Lucia by Pisoni Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands

Garys' Vineyard sits on a sloping hillside at the centre of the Santa Lucia Highlands, a joint venture between two of the appellation's founding growers and named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most famous vineyards in California. Where the Estate Cuvée blends three sites, this is the sound of one - fifty acres of Pinot Noir, planted in 1997 and farmed by the Pisonis, bottled alone. Hand-picked, fermented with native yeast and a touch of whole cluster, then aged in French oak under winemaker Jeff Pisoni. Sitting in open valley, Garys' takes the appellation's daily weather full-on: overnight fog off Monterey Bay holding the cold and the acidity in, then a hard afternoon wind that slows ripening and thickens the skins. That long, cool hang is what gives this wine its depth without sacrificing freshness - concentration and lift in the same glass. Expect black cherry, crushed strawberry and sandalwood, with cedar, clove and sage adding savoury complexity and a wash of toasted vanilla from the oak. Structured when young, it softens into something elegant and silky with air. Serve lightly cool, 14-16°C.