97-Points by Jeb Dunnuck.
Very limited, Highly Allocated!
The 2022 Pinot Noir is gorgeous, and a match for any number of Grand Cru Red Burgundies, which is certainly what it brings to mind when tasting it. Sporting a deeper ruby/garnet hue as well as a stunning nose of black raspberries, darker strawberries, spring flowers, and baking spices, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Coming from a challenging year that saw a significant Labor Day heatwave, this nevertheless does everything right. I love it today, yet it will evolve gracefully over the coming 10-15 years. Very limited!
 
97-Points by The Wine Independent
The 2022 Pinot Noir Pisoni Estate is the flagship Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands' most famous name. Medium ruby-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with fragrant notes of violets, star anise, and roses leading to a core of wild blueberries and ripe plums plus a hint of black pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and multi-layered, with black and blue fruit supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
 
Jeff Pisoni notes: “The Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir is comprised of vineyard blocks from the several different ridges and soil types at Pisoni Vineyards. The highly complex terrain and older vines create a wildly complex and beautiful expression of Pinot Noir. The early season of 2022 brought phenolic development early, which resulted in wonderfully pure and rich aromatics followed by excellent tannin structure. Deep purple, this wine leaps from the glass with aromas of violets, spiced plum, lavender, crushed strawberry, and rose petal. The texture is equally impressive with rich layers of gentle tannins. On the palate one gains a sense of power from the wine, with evolving richness, and the integration of carefully selected French Oak barrels. After hand-picking, sorting, and native fermentation, this wine is aged in the barrel without racking or moving for 10 months. Bottling is then carried out carefully and without fining or filtration to obtain the most exquisite Pinot Noir.”
 
Pisoni Estate is the eponymous Pinot Noir made by the Pisoni Family and sourced from their Pisoni Vineyard. The site was founded and first planted by Gary Pisoni in 1982. His sons have since taken over the family business with Mark as vineyard manager and Jeff the winemaker. To the Pisoni’s, viticulture and winemaking must be seen as a whole, rather than as separate parts. This is essential to producing the best wine possible. The goal of Pisoni Estate is to create a great wine that represents this vineyard, a commitment to the land, and the passion of their family.
The Pisoni family approaches winemaking as an art, a science, and a craft. As such, from planting to pruning to harvesting, they work by hand, in accordance both with Burgundian tradition and their own ongoing understanding of what will best sustain this land they love and respect.
Successful wine is the result of holistic thinking and a synergy of parts. Vineyard manager Mark and vintner Jeff, his brother, work in close collaboration to pass on their father Gary’s vision. Just as Mark approaches growing and harvesting in the vineyards block-by-block, Jeff vinifies in small lots, hand-sorting grapes, observing, tasting, and testing them as they undergo native yeast fermentation, and supervising punch-down by hand. Their wine is the product of their joint sustained and meticulous attention.