2007 Pey-Lucia "Frisquet" Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
• Superb, mature site in one of California's most respected Pinot Noir AVA's, situated next door to "Rosella's" Vineyard
• Meticulous viticultural practices; superb clones, sustainably farmed, low yields, twice hand-sorted clusters
• Modest new French oak (35%) and bright acidity expresses sense of place and purity of noble Pinot Noir grape
• Only thirteen barrels (320 cases) were bottled in January 2009
Price: $39/bottle
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• Awards & Accolades•
2007 Vintage
94 points - OUTSTANDING
"Medium-deep ruby color; rich, deep and complex black cherry, smoky, savory spice aromas, deep, very complex black cherry and earthy flavors with smoky notes; silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Intense and nuanced at the same time, this Pinot just gets better and better in the glass. Perfect for grilled meats."
- PinotReport.com
Excellent Quality
"There's lots to like about this wine, but it's the rich, spicy fruit finish that claims our attention. This dark ruby red beauty shows pure dark red berries, earth and vanilla spice on the nose. There's a soft, lush attack of sweet fruit with distinct vanilla and loam earth notes. Excellent Quality."
– Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Review, December 2009
High-quality and worth your attention
"A pretty nose that is elegant and the fruit is high-toned and airy with a touch of earth as well. The refinement continues onto the fresh and energetic medium-bodied flavors that are delicious and also possess a seductive and round mouthfeel. Certainly an attractive effort. High-quality and worth your attention."
– BurgHound.com
2006 Vintage
OUTSTANDING. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
"Deep, saturated red. Sexy red and dark berry aromas are complemented by Asian spices, dried rose and musky underbrush. Fleshy and sweet, offering juicy raspberry and black raspberry flavors and a late note of bitter chocolate. A weighty, velvety style, with plenty of ripeness as well as clarity."
– Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"Jonathan and Susan Pey named this wine Frisquet, which is French for "very cool," referring to the vineyard's cool climate location. The 34-year-old vineyard borders highly regarded Rosella's Vineyard and can have a 30 degree variation in daily temperatures. Bright, lively and engaging on the nose with a generous palate; blackberry, cherry and spice plus warm oak closes the sale. Elegance and persistence on the tart-edged finish."
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San Francisco Chronicle
"Rich, sumptuous nose of black cherries and rose petals. Hi-toned black raspberry fruit which fills the mouth and coats the tongue. Almost viscous in texture, with very fine tannins and balanced acidity on the back end. Earth and grilled meat notes add interest."
- PinotFile
"The Pey-Lucia "Frisquet" Pinot Noir is supple with pretty cherry and spice flavors. I like the 2006...it's more structured with higher acidity, so should age well."
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Laurie Daniel, San Jose Mercury News
"Deep reddish-purple color. Rich, sumptuous nose of black cherries and rose petals. Hi-toned black raspberry fruit which fills the mouth and coats the tongue. Almost viscous in texture, yet light in weight, with very fine tannins and balanced acidity on the back end. Earth and grilled meat notes add interest."
- www.PinotFile.com
OUTSTANDING. 94 POINTS
"...rich black cherry, earthy, savory and silky, full of flavor. This is a terrific Pinot, well worthy of your attention."
- PinotReport
HIGH-QUALITY, RECOMMENDED.
"Worth your attention. A fresh, expressive and high-toned nose of red raspberry and cranberry aromas precedes medium weight flavors that possess good mid-palate concentration and fine detail that continues onto the delicious, long, warm finish."
- www.burghound.com
"Intensely flavored, full bodied, crisp, and lightly tannic; a Pinot Noir with ripe fruit (plum, red currant), toast, sage, and spicy oak aromas/flavors and a long finish."
- Restaurant Wine, Ronn Weigand, Master of Wine/Master Sommelier
• Vintage 2007•
January & February were very cold and heavy March precipitation filled the aquifer nicely. Spring weather was wet but by flowering the sun had arrived and led to good cluster development. Veraison was a bit late, signaling a late harvest, but a brief heat spell in July brought timing to "normal" and the vintage ended in October with average yields of delicious fruit.
• Vineyard •
Pey-Lucia "Frisquet" Pinot Noir comes from an ideally situated site in the higher elevations of the Santa Lucia Highlands. While vines were first planted in the region in the 1790's, most of the appellations development came in the 1970's. Located at the northern end of the appellation, the vineyard was originally planted in 1974, borders the Rosella Vineyard, and is just north of Gary's Vineyard. Shallow, nutrient-poor soils are full of sandstone (Arroyo Seco Sandy Loam) which provides excellent drainage despite low winter rainfall (<10"/year). This cold climate is known has one of the longest growing seasons in the state and a typical day will see temperature swings of over 30°F. Prevailing coastal winds blow in like clockwork around 3 PM from the nearby Pacific and keep the site very cool ("Frisquet" in French) - perfect for our high-quality Pinot Noir.
Sustainable farming plays an important role in our winegrowing. Drip irrigation, diverse cover crops, Integrated Pest Management and other practices contribute to the development of a well-balanced vine, soil and vineyard.
The Pommard clone, originally brought into the US in the 1940's from Burgundy's Château de Pommard makes up half of our cuvée and is renowned for its excellent color, intense fruit and superlative spice elements. The balance of "Frisquet" comes from the Wädenswil clone, much celebrated in Oregon and which showcases impressive perfume and finesse. Together their collaboration exceeds the sum of their parts.
• Winemaking •
Our modus operandi calls for very gentle handling from vineyard to bottle. Clusters were hand-harvested, hand-sorted, destemmed & crushed (25% whole berry) on October 9 and "cold soaked" for 2 days in small open-top fermenters. Fermentation began naturally with native yeasts and followed by Burgundian yeast. Warm fermentation (90° F) and daily punchdowns helped build structure and texture. No pump-overs. On Day 8 we gently pressed our still-fermenting juice into small French oak barriques where it slowly completed primary and secondary fermentations. French barrel cooperage (35% new) included the renowned Cadus & Remond. Fourteen months maturation (zero racking, zero fining) and extensive "sur lie" stirring contributed exotic spiciness and wonderful mouth-feel.
• Wine Facts •
Regional Composition: Santa Lucia Highlands AVA – 100%
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir (50% Pommard, 50% Wädenswil)
pH: 3.50
TA: 0.61 g/100mL
Alcohol: 14.0%
RS: Dry
Total Production: 13 barrels (320 cases)
Fact Sheet
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