David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

With lunch, this amazing 08 Walter Hansel. Well deserving of a 93 on technical merits but, even a little higher on the pleasure scale.

On the nose, ruby older fruits of; blackberries, dry cranberries, dark cherries, stewed plums, blueberries hues, cooked rhubarb, pomegranate and black raspberries. Vanilla, cinnamon, clove, dark spice, steeped tea, limestone minerals, dry stems, underbrush, hints of black cherry licorice/cola, saddle-wood, touch herbaceous with bright withering red florals.

The drinking window is right around its peak. The body in medium, round and lush. Ruby older fruits of; blackberries, dry cranberries, dark cherries, stewed plums, poached strawberries, blueberries hues, cooked rhubarb, pomegranate and black raspberries. Vanilla, cinnamon, clove, dark spice, steeped tea, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry stems, underbrush, hints of black cherry licorice/cola, saddle-wood, touch herbaceous with bright withering red florals. The acidity is round and like a rain shower. The finish is; beautiful, ripe, lush, elegant well balanced and polished.

Photos of, their amazing vistas and my wife blowing out her candle on their birthday gift from Nepenthe.

@Big Sur Nepenthe — 6 years ago

Thomas Brenner

8.9

America's first Petite Sirah, coming from the Livermore Valley on the San Francisco Bay: Big and bold, yet smooth, with a telltale heart of blue and raven-black berry fruityness and spice. Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven “Livermore.” — 7 years ago

Phil Steer

9.5

Really zesty and fresh. Great wine :) — 7 years ago

Scott Rowe

8.9

$7 a glass!! Adelaide Hills Pinot at a great price. — 8 years ago

with Adam

Delectable Blue

9.2

A very powerful, almost muscular pinot, still needing a lot of bottle time to show its true potential. Savoury in nature. There is an initial taste of sour cherries along with a hint of raspberry and dried date, from there the palate is strongly savoury in nature. Forest floor, roast meat (pork?), cigar box, clove and wet clay all vying for attention. The tannins are very fine, but still a little chewy, especially on the sides of the tongue. The oak still quite evident. The balance seems good, and those savoury flavours linger seemingly forever. A deeply intriguing wine. It’s not the most accessible of wines, but I like it (a lot). Should be an absolute stunner in 5-10 years. — 8 years ago

Tom Wood

8.9

Needs to be served around the 10-12° mark. Apricots, honey, white pepper, slight vegetal notes, slightly floral and nectarines. A little richer than expected — 8 years ago

Tom Wood

9.2

Great sugar / acid balance. Nose sends down some serious lemon curd, marmalade, honeysuckle, syrupy lemon, lime and bitters, concentrated bickfords lime cordial. Lengthy finish, great way to finish the night — 9 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.2

Oh Lordy, a few of these will be our go to spicy dinner drinkers.
Ticks all the boxes for our palates. — 9 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 6 years ago

Tom Wood

8.9

Blackberry jam, smoky spice, vanilla and black cherries. Great intensity of aromas, drank a little warm — 9 years ago

Sam Coturri

Winery Sixteen 600, Enterprise Vineyards and the Moon Mountain District

9.3

Pairs well with expansive Big Sur views and red meat #nepenthe #smalicewedding #honeymoonwine — 9 years ago

Gretchen Rogers

9.2

Winter Strawberry Compote meets the mushroom forest floor of Big Sur. When sitting next to Gary Franscioni at Nepenthe at one of the best tables in the restaurant.... You buy another bottle to sit longer and take in view and watch the fog roll in! — 6 years ago

Paul Dugar

9.3

Yellow green straw in appearance. Floral oak on the nose. Apricot stone fruits on the palate. Wow, this is good stuff. — 7 years ago

Lisa McCosker

9.0

Lightly bittered, pepper and fruity — 7 years ago

with Marnie

Scott Rowe

9.3

Best 'Other' white in show #AHWS2016 — 8 years ago

Scott Rowe

8.9

A pretty sparkling, not a lot going on but easy going and well balanced. — 8 years ago

Eric

9.4

I have zero experience with aged whites bit I have to say I really liked this. Great Carmel color. Peaches, vanilla, butterscotch. No oak. Makes me want to drink more white. — 8 years ago

Ryan McReynolds

9.6

Enjoyed at Nepenthe after a week of tasting in the Sierras, Napa, and Sonoma. A very appropriate punctuation mark; still the benchmark disparate corners of the wine world seemingly can agree on. It's classic, timeless California in a bottle. — 8 years ago

Marie Ringel

10

Really amazing Pinot noir!!! Ben and I had a bottle in big sur with dinner at nepenthe- really flavorful and yet light Pinot, would totally buy again if we could find it! — 9 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.1

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. If it smells like liquorice and tastes like liquorice what is it? — 9 years ago