Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Gary and Rosella Franscioni started ROAR Wines with the knowledge that Pinot Noir had a shining future in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and a dream that their farming know-how would translate amazing grapes into amazing wines. Rosella’s Vineyard was planted on their home ranch in 1996, followed by Garys’ Vineyard in 1997 in partnership with the Pisoni family. The first vintage of ROAR was released in 2001, made from these two vineyards. From the beginning, Gary and Rosella’s mission was to make wines that they themselves would love to drink. Their approach was met with critical recognition almost immediately. Two more beautiful vineyards were planted about a decade later: Sierra Mar and Soberanes. Today, Gary and his sons continue to improve and innovate in the vineyards and winery to produce the best quality their land can create.

During harvest, the grapes travel a short distance from the vineyards to our winery in Monterey County. We recently moved into a new facility, built for our size and workflow. Here, winery manager Nick Franscioni and winemaker Scott Shapley use craft to guide the grape clusters to the finished wine in the bottle. It’s easier said than done to create a consistent product that authentically showcases each vineyard from one vintage to the next.

2017 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Fruit-driven and wrapped in leather and sagebrush, this blend melds elements from all the vineyards. This approachable Pinot integrates the best of north and south within the Santa Lucia Highlands.