After a tasting at Artisan Wine Depot, we were shopping the pinot noir aisle.  On a whim we picked up a bottle of Luli 2012 pinot noir.  We were very lucky. Luli wines are welcome additions to the fine pinot noir category.
Luli Pinot Noir 2012 (Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California). Bought at Artisan February 12, 2014. Aromas of sweet cherries, rose petals and leather. Black cherry palate with a hint of licorice. Long finish with silky tannins. A bargain at $20. The winemaker is Jeff Pisoni.
So who are the geniuses behind Luli? Â Well, the winemaker is Jeff Pisoni. Â That last name should tell you a lot about Luli’s credentials.
From the company’s website:
We live wine. We are a master sommelier, grapegrowers and winemakers. Our partnership—Sara Floyd and the Pisoni Family—came together from different aspects of the wine business. Sara is a Master Sommelier, the owner of Swirl Wine Brokers and has a long history in wine and restaurants. The Pisoni Family is known for its eponymous vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands and for Pisoni Estate and Lucia wines. Deciding that we would make a great team and noting the shortage of handcrafted wines at reasonable prices, we set out to create a new line of wines that you would love, at prices you can afford. We seek high quality fruit and craft exceptional wines.
The Luli wines are made from vineyards in or near the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our goal is to showcase the beauty of our region with wines of consistent quality. We source and purchase grapes from lifelong friends in the area, and are therefore able to maintain a close eye on the farming. The wine production, aging and bottling are done entirely at our own winery.
Highly recommended.
