Lussier Golden Fleece Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2019

ACME helped debut this brand in our Pulse Club earlier this year and it was an instant hit with our members! Today, I have the distinct pleasure of sharing their shiny, new single-vineyard Pinot Noir which is on our shelf and ready to ship to your cellar. When we were first introduced to this brand, it was so new to market that we couldn’t find any details about it on the web. In fact, we had to call the winemaker himself to get all the specifics, and we are happy to report that G.W. Lussier, founder, and winemaker, is just as lovely as his wines. G.W. grew up in the Napa Valley, and despite his proximity to the wine industry, he never envisioned a career in wine for himself. Instead, inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served as an infantry officer, Airborne paratrooper, and Ranger before his first Iraq tour as a rifle platoon leader. After his first tour, he traveled to Champagne for two weeks and spent the time there traveling and discovering that delicious wines were made on nearly every block. It was here, learning about vineyard management and seeing the farmers and winemakers hard at work, that he realized that he had a deep love and passion for wine. After a final deployment in Afghanistan in 2014, G.W. left the military and ventured back home to the Napa Valley to pursue a career in the wine industry. In 2015, on a hot summer evening while playing bocce, an opportunity arose to work as a cellar intern at Pahlmeyer. From there, he went on to continue his wine education at Williams Selyem where he helped to craft renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was in this cellar, despite the back-to-back 14-hour days that harvest demands, that G.W. became inspired to launch his own brand. This drive became so fierce that he left one of the most prestigious cellars in California to take a job at Moshin Vineyards, a custom crush facility that would allow him to manage their cellar and make his personal brand on the side. Thus, Lussier Wine Co. was born. 

The Golden Fleece vineyard is planted 900 feet in elevation and enjoys increased sun exposure because of its height in the valley. It is also exposed to cooler temperatures that rush in from the coast unimpeded by hillsides. The long hours of light in conjunction with the cooler temperatures allow for fruit that can enjoy a prolonged hang-time without the risk of losing its bright acidity. This wine is elegant and perfectly sculpted. After being hand-harvested and sorted, the wine was aged for sixteen months in 100% French oak barrels, 30% of which was new. The wine has notes of ripe cranberry, strawberry, jasmine, blackberry, rose petals, and just a hint of earthy richness. Fine-grained tannins combined with bright acidity make this a wine that we keep reaching for. Gently decant for 30 minutes to allow for the aromas and floral elements to shine.