Most growers of produce
other than grapes have a terrible time with wine grapes. They
are usually looking to produce the biggest, healthiest clusters
on lush growing vines - which is the opposite of what we want
for fine wine grapes. But Gary understands that tiny clusters
on meager-growing vines are what it takes to make powerfully intense
wines. He has a low-vigor vineyard site way up in the western
hills of the Salinas Valley, he's got the right clone planted,
and the farming is impeccable. While the price he charges for
these grapes is outrageous, perfection has its price.
The 1998 crop came in at
about 2.7 tons per acre, and it was very ripe. As early as December
after the harvest, we could tell that we had something special.
Dark, brooding and flavory, there was an intensity of character
in this wine that one rarely finds in pinot noir. The wine developed
very slowly in barrel. Our other pinot, the Bien Nacido, was the
hands down favorite in barrel tastings through the summer and
fall, but I knew there was a lot of power hiding in the structure
of the Pisoni pinot. The wine was never racked until a few days
before bottling in January, and we were able to avoid fining and
filtration.
We shipped this wine down
to our temperature-controlled warehouse in Ventura soon afterwards,
and, although I get down there often, I kept forgetting to pick
up samples to try it again. So it was not until mid June before
I tasted the Pisoni pinot, after it had been in the bottle six
months. Wow, what progress it has made! For the last several months
in the barrel it had been aromatically quiet. Now it is revealing
the flamboyant Pisoni raspberry character that is distinctive
to this vineyard, and it possesses a wonderful richness on the
palate. Though the wine definitely has the material for further
development, it is really showing its stuff now.