2021 Lucy Pico Blanco

THE PLACE: Pico Blanco is Monterey. Fruit is sourced from two viticultural areas within the county: the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco. The result is a wine with great representation of Monterey climate and geology. Climate for the county is predominately influenced by the famous Monterey Bay. The Monterey Bay is a large funnel, sending prevailing ocean breezes into the regions. This brings cool fog and air throughout the growing season.

The Santa Lucia Highlands get the brunt of this wind, and also provide beautiful east-sloping hillsides for the vines. The soils of the Santa Lucia Highlands are decomposed granite—a rare find in coastal California that was brought here when part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range was sheared off and then sent northward by the San Andreas Fault activity.

Arroyo Seco sits almost dead center between the parallel Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges that funnel wind through the Salinas Valley, thus bringing intense winds and fog. The geology represents an ancient riverbed with layers of deposited boulders and gravelly loam soil, which Pico Blanco conveys.

WINEMAKING: Pico Blanco represents an early time of Monterey County grapegrowing when the region was originally recognized as a place for cool-climate grape varieties. With the historical significance and traditional style of winemaking that the Pisoni Family prefers, purity and complexity continues to be the focus. Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are hand-sorted and carefully pressed to moderate the extraction and flavor derived from the grape skins. 100% neutral barrels are used for fermentation to obtain purity of fruit and gain texture. Fermentation is carried out only by native yeast to uphold our philosophy of winemaking and also strive for the most complex flavors and fermentation. This wine was bottled without any fining.

TASTING NOTES: The newest member of the Lucy family, the 2021 Pico Blanco flaunts its youth as its pale gold complexion shimmers in the glass. Not to be outdone by its appearances alone, this carefully craft blend of 70% Pinot Gris and 30% Pinot Blanc sports a stunning mélange of vibrant aromatics. Red apple, Meyer lemon, and white peach pair with more delicate notes of honeysuckle and a chalky minerality that transports the senses to the limestone slopes of the famed peak. Unmistakable energy in the form of lime, lemon tart, and crunchy acidity meld with supple, rounded flavors of nectarine, ripe stonefruits, and almond skin. Careful management of oxygen before and during fermentation and 100% neutral French oak barrel aging has created a refreshing example of a blend seldom seen in Monterey County, but one that promises to have a very bright future.

The Pisoni Family has always been committed to making exceptional wines, and Lucy allows them to combine this passion with philanthropy. The Pisoni family donates one dollar of each bottle of Pico Blanco sold to ocean conservancy efforts.