Lucy wines pair with every season, but for the Pisonis, Lucy means spring. Maybe it’s the spectacular coral color of their Rosé of Pinot Noir, a wine born by the sea but at home in a garden. Maybe it’s the ruby in the glass of their Gamay Noir, whose sunset color gestures toward dinners on the patio. Or maybe it’s Pico Blanco, the white blend that points toward the new season. Named for a peak in Monterey County known for its limestone, and which Pisoni brothers Jeff and Mark used to camp at as boys, this wine, too, seems to beckon to time spent outdoors.
If these wines are prompted by place, and the coastal diversity of Monterey, each has also been crafted with an eye toward honoring the people that call it home. “We’re a close-knit community,” Mark notes of their environs. All the more natural that when the family created Lucy Gamay Noir, they earmarked a dollar from every bottle to Big Sur Fire to help local firefighting efforts. “Our neighbors just over the ridge, Big Sur embodies all the values we hold close,” Jeff comments. “Some of the community members of Big Sur have been friends of the Pisoni family for decades. Watching them endure forest fires with such resilience inspired us to step up to support their cause.” The latest round of funding through sales of Gamay Noir provided “a great uplift for Big Sur Fire as we enter a challenging year in our history,” notes fifty-year veteran fire fighter Frank Pinney.
I Love LucyKaren MacNeil
To date, the Lucy trio has helped the Pisonis raise $230,000 in charitable donations, to causes such as the one above, as well as Breast Cancer Research (Lucy Rosé) and Ocean Conservancy (Lucy Pico Blanco). Edible Monterey Bay salutes, “Cheers to the Pisoni family for supporting these great causes with three absolutely terrific wines, . . . If you want to drink good wine and feel good about it, too, check these out.”
Wine critics and connoisseurs are given to offer equally affectionate statements about Lucy. “I loved the Gamay Noir,” Jeb Dunnuck praised with enthusiastic brevity of the 2022 vintage. But the recent title of a piece by wine writer and educator Karen MacNeil perhaps says things best, “I Love Lucy,” this piece simply rests.
Lucy Selections
2023 Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir ›
Benefitting from one of the latest harvests in twenty years, the 2023 Lucy Rose of Pinot Noir is comprised of fruit slowly developed to optimum phenolic, color, and ripeness levels. Boasting a crystalline coral-tinged salmon hue, this shimmering rose presents itself with aromas of vibrant orange peel, ruby grapefruit, rose petal, and crisp strawberry. With time in the glass, more notes of melon and stone fruit dance with a soft, yet chalky minerality. This voluminous wine’s acidity zips across the palate with pure expressions of near-ripe raspberry, blood orange, and a hint of watermelon. A distinguished characteristic of Lucy Rose is the slight salinity it carries, as if born from the sea air itself. Subtle texture envelopes the palate that is brought on from aging in exclusively neutral, 100% French oak barrels up to the moment of bottling. The energetic acidity in this rose brings about a stunning and refreshing taste of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
2023 Lucy Pico Blanco ›
Pico Blanco is a limestone mountain peak in Monterey County. This blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc stands as an example of the elegance and finesse from Monterey with cool-climate wines. The wine displays a delicate pale straw color that exudes freshness. From the first swirl, bright notes of lemon zest leap from the glass followed by hints of delicate orange blossom and floral elegance. The palate shows a broader texture from the Pinot Blanc and brings highlights of ripe pear, yellow peach, Gravenstein apple and crushed stones. The finish of the wine unfolds with complexity and depth while the zesty acidity keeps the wine fresh and bright. Enjoy the wine served chilled. It pairs well with many of the seafood and pasta dishes inspired by coastal Monterey region.
2023 Lucy Gamay Noir ›
The 2023 Lucy Gamay Noir is beautiful, supple and vibrant. In the glass, the wine reveals an almost iridescent purple hue. For wine geeks, the bright color comes partly from low pH of the wine (specifically, how anthocyanin color is influenced by pH). Aromas of marionberry, ripe pomegranate, red cherry and cranberry mix with subtle spice and verbena notes. On the palate, vibrant acidity enhances juicy layers of fruit and more mouthwatering freshness. It is the unmistakable evidence of the granite soil that sets this wine apart. Gamay Noir is at home in granite, and this brings mineral-driven undertones to the graceful palate structure. Low in tannins but high in acidity, this wine is born to pair with food. Serve cellar temp or chilled.
