Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Gracious aromas of dark cherry and berry, granola and toast. Plenty of black raspberry and boysenberry fruit flavor to satisfy in a fruit driven, mid weight style with complimentary oak in the background. Perfectly fine, with some, but not exceptional length on the finish.

Medium-light to medium ruby color; attractive, forward, deep, intense, spicy, red currant and dark cherry fruit aroma with hints of forest floor and baking spices; medium to medium-full body; rich, textured, earthy, dark cherry and red berry fruit flavors that are nicely balanced and show good depth with a silky, elegant mouthfeel; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Appealing to taste now, though worthy of a few more years of nottle aging. Very highly recommended

Hall/Walt wines of Saint Helena now has a long-term lease on the storied Clos Pepe Vineyard, but they have agreed to continue to sell grapes to a few accomplished wineries, and Siduri is happily included. In this outing, Siduri has come up with a deep and very precise, fairly full-scaled Pinot Noir that is as rich as it is beautifully balanced, and, for all of its heady and outgoing, ripe cherry fruit, it is still a long way from reaching its best. We concede that it offers lots to like now, but it is wine of great stamina with the right pieces in place to age famously, and we urge that it be held at least until its fifth birthday arrives. Two stars.

Medium ruby; attractive, intense, earthy, spicy, blueberry and black cherry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs and forest floor; medium to medium-full body; nicely balanced, earthy, fleshy, blue and red berry fruit flavors with good depth and concentration; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Appealing to drink now, though also shows good aging potential. Very highly recommended.

Here again, the richness and ripe fruit that is inherent in the best Pinots of this appellation are on full display, but, much like its local mates from Garys' and Rosella's Vineyards, this ample wine does not give itself over to extremes. It is a decidedly full-bodied working to be sure and delicacy is definitely not its forte, yet the true cherry fruit of Pinot Noir is always in view. Tag it for service with appropriately rich foods along the lines of Pot-au-Feu, Boeuf Bourguignon, or a Navarin of lamb. Two stars.

Deep, rich and loamy, offering earth-scented blackberry, plum and licorice notes, with ripe tannins that give the flavors traction and dimension.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Shy, but pleasant scent of cherry, ripe berry and dried herbs that builds in aromatic intensity over time in the glass. Intense, mouth filling attack of black raspberry, blackberry and cassis flavors that really alert the senses. The tannins hold the fruit in check and the fruit-filled finish is noticeably generous. One senses the alcohol on the lips.

Coming from the upper and lower portions of the vineyard, and two different root stocks, the 2015 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is a ripe, sexy, rounded wine, especially from the 2015 vintage, that has classic Garys' iron, dusty earth, spice and red and black fruits. Rich, textured, medium to full-bodied with good acidity, it will keep for 5-7 years. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, deep, spicy, raspberry and dark cherry fruit aroma with earthy notes and hints of dried herbs; medium to medium-full body; rich, earthy, red fruit flavors with bright acidity, a hint of cola, and some suppleness in the elegant mouthfeel; medium tannin; lingering aftertaste. Enjoyable now, though best to age for a few more years. Very highly recommended.

Baked red cherry, vanilla, cola and sarsaparilla show on the nose of this very approachable bottling by Adam Lee. There is a light touch of licorice to the sip, with strawberry and red-plum flavors as well as more complex touches of tea leaf and candied raspberry.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Comforting aromas of dark berries and sandalwood. Sleek and polished on the palate, with middleweight flavors of blackberry, black raspberry and spice with an earthy undertone. More darkly fruited than usual for Rosella’s. The tannins are woven in nicely and the sweet fruited finish satisfies. There is the slightest sense of alcoholic warmth on the finish.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Parsons' Vineyard delivers intense floral and baking spice notes plus cracked pepper, violets and forest floor nuances over a crushed cranberries core. The opulent medium to full-bodied palate is rounded, elegant and oh-so-pretty with a seductive, perfumed red fruit finish.

Says old-school Russian River here with lots of dried-cherry aromas and cedar. Full-bodied, big and juicy. Slightly jammy. Fig Newton? Screw cap.

From a tiny vineyard, just behind Kistler Vineyard and from the classic goldridge soils of the Russian River Valley, the 2015 Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard is completely destemmed and aged all in neutral French oak. It offers lots of juicy, darker berry fruits, flowers, and spice-drive aromatics, medium-bodied richness, bright acidity and a silky texture. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Medium-light ruby; attractive, fragrant, floral, raspberry and cherry fruit aroma with hints of baking spices and forest floor; medium to medium-full body; elegant, silky, red fruit flavors with bright acidity and a relatively soft mouthfeel; medium tannin; lingering aftertaste. Easy and enjoyable to drink now, but as for all of Siduri’s Pinots, worthy of a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Savory herbs, tobacco, licorice, mint and earth notes give the 2015 Pinot Noir Van Der Kamp Vineyard its distinctive, mountain-influenced personality. The intensity of the vintage is evident, but there is more than enough complexity and aromatic nuance to complement the richness of the fruit. This is a very pretty wine.

Marked by a very sure and sustained sense of nicely extracted, but slightly withdrawn fruit, yet a Pinot Noir of slightly brooding potential rather than one that leaps sweetly from the glass, this one from Sonoma Mountain marries black cherries and rich oak in a deep and fairly solid, well-structured mix. Suppleness will come, as will increased sophistication, but only with additional age, and the wine has the look of one that is guaranteed to repay big dividends for collectors willing to lay it way for five or more years. Do not make the mistake of pouring it too soon. Two stars.

Medium ruby; attractive, forward, deep, cherry fruit aroma with herbal notes and hints of baking spices; medium to medium-full body; crisp, tight, red and dark fruit flavors with firm structure, good acid balance, and some richness in the mouthfeel; medium tannin; lingering aftertaste. Deserves a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Produced from Pommard and Martini clones planted in the mid-1990s in a relatively cool area, the 2015 Pinot Noir Lingenfelder Vineyard has a medium ruby-purple color and spicy red currant, lavender and rose hip tea notes with a waft of underbrush. Chewy textured with crisp acidity and a medium body, it has an understated style with very good intensity finishing with fragrant earth notes.

2015 PINOT NOIR, LINGENFELDER VINEYARD The nose is a bright cranberry infused with herb, tomato and firm cherry. The palate is a silky strawberry wrapped in a cherry, herb and tobacco.

Offers an expansive range of spicy wild berry, savory herb, light oak and fresh earth flavors. Impressively balanced and focused.

Offers an expansive range of spicy wild berry, savory herb, light oak and fresh earth flavors. Impressively balanced and focused. Drink now.

Firm, focused and light-footed, with blueberry and plum flavors set on a taut frame. Savory notes inform the long finish.

I loved the 2014 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands and this soft, silky, complex beauty is certainly a match for a number of the more expensive single vineyard releases. Giving up lots of Bing cherry, crushed flowers, black raspberry and spice, it has medium-bodied richness, no hard edges and a seamless texture, all of which allow it to shine today. Nevertheless, it should evolve gracefully given its impeccable balance.