#76 Top 100 USA by James Suckling (2025 edition - 2023 vintage)
95-Points by Vinous.
The 2022 Syrah Susan's Hill hails from a small block in the Pisoni Estate Vineyard. It's another tightly wound Syrah with a truckload of muscle. Brilliant cocoa-like density grabs ahold of the palate from the first sip, taking charge and never letting go. A raging river of black cherry, mocha, black sage and espresso rushes out of the glass, framed by noticeable markers of spicy oak (22 months in foudre). The chalky tannins here are just so intense. Patience is absolutely required but will be handsomely rewarded.
 
95-Points by Jeb Dunnuck.
Reminding me of terrific Saint Joseph, the 2022 Syrah Susan's Hill is all varietal from a single block in the Pisoni Vineyard. It was fermented with 80% stems and spent 22 months in foudre. This deep purple-hued beauty offers a tight, inward, concentrated style as well as beautiful cassis and blue fruits, some classic bacon fat, violets, and gamey, peppery nuances, building tannins, and a beautiful mid-palate. It needs a solid 2-4 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully through 2037. It's a gorgeous Syrah.
 
Jeff Pisoni Notes: "If there is a wine that exemplifies mountain-grown vineyards, it is the Susan’s Hill Syrah. This block of grapevines is perched on a high ridgetop at Pisoni Vineyards. The 1,300-foot elevation, wind-swept conditions and rugged soil delivers a wine of intense and opaque purple color. The complex aroma is an assembly of muddled black berries, stony minerality and cracked pepper. Elegant notes of violets emit from the glass with additional swirling and air. The palate possesses staggering depth and power, in large part because the minimal yields of one- point-five tons per acre. Seventy five percent whole cluster and native fermentation further capture this site and build complexity. To soften the tannins while maintaining the aromatic intensity, this wine is aged in a large foudre for nearly two years before bottling.“
 
the Vineyard
Susan’s Hill, named for Gary’s sister Susan, is a special block within Pisoni Vineyards. Planted in 2001, this block sits on a rocky outcrop and crowns one of the vineyard’s highest ridges. Its peak is exposed to the elements and buffeted by heavy winds. The coarse, rocky soils ensure that the vines are extremely stressed, resulting in wines that are dark in color and very intense.
 
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.