Joyce Vineyards Submarine Canyon Pinot Noir 2021
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The name "Submarine Canyon" is a reference to the deep underwater canyon located in the Monterey Bay that provides the ideal marine climate for growing premium Pinot Noir grapes. This flagship Pinot Noir is a pure representation of the coastal terroir in Monterey County. Ancient glacial soils made up of sand, gravel, limestone, and shale loam help create wine with bright acidity, vibrant fruit and medium weight and texture.
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This is always one of the most reliable Pinot Noirs in California for the price. Aromas of ripe cherry, strawberry, plump herb and oak on the nose lead into a complex palate of sandalwood, roasted cherry, marjoram and thyme.
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Joyce Wine Company is a result of the family’s interest in Monterey County’s diverse terroirs. Minimal cellar intervention, on-site production and bottling frame the goals of Joyce; to showcase the impact of climate and soil on local varietals. Vineyards benefit from a unique climate during the growing season that further showcase fresh, clean and mineral driven wines with a sense of place. The deep, cold waters of Monterey Bay keep the nights cool making the growing season long enough to ripen fruit at a proper pace while maintaining finesse and structure.
Harvest at moderate ripeness from their own 6 acre estate along with partnership from trusted local farmers allows the winery to control the quality of the fruit before production. During fermentation, decisions on yeast sourcing, sulfur usage and filtration are made as needed aiming for typicity and honesty. In an effort to further guide their wines to their best potential, Joyce also uses neutral fermentation and aging vessels to limit its influence on the fruit.
Most American fathers and sons play baseball in the front yard… others make wine together. It began when Francis Joyce followed his passion by pirating several European cuttings in the early 1980’s to a small vineyard in the Carmel Valley. Francis’ son, Russel, grew up running between those wines. Russel now showcases the area’s premier AVA’s such as the Santa Lucia Highlands, Carmel Valley, and Arroyo Seco. Russell is classic and minimal in his approach to winemaking. He utilizes this approach to create wines of varietal purity and elegance while focusing on the local grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.