By Bernardus
Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015

The Vineyard
Sierra Mar is a superb vineyard planted by the renowned grower Gary Franscioni on a dramatic hilltop location at the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands. We at Bernardus are honored to be among the few to receive both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from this SLH superstar. We have chosen two from among the several clones of Pinot Noir planted here: the celebrated Pisoni clone and Dijon clone 828. At Bernardus, we use only hand-picked and hand-sorted grapes for our wines.

Production Notes
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands.
Fermentation: All our Pinots are destemmed and gently pumped into small fermenters retaining a maximum of whole berries. Each vat is inoculated with specially selected yeasts and hand punched or pumped over twice daily throughout fermentation. Once primary fermentation is complete, we gently press the solids and add this to the free run wine. It is then barrel aged for 10 months before the final blend is made for bottling.
Cooperage: 100% French: Sirugue and Billon, about 40% new
Bottling: August, 2016
Cases Produced: 789 - 6/packs (750 ml)
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

Bernardus 2015 Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Points: 93
Designation: Sierra Mar Vineyard
Variety: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands, Central Coast, California, US
Winery: Bernardus
Alcohol: 14.2%
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Category: Red
Date Published: 11/1/2017
Dark red cherry, crushed carnations, rose petals and a hint of nutmeg spice show on the nose of this bottling from an increasingly famous vineyard in this region. The palate's rich expression combines black plum, clove, red-cherry and mace flavors, bolstered by fresh acidity.

2015 Bernardus Pinot Noir Sierra Mar
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands
Rating: 90
Color: Red
Maturity: Mature
Type: Table
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Pinot Noir
Drink Date: 2017 - 2020
Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Issue Date: 31st Oct 2017
Source: 233, The Wine Advocate
The 2015 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar has a lovely perfume of rose hip tea and potpourri over a core of pomegranate and black raspberries with a touch of baking spices. Medium-bodied, finely textured and refreshing in the mouth, it has just enough perfumed fruit and a touch of dried herbs on the finish.

2015 Bernardus Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard
Rating: 89
Producer: Bernardus
Location: USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands
Color: Red
Tasting Date: 10/31/2017
Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck
Source: California, Santa Lucia Highlands: New Releases
The medium ruby-colored 2015 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard is another spicy, complex, elegant wine from this estate. Bing cherries, mulberries, cedary spice and dried flower notes all give way to a medium-bodied, supple, beautifully textured red that's going to impress for upwards of a decade.

BERNARDUS Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sierra Mar Vineyard 2015
Score: 88
Country: United States
Region: Bay Area/Central Coast
Issue: Web Only - 2017
An elegant, medium-bodied effort, moderately rich and spicy, with zesty red and dark berry flavors framed by fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2021. -JL