This single vineyard Pinot Noir was planted in 2008 by Gary Francioni and Gary Pisoni on a joint vineyard.
Just south of Gary's Vineyard, on gentle slopes dotted with windswept oaks, lies Soberanes Vineyard. Named for a local government donation of nearly 9,000 acres in the late 18th century for 100 cattle. A partnership between Gary Francioni and Gary Pisoni, the vineyard was planted in 2008 with rows oriented due north. Gary's Vineyard leans 10 degrees north to west, while this vineyard faces due north. Mornings are shrouded in fog, and afternoons see gentle breezes off the bay that keep the vines cool, even when the sun is shining.
The flavor is characterized by fresh berries, leather and herbs. Earthy nuances spread against the rich flavor of freshly picked ripe red cherries and blackberries.
Gary and Rosella Franscioni, the third generation of a century-old farm family who grew potatoes and beans, realized the potential of the Santa Lucia Highlands as a grape growing region and began cultivating Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 1996. Their old friend and neighbor, Gary Pisoni, gave them some of his Pisoni clones, and their high-quality grapes were purchased by luxury wineries such as Testarossa and Costa Brown. The first VTG in 2001 was highly acclaimed, and when Ed Kurtzman took over the winemaking in 2007, the wine's popularity increased and it became difficult to obtain even in the United States.
Although Roa Wines is a winery that has received high praise from wine rating agencies, it is family-run and not particularly large. The two sons, Adam and Nick, grew up watching their parents sincerely working with the land, and each of them supports the winery as the vineyard manager and the winemaker, respectively. Currently, Roa produces wine from grapes from five vineyards, including one jointly owned with Gary Pisoni, in addition to their own vineyards, and Scott Shapely is in charge of winemaking. Shapely has experience working as a winemaker at Siduri and joined the family in 2012, when Roa was selected as one of Wine Spectator's "TOP 100". The Francioni family continues to run the winery as a family, and the entire family discusses everything from vineyard management to blending, but the final decision seems to be made by Rosella.
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