2021 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Tasting Notes
“Dark red hue. Scents of cherry cola, roasted raspberries, and vanilla bean unite in this blend of our finest Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir vineyards. In the background there are some notes of grapefruit and orange-zest which provide an element of freshness. Once on the palate, these qualities continue and are accentuated by dried cherry notes. Fine tannins with incredible depth and richness offer a pleasing experience while the modest acidity maintains a youthful, lively, and refreshing finish. Enjoy now through 2030.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
September 2022
“Very young yet holding nothing back in the way of juicy, very well-defined fruit, Testarossa’s appellation bottling from the Santa Lucia Highlands is a solid and serious Pinot Noir that delivers the goods both on the nose and in its persistent, fruit-focused flavors. It tempts drinking now, and we would be loath to refuse a glass or two tonight, but, given a choice, we would hold off pulling its cork for another few years with absolute faith in its future.”
Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
November 2022
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: 10 months in 100% French Oak, 39% new
Production: 148 barrels
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Acidity: 3.58 pH, 6.45 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.1%
Harvest: Various
Release Price: $55
Drink now through 2030
Past Vintage Wine Scores
“Fresh juicy and crisp, ripe cherry and cassis, smooth, bright and charming.”
Anthony Dias Blue
May 2021
“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
“Earthy nose; lush and ripe with smooth texture and juicy cherry fruit; crisp and long, balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
April 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.