2015 Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 750 ml

Return of a Favorite California Pinot

It’s been two years since we offered a Bernardus Pinot Noir from Sierra Mar, one of the prime growing sites for Pinot in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Winemaker Dean De Korth’s bottlings have an army of loyal fans, and we are thrilled to secure an allocation of this 2015 Bernardus Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Santa Lucia Highlands. This full-throttle gem earned 93 points from Wine Enthusiast for its “rich expression” of Pinot Noir, which shows “black plum, clove,” and “fresh acidity.”   

When Dean De Korth first laid eyes on Gary Franscioni’s panoramic 44-acre Sierra Mar site high in the cool Santa Lucia Highlands, he knew he’d struck paydirt. Remote and forbidding to all save the longhorn cattle that once grazed there, Sierra Mar is the most “extreme” vineyard development project ever attempted on the breezy slopes of Santa Lucia Highlands. A blustery marine-climate blankets vines in morning fog, while remaining relatively cool by the time the sun burns through, courtesy of the winds off the Monterey Bay. The soils are poor, and Franscioni’s farming protocol, as always, suggests a passionate gardener’s rigor more than routine vineyard management.

Sierra Mar is planted with two Pinot Noir clones: the celebrated “Pisoni Clone,” and Dijon clone 828. In the excellent 2015 vintage, De Korth ordered the hand-picked and sorted grapes to be destemmed, placed into small fermenters, keeping as many berries whole as possible. After fermentation, the Pinot spent 10 months in 40 percent new Sirigue and Billon French oak barrels, which delivers a bright ruby, full-throttle Pinot that shows tons of savory herbs and deep chocolate and coffee notes.

This wine hails from what Wine Enthusiast calls an “increasingly famous vineyard” in the region, and we are thrilled that it is back online for our Wine Access friends. In 2015, the foggy, marine-influenced site produced a bright Pinot Noir, flush with black cherry and raspberry, and as one 5-star review put it: “Great big flavor, lovely lasting finish. Let this one open for at least an hour before drinking!”