2017 Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay

I loved the 2017 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands, which comes from top sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands and was fermented and aged all in barrel. This beauty has textbook notes of pear and orchard fruits, lots of honeysuckle and white flowers, medium body, and a rounded yet vibrant texture. With terrific purity of fruit as well as balance, it’s an incredibly high-quality Chardonnay that more than over-delivers at the price. Buy some. (6/2019)

The 2017 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands has a quince, apricot and white peach-scented nose with notes of baker’s yeast, crushed stone and a unique laurel leaf nuance. Light to medium-bodied with concentrated honeyed stone fruits, it has juicy acidity to carry the flavorful finish. 2,419 cases produced. Luli is a collaboration between the Pisoni family and Master Sommelier Sara Floyd. "We are already set up to make fine wines here," says Bibiana González Rave, the talented winemaker from Colombia who is married to Jeff Pisoni. 'In Sonoma, every year the price of fruit is so much more expensive. If you really want the best quality, the price will be higher. Mark and Jeff are really fortunate to own and farm a lot of land themselves. This allows Luli to overdeliver. We know these farmers really well. The grapes are hand-farmed, hand-harvested and sorted; it's rare to see small-production wines like these at this price point.' Mark Pisoni agrees, adding that 'people are priced out, and they end up buying mass-produced grocery store wines, and that doesn't turn them on to wine. Instead of putting that money into marketing, we put it into the wines and into better vineyards.' (2/2020)

Brilliant yellow. Aromas of fresh peach and honeydew melon are given urgency by hints of chalky minerals and lemon pith. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering pliant melon and pit fruit flavors that slowly tighten up on the back half. Finishes silky and long, with a discreet floral note hanging on. (JR) (11/2019)