Luli - Pinot Noir Lemoravo 2022 (750ml)
Price: $41.99
| Producer | Luli |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 202650 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Luli Description
Wine offers expression of people-in-relation rather than selves apart. Luli, the result of a partnership between a master sommelier, a distinguished vineyard manager and an expert winemaker, provides a particularly happy example of the way in which wine creates community, because Luli is itself a collective enterprise. Sommelier, grape-grower, and winemaker, we three approach wine from different angles, but work synergistically to craft exceptional hand-crafted vintages at comfortable prices. We thrive together—and have fun doing so. And why not? The pleasure of wine supplies us with a way to enjoy life. So open a bottle, pour the swirling liquid into a glass, and celebrate, as we do, the bonds between family and friends.
Sara Floyd, our sommelier, owns Swirl Wine Brokers and has a long history finding and distributing delectable wines for restaurants. Mark Pisoni, our grape grower, coaxes the vines to produce top-notch fruit with which Jeff, his brother, crafts outstanding vintages. With Luli, we set out as a team to create a new line of wines from high-quality fruit that is both affordable and top-notch.
Luli wines are sourced from vineyards in or near the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Pisoni family’s home base. Together with Sara, the goal of Jeff and Mark is to illustrate the very best this beautiful wine region has to offer. Accordingly, we purchase grapes from old friends in the area and in this way stay close to the process of farming.
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 2022 vintage was dry and early, which resulted in beautifully fragrant and concentrated wines. Rainfall was low as the California drought continued through this year, further stressing the vines. A warmer than average February began to awaken the vines earlier than expected, and late spring brought on a stretch of cooler temperatures that slowed the growth of the vines and proved essential for tannin and color development. A cool August allowed for phenolic development while sugar accumulation remained very slow. Using past vintages as a guide and wanting to harvest before the hotter weather materialized, we made longer passes through the vineyard each night to ensure all blocks were harvested at our desired moments. This approach paid off and the 2022 vintage has higher than average concentration with vibrant aromatics. THE VINEYARD: The Lemoravo Vineyard is set 400 feet in elevation in the southern hills of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The vineyard is planted among the decomposed granite alluvial fans that make up a series of isolated islands amoung the benchlands. This site places the vineyard in rugged soils and heavy fog. As a tribute to this land’s history, the name is a three-word portmanteau as a tribute to the region’s former crops: Lemons, Oranges and Avocados. THE WINEMAKING: Luli Pinot Noir is made with classic winemaking techniques: Hand-sorting of the fruit, native yeasts for fermentation and production in small lots. The wine was aged in ‘neutral’ French oak barrels and was not fined or filtered. Each barrel from the Lemoravo Vineyard is hand-selected, with only the best barrels being destined for this wine. The resulting balanced wine is a tribute to this vineyard’s success with Pinot Noir. TASTING NOTES: The Lemoravo Vineyard sites at several hundred feet above the valley floor on a sloping hillside in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This Pinot Noir emerges as a testament to the rugged soil and dynamic geography of the Santa Lucia Highlands. In the glass, the wine unveils a profound ruby hue, hinting at greater depth and complexity to come. The bouquet evokes notes of strawberry crème, red cherry, and violets that mingle effortlessly. The palate of the wine is layered with rich tannins and even brighter notes of ripe cranberry, subtle notes of clove and vanilla that softly encapsulate the finish. The 2022 Lemoravo Pinot Noir possesses a seamless finish of texture and acidity
