2023 WALT Sierra Mar Pinot Noir
Critic Review
"It looked like it might be tough to top the 2023 Rosella’s, but the 2023 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar does just that, youthful and juicy with plenty of time to go in bottle. It exudes complexity, offering layers of salty, herbal intensity, especially showy in a high level of sage and chaparral. Enduring elegance and restraint hallmark the beauty of the site in a beautifully cool-climate year, with structure to go another 10-15 years."
95 Points | The Wine Palate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"The 2023 Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir is pale to medium ruby-purple in color. After a swirl or two, it bursts with bold notes of fresh mulberries and black cherries, plus nuances of cedar, cardamom, and lavender. Full-bodied, the palate is dense with black fruit and cedary flavors, supported by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy."
94 Points | Owen Bargreen
"The 2023 ‘Sierra Mar’ Pinot Noir come from this site owned by the Francioni family as the high-elevation site was formerly a cattle ranch. Pisoni clone Pinot Noir is planted here, as this opens with back florals alongside sandy soils. The palate shows loads of mouth-watering acidity with kumquat zest and rose water with shades of menthol."
93 Points | Wine Enthusiast, Tom Kettmann
"A bit brisk on the nose at first, this wine's tangy pomegranate aromas open up toward sagebrush, thyme and peppercorn on the nose. The palate snaps with cranberry and bay leaf flavors."
2023 WALT Sierra Mar Pinot Noir
Central Coast AVA
Roughly 250 miles along the coastline of California
from Santa Barbara County to San Francisco County
Sierra Mar
Translates to “mountain sea” in English, a fitting name
for a site that represents the best of extreme mountain
coastal terroir.
High-Altitude Vineyard
Site with decomposed granite and gravelly loam soils
This wine opens with lifted aromas of dark cherry, muddled raspberry, and pomegranate mingled with crushed sage. The palate is powerful and precise, offering mouthwatering fruit balanced by fresh acidity and structural tension. The finish is persistent and vibrant, leaving a lasting impression of mountain chaparral and a touch of iron minerality.
Dark Cherry
Muddled Raspberry
Pomegranate
Crushed Sage
Sierra Mar vineyard is owned by Gary and Rosella Franscioni, famed pioneers of the Santa Lucia Highlands. This incredible vineyard site reflects the best of the appellation. The vineyard produces rich, lush, unctuous fruit that is balanced by the natural acidity of the site.
