Billy Norris, the newest reviewer at Vinous, recently joined Testarossa Co-Founder Rob Jensen and Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau to taste through the 2022 vintage wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. Despite the challenges faced by vineyards across California in 2022 — particularly a Labor Day heat wave that followed an already warm growing season — Norris commended the Santa Lucia Highlands for its ability to thrive under pressure. Thanks to the region’s regular fog and cooling winds from the Monterey Bay, the Santa Lucia Highlands consistently produces outstanding wines, even in difficult years. Testarossa’s wines, in particular, received high praise across the board.

Here’s what Norris had to say about Testarossa:

“Testarossa, named for Proprietor Rob Jensen’s fiery red hair from his much younger days, produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from almost all of the top locations in the SLH. One of the most important traits for a winery that produces several vineyard-designate wines of the same variety is site-specificity and delineation. Testarossa nails that to a T. Winemaker Bill Brosseau, who has made the wines here since 2000, articulates it succinctly: “Appellation wines are a symphony. My approach to blending starts with that. As we get into single vineyards, they’re more of the soloist.” Now, that’s an approach I can get behind. Ever the romantic, Brosseau adds, “Oak and terroir are like dancing partners, but I want terroir to be the lead of the dancing pair.” The proof is in the pudding. The 2022s here are open-knit and full of personality and charm. Testarossa is a stalwart of the SLH, and the wines are worth digging into. Both the Chardonnays and Pinots are on the richer side, but they’re nicely polished through and through.” Billy Norris, Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, August 2024

95 points

2022 Diana’s Chardonnay
California AVA

“The 2022 Chardonnay Diana’s is a blend of sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley and Chalone AVAs. Aged for 17 months in 57% new French oak, the Diana’s is an opulent, concentrated wine with a spine of salinity braced against tropical inflections of pineapple, mango and papaya. A hint of reduction adds further intrigue, pushing this almost into the Old World realm, but there’s no denying the California sunshine. Rounded and sweet at its core, there’s just a ton of stuffing here; I sense this is holding a lot in reserve. I followed this bottle for three days, and it only got better. That bodes well for the future. For now, a healthy decant wouldn’t hurt.”

94 points

2022 Niclaire Pinot Noir
California AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Niclaire is a California-appellated blend that hails from the Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley and Chalone AVAs. It’s lush, enveloping, and texturally thrilling, with a velvety blanket of plush fruit. Dark plum, clove, violet and black licorice sizzle through this sexy wine, grounded by rocky minerality and just enough acidity to maintain energy. There’s much beauty and sensuality here, even if the Niclaire speaks more to winemaking than place”

95 points

2022 Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard hails from two blocks on the estate, including one planted in 1997. It’s a serious wine, at once muscular and chiseled but also agile and finessed. This lauded site yielded insane depth and concentration in 2022, benefitting from the warm season in its generous proportions and immediacy. Layer after layer of dark-toned berry fruit, exotic spice, wild herbs and the finest tannins develop in the glass. The finish goes on for days. The 2022 Pisoni has a long life ahead. Brilliant.”

94 points

2022 Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Chardonnay Soberanes Vineyard is mouth-filling and powerful, exploding out of the glass with ripe lemon confit, chalk and sweet vanilla oak. Well-proportioned and harmonious, ample fruit depth exists here without excess weight. A tinge of saltiness and a zip of electric acidity keep things energized. Soberanes is clearly well-suited to Chardonnay—the evidence is in the glass.”

94 points

2022 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard explodes with a cascade of spiced cherry and orange peel. Broad and ample, it soaks every corner of the mouth in rich, juicy red fruit. Crushed rocks and gravelly minerality add tension as a lick of sea salt flutters down the mid-palate on the finish. The Garys’ is dynamic and long in 2022.”

94 points

2022 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard is absolutely bewitching on the nose, drawing you in with an intoxicating kaleidoscope of aromas. Pisoni clone and 667 blend together in perfect harmony. The 2022 is voluptuous but focused, with great persistence and a decidedly citrus-forward character. Blood orange peel, tangerine oil and lifted floral tones meet with lemon juice acidity, going the distance through the long finish. A 12-month stay in 55% new French oak was exactly the right prescription in this challenging vintage.”

94 points

2022 Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard is surprisingly floral for this site at elevation, exploding in the mouth with a truckload of stone fruit—sweet cherry, dark plum and spiced nectarine. It’s ripe and ready, with juicy, tart citrus acidity and energy to burn. Tannins are almost imperceptible, again a surprise for Sierra Mar. There’s so much to like here.”

94 points

2022 Tondré Grapefield Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“Dark ruby in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Tondré Grapefield is a dark, strapping young wine, but it’s also resonant and lifted. Blueberry, blackberry, dark cherry, mocha and stemmy herbs lead the charge, leaping onto the palate with a gut punch of fruit density. The Tondré is a little deceiving in its darkness and weight, as it actually delivers the goods in a lively fashion—I love those contrasts.”

93 points

2022 Fogstone Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“Cool-toned and lithe, the 2022 Chardonnay Fogstone Vineyard fills the mouth with minerality and tart lemony acidity. Sweet corn, peach and yellow apple lift from the glass, followed up with a lick of creamy vanilla and salty river rock tones. A little bitterness on the finish lends intrigue. This rocky site sits at the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, where the fog rolls in early and leaves late (hence the name), leading to long hang-time and gentle ripening.”

93 points

2022 Doctor’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Doctor’s Vineyard is notably elegant, reflecting the site’s softer soils and lesser wind influence. Approachable and finessed, hints of blood orange, black tea and rose petals introduce a wine with soft curves but enough structure to prop things up. An enticing, sweet cherry note lingers on the finish.”

93 points

2022 Fogstone Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Fogstone Vineyard is energetic and super-complex. Following a replant cycle with tighter row spacing, there’s now some young-vine fruit in the blend, which translates into the Fogstone’s fruit forwardness. Succulent black raspberry, clove and red licorice emerge, wrapped in an embrace of fine, chalky tannins. The site signature here is strong.”

93 points

2022 Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The 2022 Soberanes Vineyard is a spice cabinet in the glass, showing off a wild mix of everything from cardamom and cinnamon to star anise, lavender and caraway. Taut, dusty and a little nervous toward the finish, the Soberanes needs some time to relax. Cranberry and blood orange provide the bass notes, while rose and hibiscus flower tones add a flourish in the soprano register.”