From the top of Mt. Pico Blanco, the land just north of beautiful Big Sur, CA, rolls out as a study in greens and blues. Below the peak, redwoods and pines slope rapidly downward to meet the sea. As boys, brothers Jeff and Mark Pisoni spent the long days of summer at Camp Pico Blanco, the Boy Scout camp near the 3,694-foot-high summit of this much-loved mountain’s peak. Nearby was land that continues to be owned by the Esselen tribe, as well as one of only two high-grade limestone deposits in the western United States—rock that can be seen from all sides of the mountain and whose color alternately imitates snow or flashes like silver in full sunlight.
Mark, the farmer of the family, remembers the 15-mile hike toward Pico Blanco’s crest as a long, slow, challenging trail leading upward from the shaded groves of redwoods toward chaparral and open, sunny areas that flower in spring with lupines, poppies and clovers. For Jeff, the limestone deposits a few hundred feet shy of 4,000 feet above sea level, offers a reminder of the fossils and shell fragments of ancient seas that compressed into rock. The limestone testifies to the earth’s movements that have also pushed the granite-laden Santa Lucia Highlands into a neighboring ridge of the same mountain range.
This is a generous and flavorful wine from one of the most important wine-growing families in the region.MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator
As adults, the two brothers love the natural beauty of Big Sur, but don’t get to hike the precipitous trail toward Pico Blanco’s summit as frequently. Instead, they honor this mountain every day as they continue perfecting Lucy Pico Blanco, the elegant and approachable blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc they named after the peak they camped below as kids. In fitting with the limestone theme, the 2024 vintage of this wine will also be the first with grapes grown on Chalone Vineyard. A historic Monterey County vineyard, it too features limestone in the soils in which it grows its Pinot Blanc, as well as sitting at the base of a now-extinct volcano.
Pico Blanco is just one of three Lucy wines—the others are the Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir and Lucy Gamay Noir. Like Pico Blanco, each of these wines are crafted with the utmost attention to place, and the origin of these wines are apparent in the glass.
Each time Jeff & Mark open a bottle of Pico Blanco, they remember the place they first traversed as eager Boy Scouts and which as adults they explore every year with each new vintage. Happily, the artwork they commissioned from painter Emily Underwood helps them keep this favorite peak in view. Here on paper is Lucy Pico Blanco’s namesake—a palette of jade trees and blue seas and bone-white limestone at its peak.
Lucy Selections
2024 Lucy Pico Blanco ›
The 2024 Pico Blanco introduces a new element of Monterey County with fruit from the historic Chalone Vineyard. With this addition, the Lucy Pico Blanco portrays two important regions and terroirs of Monterey County: Pinot Blanc from the ancient limestone deposits of Chalone and Pinot Gris from the decomposed granite found in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This wine starts with layers of fresh minerality and bright floral notes. Pale straw in the glass, the wine is tightly-packed and focused, but slowly unfolds to show scents of fresh apricot, lemon blossoms, and lychee. These notes burst to life with a refreshing wave of acidity. Crisp and bright, this is a wine that is light on its feet and will pair well with many seafood dishes. Zippy acidity with a citrus finish give this wine a beautiful snapshot of California’s coastal Monterey County.
2024 Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir ›
The 2024 Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir is crisp and bright like the ocean air from which is derives. A light salmon color in the glass, it offers notes of fresh strawberry, rose petal, and honeydew melon on first swirl. The palate opens up to more flavors at play, with elements of grapefruit and raspberry mingling with fresh minerality. This rosé is completely dry and fermented in neutral barrels to bring about a seamless texture. The 2024 vintage Lucy Rosé is all about balance: a cool winter and spring brought about a slow season and elegant fruit profile that is brightened by delightful acidity that draws one back for more. Vibrant and refreshing, this wine pairs perfectly with food, or just a hot summer day.
2024 Lucy Gamay Noir ›
The third vintage of this wine, the Gamay Noir has rapidly become a favorite of the Lucy collection. The 2024 vintage is rich, full and layered—a beautiful and generous expression of Gamay from the granite soils of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The growing season was cool and steady with enough warmth to achieve a harmonious phenolic ripeness. Neutral barrels allow the fruit to shine uninhibited by oak, as bright notes of cranberry, boysenberry and lavender pop from the glass at first swirl. The palate presents a teeming basket of mixed fruit, filled to the brim with juicy marionberries, pomegranate, and tart Bing cherries. Subtle tannins are woven into layers with a tight acidity, to create a rich, elegant and fun wine to drink.
