In the Glass, 6 June 2025

Pinots and Syrahs from Sonoma and the SLH

I recently was able to join a Zoom chat with Bibiana Gonzales Rave, owner and winemaker of Cattleya wines, and her husband, Jeff Pisoni, winemaker of Lucia by Pisoni. Jeff’s brother Mark, who handles the viticulture side of the family business in the Santa Lucia Highlands, joined in from the vineyard. We were tasting and discussing Pinot Noirs and Syrahs from the two labels. The Syrahs were both from 2022, a warm, early vintage that required good hustle and logistics to pull off, while the Pinots were all 2023s, a longer, cooler season that required patience and some fruit-thinning, per Jeff’s description.

Here are my notes on the wines:

Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2023. Photo from the winery website.

Alma de Cattleya Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2023 - $35 - Very nice, bright fruit and acidity and energy, good value for the price. Raspberry, boysenberry and cherry flavor, spicy. A lot of Russian River Valley fruit here. 14.0% abv. (Link).

Lucia by Pisoni Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée 2023 Santa Lucia Highlands. $55 The print on the label is too small to read the abv, but I think it looks like 14.2%. Tart cherry and boysenberry flavors, nice acidity, good depth. This is delicious pinot that represents its region quite well. Kudos!

Lucia by Pisoni Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 2023 Santa Lucia Highlands. $80. Plum, cherry, deeper fruit than the Estate Cuvée, riper, rounder and sweeter in flavor, a bit brown sugar on the finish. Sappy and savory. The character is similar to the Estate Cuvée but bigger, with a sense of sweetness on the palate (not necessarily sugar, just ripeness).

Cattleya Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023, $65. - Rich, a bit menthol, dark cherry. Similar in style to the Alma, but more so - more heft, depth and complexity. 300-500 cases. I prefer the Alma, though, as it is lighter and more energetic.

Cattleya The Initiation Syrah 2022 Santa Lucia Highlands. $70. Rich, plush, with the expected flavor of smoked meat from Syrah. This wine was lively and developed beautifully after an hour or two from being opened, and showed well for two and three days. Will benefit from aging for 2-3 years and good for several more.

Lucia by Pisoni Syrah 2022 Susan's Hill. $80. 14.1% abv. Big and bold flavored, with dark fruit and tannic structure. When first opened, it has a plush texture; the next night, the tannin seemed more pronounced. Still, this will appeal to fans of big California wines and will pair well with grilled steaks.