Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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The Roaring Wind - part three
Our next-day plan, before the drive home from our hotel in Soledad, was to get some pictures with which to show others our favorite spots in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This proved just about impossible, for despite the fact that all the properties have some entree via the same north-south road, virtually none have any kind of identifying sign.
Denise drove us to the extreme south end of the appellation and then we headed north. After frequent stops, side-trips and searches through remarkably unhelpful maps, we concluded that we might be near either the Rosella's or the Garys' vineyard (so named Because it is owned jointly by Gary Pisoni and Gray Franscioni). We pulled the car over to ask directions of a couple who were walking a pug. The couple turned out to by Rosella and Gary Franscioni!
I have met both previously and proudly sell their Roar Winery Pinots (named for the sound of the wind through their vineyards), but Rosella, Gary and Denise are good buddies. Before we had time to ask directions or even finish our first sentence, Gary had us heading for his four-wheel drive truck and Rosella was off to arrange wine and food!
Gary gave us a forty-five minute SLH tour, pointing out the principal vineyards, then shepherding us up and down what seemed to be "fire roads" to look over the newest Franscioni plantings. We saw a series of ever more lovely views, as the new vineyards are so high up that two miles of piping and three pumping stations were needed just to bring water to the site.
Rosella met us in the family cellar with a splendid lunch, and the four of us shared three terrific SLH Pinots, all connected with the couple's stewardship. The 2005 Roar bottling from Gary Pisoni's grapes was truly brilliant, while A.P. Vin's 2005 Rosella's bottling was wonderfully elegant. Margarite Ryan's 2004 Garys' was no less exciting. We made our goodbyes and left happy, well fed and better informed. Although we got home to the Bay Area late, we were full of gratitude toward the pet pug.