Pisoni Family Vineyards

Pisoni Family Vineyards grows some of California's most sought-after Pinot Noir from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The family runs the estate, farming 40 acres of estate vines and selling fruit to big names like Peter Michael and Siduri. They also make their own wines under the Pisoni Estate label, plus sister brands Lucia and Lucy, with small production.

History
The Pisonis got into farming in the Salinas Valley back in the 1940s, growing vegetables like lettuce and broccoli on flat land. In 1979, they bought 280 acres up in the Santa Lucia Mountains for cattle grazing since the rocky slopes seemed useless for crops. Gary Pisoni, just out of college and fan of French wines, saw potential for grapes in 1982. His dad wasn't enthousistic, grapes on dry granite sounded risky, but Gary pushed ahead with five acres of own-rooted Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet.

Water was the first big hurdle. No luck at first, so Gary trucked it up from the valley for nine years. He doused witchers and drilled wells, striking it on the sixth try in 1991 under 490 feet of granite. By then, his fruit caught on with winemakers, building the vineyard's name. In 1998, Gary and sons Jeff and Mark bottled their first Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir. 

The Vineyards
Pisoni Estate is spread over 40 acres at 1,300 feet in the northeast Santa Lucia Highlands, with 30 blocks from half an acre to 17 acres each. They farm it block by block. The family also works together with partners like Gary Franscioni on Garys' Vineyard and Soberanes Vineyard nearby. In most cases for the Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay and Syrah for the Lucia and Lucy labels.

The vineyard also include the famous Pisoni selection, according to rumours from Vosne-Romanée cuttings. Many are old now and low-yielding vines on the southeast slopes.

The Terroir
Santa Lucia Highlands measures 12 miles along terraces above the Salinas River, with morning sun for warmth and the afternoon fog from Monterey Bay to cool the vines down. The harvests may start six weeks later than flatter spots.

Pisoni's vineyards can be as high as 1,300 feet with granitic, well-drained soils that stress vines just right: small berries, thick skins, concentrated juice.

Elevation and exposure mean no excess water; the roots of the vines have to get deep into the granite for minerals that show in the wine. Winds and fog keep the balance of sugar and acidity, like Burgundy conditions which Gary persued from the start. It's this combo that put the AVA on the map.

Way of Winemaking
Harvest is done by hand, with whole-cluster fermentations and local yeasts. Pinot spends 12-18 months in French oak, mostly used barrels. The wines are not filtered.

The Lucia and Lucy wines may contain blends across blocks, but the estate focuses on single-vineyards.

Some Fun Facts
Gary convinced his dad to change to grape growing with: "Have you ever been to a $250 lettuce tasting?" It worked, flipping cattle land into vine territory.

Those original cuttings? Suitcase-cloned from Vosne-Romanée, now the Pisoni clone that winemakers chase for its structure and finesse.

Water hunt took six wells through solid rock—490 feet deep on the last shot—before the vines could really thrive.