Today we share the brilliant wines of Adam Lee and Clarice Wine Company. Adam Lee has been making Pinot Noir for 25 years from Oregon to the Santa Rita Hills. A unique winery project, Clarice Wine Company has a membership of over 600 people. As part of their community members have the chance to interact with each other, sharing wine opinions and wine list guidance, as well as recommendations for wine travel, restaurants, hotels, events and more.
Lee caught the wine bug while in Texas working in wine sales in the 1990s. Fast forward to 1994 he and his wife founded Siduri which became one of the state’s top producers of Pinot Noir. Their brand grew from 107 cases in 1994 to 25,000 cases in 2015 when they sold to Jackson Family Wines.
Clarice Wine Company is named after Lee’s grandmother who was his closest friend growing up. The wines are sourced from top sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Check out the world-class 2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Rosella’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 96) which is dense and salty with serious underlying tension. Learn more about this outstanding wine project at https://claricewinecompany.com/ and here are my reviews of the new wines by Clarice and winemaker Adam Lee.
2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Santa Lucia Highlands’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Santa Lucia Highlands’ comes from the famed Rosella’s and Gary’s Vineyards, as this was stored in mainly neutral oak barrels before bottling. Deeply colored in the glass, this delivers red florals alongside damp soils, black cherry compote and shades of cloves on the nose. The palate is fresh with serious verve that combines with the rich mouthfeel. A generous and layered Pinot Noir, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Rosella’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The astonishingly good 2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Rosella’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this 50 acre site set on the benchlands of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. Owners Gary and Rosella Franscioni planted the vineyard in 1996. This is concentrated and flavorful Pinot Noir that is delightful to consume in its tension-laden youth. Cola and red currants combine with shades of red licorice and sandy soils on the nose. The palate is big and rich with serious verve. A delight to savor now, enjoy over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2038- 96
2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 Clarice Wine Company ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this nearly 30 year old, 50+ acre vineyard that was named after partners Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni. Deeply fragrant, this shows off lavender and loganberry notes on the nose alongside shades of diatomaceous soils. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and generous core of red and black fruits. Salty and very savory, this is a world-class Pinot Noir that is built to age. Drink 2024-2038- 96