Joyce Vineyards 'Submarine Canyon' Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco, Monterey Co., California 2022

Joyce Wine Company is a family-run estate in Monterey County known for its minimal intervention winemaking and transparent expressions of coastal terroir. ‘Submarine Canyon’ refers to the deep underwater trench just offshore in Monterey Bay, which funnels cool marine air inland and shapes the unique growing conditions of Arroyo Seco.

• WINEMAKER: Russell Joyce

• FARMING: Sustainable; vineyards are hand-farmed with an emphasis on soil health and biodiversity

• VARIETY: 100% Pinot Noir

• TERROIR: Sourced from sustainably farmed vineyard sites within the Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County, where gravelly loam soils, cold wind, and fog from the Pacific create a long, slow growing season—ideal for maintaining natural acidity and building nuanced flavor.

• VINIFICATION: Grapes were 100% destemmed and cold-soaked for 5–7 days. Fermented in small open-top fermenters using native yeasts, with daily punchdowns for gentle extraction.

• AGING: Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 15% of which were new; the rest were neutral. Racked once before bottling, unfined and unfiltered.

• TASTING NOTES: Lifted aromas of cranberry, black cherry, and raspberry are layered with hints of forest floor, tea leaf, and rose petal. The palate is fresh and energetic, with medium acidity, fine tannins, and a finish marked by minerality and tension.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Grilled salmon, roast chicken with thyme, duck confit, or lentil salad with walnuts and chèvre

• SCORES:

  • Wine Enthusiast (2021 vintage): 92 – “Focused and fresh with red fruit vibrancy and layered earth.” (2022 not yet reviewed)

  • Vinous (2021): 91 – “Bright, spice-laced and varietally precise. A great value.”