2022 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Tasting Notes
“Deep red hue. Scents of cherry cola, orange-zest, roasted strawberry, anise, and sage offer an enchanting start. The flavor profile mimics the aromas and flows into a plush and soft mouthfeel. This Pinot Noir blend finishes with velvety texture and a refreshing persistence. Enjoy now through 2030.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
December 2023
“Fruity and succulent pinot with red berries, blueberries, spices and herbs on the nose. Mellow and delicious on the palate with a medium body and glossy, silky tannins. Supple finish. Drink now.”
JamesSuckling.com
April 2024
Production Data
Growers: Various
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Viticulture Practice: Sourced from Certified Sustainable vineyards
Vinification: Destemmed, fermented in Stainless steel
Cooperage & Ageing: 13 months in French oak, 41% new
Production: 125 barrels
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Acidity: 3.71 pH, 6.46 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.1%
Harvest: September 9 – 16, 2022, hand harvested
Wine Release: January 2024
Release Price: $57
Drink now through 2030
Past Vintage Wine Scores
“Notes of ripe strawberries and cherries with spicy herbs, hibiscus and crushed rocks. Medium- to full-bodied, tense and concentrated with red fruit character and savory juiciness. Bright finish. Drink or hold.”
JamesSuckling.com
May 2023
“Fresh juicy and crisp, ripe cherry and cassis, smooth, bright and charming.”
Anthony Dias Blue
May 2021
“Muddy clay and foggy fennelfrond aromas met with wild, dark and dry berries on the nose of this solid appellation blend. The palate begins on the ripe front, showing berry and cherry before the sagebrush and menthol character comes through.”
Matt Kettmann
Wine Enthusiast
“Light ruby-red. Bright and energetic on the nose, displaying fresh red fruit and floral scents and a spicy top note that builds with aeration. In a lively, penetrating style, offering appealingly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and a touch of vanilla. A smoky nuance appears on the long, subtly tannic finish, which leaves sappy red fruit, mocha and allspice notes behind. 36% new French oak.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
May 2022
“Ripe cherry nose, bright, crisp, fresh and juicy; sweet red cherry fruit and snappy acidity, tangy, silky and amiable, long and balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
April 2020
“Limpid ruby-red. Fresh cherry, black raspberry and a hint of mocha on the fragrant, spice-tinged nose. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering gently sweet red and dark berry flavors sharpened by peppery spice and cola nuances. Shows very good energy and seamless texture on the gently tannic finish, which clings with tenacity and lingering spiciness.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
October 2020
“Earthy nose; lush and ripe with smooth texture and juicy cherry fruit; crisp and long, balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
April 2019
“Bright red. Spice-accented aromas of fresh red fruits, pungent flowers and blood orange carry a smoky mineral topnote. Silky and expansive in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet strawberry and cherry liqueur, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that deepen slowly on the back half. Delivers a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes very long and silky, with repeating florality and subtle, slow-building tannins.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
November 2019
“Lush, juicy and bright with tangy cherry and raspberry fruit; smooth, juicy and balanced, long and stylish.”
Anthony Dias Blue
June 2018
“Deep red. Smoke-tinged red berries and cherry cola on the perfumed nose. Pliant and seamless in the mouth, offering sappy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors complemented by vanilla and allspice flourishes. Silky and open-knit, offering an appealing interplay of richness and vivacity. Smooth tannins frame the nicely persistent finish, which leaves sweet mocha and cherry preserve notes behind.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
November 2017
“Complex and generous, offering a mix of smoky currant, blueberry and wild berry flavors, with baking spice aromas and fine-grained tannins. There’s much to be admired in this effort. Drink now. 2,400 cases made.”
JL
Wine Spectator
“Fresh and vibrant, with a rich mix of mineral, red and dark berry, plum and raspberry most evident. Reveals depth and persistence on the finish, showing fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2021. 1,320 cases made.”
JL
Wine Spectator
“This new line from the well-regarded Testarossa Winery is a barrel selection emphasizing richness. The wine floods the mouth with succulent raspberries and cherries, with tarter notes of cranberries and red licorice. Earthiness provides extra complexity, and it could age well through 2020.”
Wine Enthusiast
“Kicking off the Pinot Noirs from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Monterey County, the 2011 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is a knockout AVA blend. Showing a darker fruit slant, with plenty of currants, blackberry, toasted spice and earth, it’s beautifully rich and balanced on the palate, with clean acidity and ripe tannin. It’s loaded with character and should drink nicely through 2019. Drink now-2019.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2013
Santa Lucia Highlands
Working closely with the top vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands’ appellation, Testarossa has produced yet another distinctive vintage of this highly anticipated Pinot Noir. The Highlands is one of the state’s best known regions for world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The area’s close proximity to Monterey Bay makes for a very cool climate, with one of California’s longest growing seasons. The resulting slow, gentle ripening allows for full flavor development on the vine. Testarossa’s production team’s partnership with the best estates in the Santa Lucia Highlands ensure only the highest quality fruit makes it to the winery.