Red Wine by Bernardus from Central Coast, California. Gary Pisoni is the iconic grower whose Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir has brought worldwide attention to the Santa Lucia Highlands. Planted with renowned Pisoni clone, this unique vineyard produces amazing Pinots which can rival the best red Burgundies. We are particularly honored to be among the select few to receive fruit from Gary Pisoni. All our grapes are hand picked and sorted at the winery for maximum quality. They are destemmed and gently pumped into small fermenters, each with a different yeast, and hand punched two to three times each day in order to extract every bit of flavor. Once fermentation and pressing were complete, the wines are aged in French oak barrels for ten months before final blending and bottling. 2011 was mild to cool throughout the ripening season providing us with an elegant rendition of this fabulous vineyard. The robe is a beautiful crimson-red. Aromas show bright notes of red cherry and cranberry along with hints of spice. The flavors are full of juicy red fruits, along with spicy notes. With its crisp acidity and tannic structure, this is reminiscent of a great Burgundy and will age beautifully for many years in a proper cellar.