acidity, less tannins than normal, a welcome and nice surprise, I’d say this is stylish early drinking Pisoni with all the charms you’d expect from this estate, drink from 2014 to 2020 or so, if you can wait, I doubt I could or would! This wine is certainly a naughty pleasure, alluring and amazingly well crafted.
($85 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

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