United States · California

Lucia

Lucia is the small-production wine project of Jeff and Diana Lee — the family behind Morgan Winery — focused exclusively on Santa Lucia Highlands fruit from the Garys' and Soberanes vineyards, two of the appellation's most celebrated sites. Winemaking is overseen by Don Blackburn, who applies low-intervention techniques to preserve the cool-climate character of the SLH: bright acidity, aromatic lift, and measured tannin from one of California's most distinctively windswept appellations. Chardonnay Soberanes is the most-traded bottling with 65 lots at a $30 average, while single-vineyard Chardonnay from older vintages commands around $115 from 41 lots. Pinot Noir from Garys' Vineyard averages $92 from 36 lots, with the 2006 vintage generating the strongest auction interest, and the standard Pinot Noir averages $108 from 21 lots. A Syrah from Susan Hill averages $68 from 15 lots — one of few regularly appearing SLH Syrabs in auction records. Soberanes Syrah adds an even more accessible tier at $31. The portfolio spans 278 lots with prices between $13 and $677, the upper end driven by scarce early single-vineyard bottlings. Lucia occupies a credible position among SLH specialists — consistently reliable in the vineyard-designated Pinot and Chardonnay lines — and remains undervalued relative to better-known appellation peers.