2014 Patz & Hall Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

752 cases, $90. Includes grapes from vines that date to the 1980s. Patz & Hall has bottled a Pisoni vineyard designate since 1997. Wild and cultured yeast fermentation, 12% whole clusters, aged in French oak barrels, 70% new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of well-ripened black fruits and terra-cotta lead to a full-bodied explosion of black berry and boysenberry fruit on entry. A masculine wine that offers palate-staining fruit along with muscular, yet polished tannins, that corral the sappy fruit core. The oak is nicely balanced and the alcohol peeks out only slightly. This vineyard always produces distinctive wines that have a Pisoni stamp that are consistent across many producers. It is rare to find such a comparable terroir-driven example in California. Score: 93. Reviewed June 18, 2016

Winery: Patz & Hall
From article: Sips of Recently Tasted California Pinot Noir