2001
PINOT NOIR PISONI
Santa Lucia Highlands
It seems as though it has
been years since I have been able to get my head above water.
Raising children is wonderful, but it has almost drowned my enological
focus. Perhaps it was youthful folly, but I used to pride myself
in my ability to imagine what my life might be like in five or
ten years.
These days I am taking
stock of what we are doing here at The Ojai Vineyard, and, although
we have had some level of success, I am sure we can do better.
And, in that vein, I plan on phasing out some of the vineyards
that are problematic for me. Pisoni, is, of course a very special
vineyard, and it has been a delight to work with Gary and his
sons. But for me, making wine is not just showing up on harvest
day and watching the grapes being picked; it is an involvement
in every detail of a vineyard's growth through the year. I would
like to believe I could visit Pisoni often during the growing
season, but due to the distance from the winery, I just do not
have the time. So to better focus on the vineyards closer to home,
I have decided that this will be the last Pisoni pinot from us.
To walk away from acknowledged
success is the difficult part, but the good news is that this
might be our best Pisoni to date. While the 2000 has a delicacy
that works great, the 2001 has the combination of amazing intensity
and excellent balance--a rich and hedonistic wine that, while
delicious today, will age nicely for many years.