A very curious and interesting wine. Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of pine and forest floor lead to a delicious mid weight core of black cherry and black raspberry fruits accented with notes of conifer, spice and mocha. The tannins are very fine, and there is a lively grip of acid on the finish. As Jeff points out, in this wine you get a real sense of the forest that surrounds this vineyard.

Bright ruby. Deeply pitched red fruit preserve, anise and incense aromas are lifted by a sexy floral element. Stains the palate with sweet raspberry and rose pastille flavors, picking up notes of mocha and vanilla with air. Distinctly energetic and pure, with a seamless texture and a firm spine of acidity contributing structure. Finishes sweet, floral and very long, with subtle tannins building slowly and fading smoothly into the wine's fruit.

Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Very savory on the nose with scents of conifer, sous-bois, black cherry and a hint of oak. Striking attack of vivid cherry fruit with many added nuances including spices particularly clove, earth and conifer. The tannins are very silky, and the wine finishes with good brightness.

Grown in the cooler Sebastopol Hills part of the southern valley, this Pinot is a great success for the vintage. It’s refreshingly keen in acidity, with some firm tannins framing ripe, savory raspberry and cherry fruit flavors, edged with smoky oak. Delicious now, but give it until 2019–2020 in the cellar.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Jennifer's is quite beautiful. Savory notes meld into tobacco, graphite, menthol, plums and grilled herbs. In 2011 the Jennifer's is bold, deep and beautifully expressive. There is a lot going on in the glass. This cool site in Sebastopol is typically quite late to ripen. In 2011, the savory, cool-vintage characteristics are very much in evidence.

Hartford's 2011 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard stands out for its rich, ample personality. Layers of deep spices wrap around the fruit in a textured, creamy Pinot loaded with depth and pure resonance. The 2011 is generous and inviting from the very first taste.

There’s a great depth of ripe, bright red raspberry and cherry pie fruit flavors in this Pinot, to which oak adds complicating notes of caramel and vanilla bean. It has plenty of upfront appeal, but should get better until 2020–2021 as the primary flavors recede, allowing drier, mushroomy bouquet to emerge.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard stands out for its deep, resonant personality. Firm tannins keep the fruit from being truly expressive, but there is no shortage of depth and nuance in the glass. The 2010 Far Coast is one of the few wines in this range that needs another year or two in bottle for the tannins to start melting away. Sweet floral and spice notes add lift on the finish. The appropriately named Far Coast Pinot emerges from a site north of Fort Ross on the upper reaches of the Sonoma Coast. This site sits at an elevation of 900-1,200 feet. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard is another wine endowed with serious depth and richness. Juicy dark cherries, cola, new leather, cloves and orange rind all burst from the glass. This is a decidedly rich, explosive wine that stands out for its extroverted personality. Layers of fruit continue to blossom in the glass as the wine shows off its raciness. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

Deep ruby. Sappy aromas of red currant, cherry, licorice and minerals. Sweet on entry, then pungently mineral and smoky in the mid-palate, with terrific grip and structure to its bitter cherry and red berry flavors. Finishes with youthfully gripping tannins and superb breadth and length, with the cherry note repeating.

The generous ripe plum and blackberry fruit is intense and vivid. The texture offers the raw graininess of youth, ending with firm tannins. Drink now through 2022.

Vivid ruby. Pungent aromas of cherry, black raspberry and violet. Lively dark fruit flavors are lifted by lively, integrated acidity. Dense but nicely delineated, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and notes of candied rose and mocha. This benefits a lot from air.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard is a wonderfully complete wine. Brisk saline notes, dark red berries, licorice and spices are all woven together beautifully. The Far Coast shows the minerality of the northern coast, but with a surprising amount of fruit for this site. Firm tannins frame the long finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

Bright ruby. Musky, sappy nose and palate evoke wild strawberry, raspberry, Asian spices, minerals and orange zest. Sweet, sappy and mineral-driven, with lovely clarity and cut. Shows admirable refinement and finishes very long, with silky tannins spreading out to coat the palate. Very nicely balanced.

Vivid ruby. Highly perfumed nose offers raspberry, Asian spices, flowers and a sexy vanilla note. Suave and supple, coating the palate in sweet red fruit and floral nuances without giving any impression of weight. Finishes sweet and persistent, with noteworthy clarity and cut.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard flows across the palate with super-ripe black cherries, hard candy, mint, savory herbs, flowers and sweets spices. This is an especially round, silky and opulent Pinot that impresses for its exuberance and silkiness. Sweet floral notes reappear to frame the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

Air reveals the depth of flavor in this blend of several estate vineyards, with an impression of freshly turned earth, roses and wild strawberries. But the wine takes a day to arrive there, initially reduced and hidden behind the scent of mustard greens. As the sulfur blows off, the wine builds on its foresty fruit, opening into an expansive finish. Give this several years in the cellar or hours in a decanter before serving with roast duck.

From Goldridge soils known for their ability to support high quality Pinot Noir as well as Chardonnay, the 2008 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard (made from Dijon clone 667) exhibits a deep ruby color along with sweet aromas of black cherries, black and red currants, crushed rocks, loamy soil and underbrush. With abundant minerality, silky tannins and an unexpected floral note, it should drink well for 4-6 years. It was fashioned from tiny yields because of the spring frosts. Owned by Jess Jackson and Don Hartford and assisted by winemaker Jeff Mangahas, Hartford Court is one of the bright shining stars in Jess Jackson Family Vineyard's impressive portfolio. All three Chardonnays come from cool climate sites, either the Sonoma Coast or the Green Valley. I tasted five 2008 Pinot Noirs, a challenging vintage for some producers but Hartford Court had no smoke issues.

Vivid red. Heady aromas of red berry preserves, Asian spices and anise, with a strong floral overtone. Lively strawberry, raspberry and herb flavors stain the palate, with bitter cherry skin and mineral notes adding cut. Leaves smoky mineral and floral qualities behind the strikingly long, sappy finish, which also features an exotic note of blood orange. Lots going on here already.

Deep red. Seductive aromas of black raspberry, patchouli, dried rose and minerals. Graceful red and dark berry flavors are strikingly pure, with candied floral and mineral qualities adding complexity. Finishes with excellent clarity and lingering floral and spice notes.

This wine is full-bodied and dry, with silky texture and a slight grip of tannin that spreads gently across your whole mouth. Fresh acidity gives the wine depth and ads dimension to the silkiness. The wine's aromas are pronounced, pure notes of dark cherry and berry, with a floral scent and a vanilla perfume that emerges with aeration. This wine's flavors repeat the ripe dark cherry and berry and also suggest earth and mineral notes, finishing with coffee. although this wine is rich in fruity flavors, it is not fruity as in near sweet this is a dry Pinot.

Medium red. Exotically perfumed bouquet of black raspberry, cherry compote, smoked meat and incense. Fresh, spicy red and dark berry flavors complemented by a sexy rose pastille quality. Sweeter on the finish, leaving behind suave black and blue fruits and a hint of blood orange.

Bright red. Seductive perfume of strawberry, raspberry, dried rose and incense. Fleshy, finely etched red berry preserve flavors are given spine by a tangy mineral quality and gain weight with air. Clean, juicy and precise, with a sexy black raspberry liqueur note dominating the finish. This is delicious right now.

The dark ruby/purple-hued 2007 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is produced from a cold area of the Russian River's Green Valley. It exhibits a saturated dark ruby hue as well as sweet black raspberry, clove, wild strawberry, incense, crushed rock, and floral notes. This bold, deep, medium to full-bodied Pinot displays zesty acidity as well as silky tannins. It should drink well for a decade. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

Also impressive, the 2007 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters' dark ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by abundant aromas of pomegranates, blueberries, tart raspberries, underbrush, and an unmistakable blue fruit character that sets it apart from its siblings. With good underlying minerality and acidity, it should drink well for a decade. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.