Bright ruby-red. Oak-spiced red and dark berry aromas are complemented by notes of vanilla and mocha, with a floral topnote. Sappy, expansive black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors show good depth and pick up a licorice quality with air. Closes sweet and long, with lingering smokiness and impressive tenacity.

The outstanding 2009 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley (from newer Dijon clones such as 667, 777 and 115) reveals classic Anderson Valley notes of flowers, blueberries and raspberries. Medium-bodied with excellent purity, flesh and texture, this is a delicious Pinot to enjoy over the next 4-5 years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Nicely dry, with tart cut of citrusy acidity that cleanses the mouth and would certainly cut through the fattiness of lamb or beef dishes. It's tannic, too, with a good stuffing of cherries.

Rich berry-cherry, cola and raspberry fruit flavors mark this young wine. It's dry and stylishly elegant, and shows a certain aloof complexity. Almost rustic in scoury acidity and tannins, but it could develop bottle finesse in another 2-3 years.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is outstanding. Its medium ruby color is followed by aromas of loamy soil intermixed with sweet black cherries, raspberries and plums. This medium-bodied, elegant, flavorful Pinot is already endearing and should continue to drink well for 2-3 years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Nicely defined cherryish fruit is aligned with a bit of sweet oak and accented by a touch of milk chocolate in the inviting and moderately rich aromas here, and the wine follows suit on the palate with youthful, fairly deep flavors that are at once both juicy and bright. It is tasty now, but has room to grow and is sure to reward a few years of keeping.

Tasted in a flight of more expensive Pinot Noirs, this beauty did just fine. It's an absolutely lovely wine to drink now. Dry and silky, with refreshing acidity, it offers complex berry, cherry, cola, spice and oak flavors.

There's a lot of coastal character in this Carneros wine, with scents of kelp and salt air. That cools the layers of fruit flavor, from strawberry to seedy raspberries, while it brightens the fruit tannins. Serve this with duck rillettes.

The outstanding 2008 Pinot Noir Los Carneros reveals abundant damp earth, beet root vegetable, plum, black cherry and black currant characteristics that offer considerable complexity. Sweet tannins are present in this medium to full-bodied, velvety-textured, irresistible wine. It should continue to drink nicely for 2-4 years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Another outstanding effort, the 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River offers up scents of rhubarb, wild strawberries, black cherries, and a hint of spice box as well as a plush, succulent texture, silky tannins, and a long finish. As the wine sits in the glass, sassafras/cola notes also emerge. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

Easy-to-like from first sniff to lengthy finish., this delicious wine relies on its open, juicy black cherry, sweet plum fruit to set the pace and finds added range in its interesting nuances of caramel and dark chocolate. Fairly full in body and just soft enough for service today with long-cooked meats like lamb Shanks or Short Ribs of Beef, it has the depth for several years of beneficial aging in the cellar as well.

Lots of crunchy acidity in this fresh, young wine. Thoroughly dry, and with a silky texture, it shows pleasant flavors of red cherries, raspberries, cola, orange zest, persimmons and vanilla. Very fine, and should age gracefully for six years or so.

Its ripeness and slightly candied Maraschino cherry sweetness set the early pace here, but there is also an underlying racy quality that comes on strong and finishes with a rush that brings things back into balance. Along the route, flesh and suppleness keep up with one another while confident tannins wait in reserve.

This is a beautiful pale ruby red pinot. Expect aromas of ripe Strawberry and rhubarb fruit, with beet, cinnamon and some floral notes. Dry, medium weight with gentle soft tannins, creamy with the fruit well balanced by lively acidity. Nicely integrated oak shows up a little more on the finish. Very good to excellent length. Will gain complexity and integration with another year of bottle age. Roast beef would work well. Best 2010 to 2014.

There's a fineness to the raspberry and fraises des bois flavor in this wine, with the crisp impression of fruit just coming into ripeness. The aroma is floral and tight, the finish showing more oak than fruit at the moment, needing a year in bottle to come into balance.

A lovely Pinot, polished and supple. Ready to drink now for its crisp acidity, lush coat of smoky oak and, above all, exotically complex flavors of cherry pie filling, black raspberry tart, cola, red plum and mocha. Should evolve through 2012.

The earthier 2006 Pinot Noir Russian River displays scents of clove, allspice, licorice, and dark cherries. This is a meaty, earthy example of well-made Pinot. Drink it over the next 3-5 years.

The 2,000 case cuvee of 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros exhibits a dark ruby color followed by aromas and flavors of sweet raspberries, kirsch, forest floor, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied with lovely fruit and length as well as ripe tannins, it should be drunk over the next 3-5 years.

The deepest of the three Pinots is the 2005 Pinot Noir Ahmen Vineyard. Denser, deeper ruby than the other Pinots, with a broad, savory mouthfeel, some hints of pomegranate, black currant, and cherry, with some forest floor and roasted herbs, this wine is fresh, savory, rich, and actually might improve over the next year or two.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Falk Vineyard has intense aromatics which reflect the cool Anderson Valley. Plum, strawberry, cherry, and even a scent of blueberry jump from the glass of this wine, made all from the Dijon clones 115, 667, and 777. This is an attractive, floral, elegant, yet flavorful Pinot Noir to drink over the next several years.

A suave pinot noir that your boss can drink now or cellar. Look for a fresh cherry/berry nose with super bright fruit flavours. Likely and supple with silky tannins and a touch of tea leaves in the finish. Excellent. Should be a restaurant standard. Pair with turkey or salmon.

Tight and tense in its grapey youth, this needs time for its impressive length of flavor to evolve. Stash it away for two or three years then serve with roast partridge.

Expressive black cherry licorice cola compost aromas waft out of the glass. Definitely cherry plum and vanilla flavours with creamy smoke and just a dusting of tannin. Quite a spicy aftertaste. Despite an open top fermentation regime with punch downs four times a day and nine months barrel ageing in 44 per cent French oak barrels this unfiltered and unfined pinot is extremely elegant.

This is deep and earthy, with leather and herbal accents. A powdery quality softens the full-blast cherry and plum fruit, which carries a touch of cola and oaky vanilla. The finish is top-shelf, with citrus peel, tea, dried spices, espresso and burnt toast. It's simultaneously rustic yet refined; the perfect match. Editor's Choice

If never less than wholly ripened, this sleek and stylish youngster counts balance and brightness among its chief assets and is ever keyed on nicely focused fruit. Its creamy oak plays a supporting role to its larger themes of sweet cherries, and the unexpected presence of a bit of finishing heat does little to distract from its inviting message of lively fruit.