Good medium ruby. Oaky aromas of wild blackberry and Provencal herbs. Juicy, intensely flavored and penetrating; less opulent than the Marin County wine, but offers lovely fruit and has plenty of material to buffer its firm tannins. Finishes with subtle persistence.

Apple, spices and smoke on the nose. Juicy, spicely and shapely, with youthful lemon and lime flavors and sound underlying spine. Some sweeter fruit notes of yellow plum and peach emerged with aeration. Finished firm, fresh and persistent.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Marin is laced with cranberries, savory, herbs, flowers and crushed rocks. Bright, floral and medium in body, the 2011 is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years.

More monolithic and less evolved, but potentially outstanding, the 1999 Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch/Sanchietti Vineyard was muted the day I tasted it. Nevertheless, it is a plump, full-bodied, tannic effort with force and muscle, but not the charm or aromatics of its siblings. Those characteristics may develop over the next year, but this forceful, moderately tannic, dense 1999 does not lack concentration or intensity. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2009

The 1995 Sanchietti Vineyard Pinot Noir is slightly less complex as well as shorter in the mouth, but I tasted it at an early stage of its development.

...appears to be marginally superior to its 1996 counterpart. The medium ruby-colored 1995 displays a Burgundy-like black cherry, earth, herb, and smoky-scented nose, excellent richness, good texture, and a clean, refreshing finish.

Smooth, ripe, rich and polished, delivering a complex array of plum, cherry, wild berry and toasty oak. The finish shows off a range of lingering flavors.

Silky and refined, this pleasant Pinot is light in body, with transparent flavors of cherries, cola, licorice, spices and oak, and a touch of leathery funk. It's young and seems obvious now, but it's holding its wealth. Give it until 2008 to begin drinking, and should develop through the decade.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed Aromas of dried cherries and strawberries follow through to a full body with slightly chewy tannins. Lots of concentration for a pinot noir. A muscular style. Drink in 2020.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is a more gamey style of Pinot Noir from Dijon clone 114. Spicy, with notes of smoked meat, sassafras and roasted herbs, this wine also comes from a cold site and is an elegant, pretty, lighter style of Pinot Noir, but complex and intriguing. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Bright aromas of Bing cherry lead to a mid weight plus styled wine that is lusciously endowed with ripe black cherry fruit flavor. Fruit driven and balanced, but not complex.

I remember an interesting Pinot Noir from Kalin’s Terry Leighton from Marin County, and it was good to see the 2013 Pinot Noir Hartford Court Marin County. It is a small cuvée of 264 cases from some of the most expensive real estate in California – the vineyard is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge – and this wine is aged in 31% new French oak, and, like all of these Pinot Noirs, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Loads of pomegranate, sassafras, spice box and herbs are present in this wine, which has a distinctive red fruit, cherry-cola-like flavor profile. Drink over the next 4-5 years.

Ruby-red. Lively red berry, floral and musky tobacco scents are complicated by a spicy nuance. Silky and open-knit on the palate, offering ripe cherry and raspberry preserve flavors that become sweeter with air. Notes of allspice and nutmeg linger on the supple finish, which features dusty tannins and a warm red fruit compote quality.

This red strikes a balance between moderately rich red berry, blackberry, subtle earth, spice and dried herb notes, with a complex, graceful finish. Drink now through 2021.

The 2011 Pinot Noir MacLean's Block is one of the more immediate Pinots in the range. Autumn leaves, tobacco, dried cherries and sweet spices inform the finish. The style is a bit chunky and rough around the edges within the context of Russian River Pinot. Ideally, the 2011 is best enjoyed sooner rather than later.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Hailey’s Block comes from the Arrendell Vineyard situated in the cold Green Valley appellation. It offers up a dark ruby color along with a big, sweet nose of raspberries, sweet black cherries, dusty, loamy soil notes and hints of wild strawberries and spring flowers. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, it is ideal for drinking over the next 4-5 years.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Jennifer's is distinguished for its layered, subtle personality. In 2010, the Jennifer's is a wine of texture above all else. Structured yet beautifully expressive, the Jennifer's is another wine in this range that needs time to show the full breadth of its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020.

A streak of loamy earthiness runs through this intense, vibrant mix of crushed berry and flowers, anise and cedar. Firms nicely on the finish.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is a silky, mid-weight wine laced with sweet red berries, flowers, licorice and mint. This is a fairly restrained, cold-weather style for the Russian River built on linearity, energy and focus. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

The 2007 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby color along with notes of sweet boysenberries, wild strawberries, rhubarb, underbrush, and earth. Medium-bodied with good acidity and a pleasant finish, it is produced from Dijon clones 667 and 777. 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.

Dullish red. Darker aromas of raspberry, cinnamon, allspice, smoked meat and roasted oak. Lusher and sweeter than the Hailey's, with the spice character carrying through onto the palate and joined by a suggestion of smoky reduction. Round and seamless. Finishes with sweet, even tannins and good length.

Medium red. Aromas of red fruits and baking spices, with hints of menthol, smoked meat and earth. Silky, suave and sweet; a bit fleshier than the Sonoma Coast bottling, with a flavor of raspberry. Nicely dry pinot finishing with fine tannins and a minty nuance.

…offers up an attractive nose of jammy, briery, and raspberry fruit, medium to full body, tangy acidity, and a spicy, exuberant personality.

One of the few 1995 Zinfandels with a saturated dark purple color, this excellent, nearly outstanding wine exhibits pure, ripe black-cherry and raspberry fruit gently infused with toasty, spicy oak. Well-balanced without annoyingly high acidity or harsh tannin, it is a concentrated, medium-bodied, backward, rich, flavorful, intense wine. Cellar it for another year, and drink it over the subsequent 7-8. As readers may remember from my review of the 1994 Hartford Court Zinfandel, this wine is made from 81-year-old, head-pruned, Russian River vines.

Aromas of orange blossom, yellow plum, honey, clove, hay, spicy oak and fresh herbs. Juicy and fresh, with rather restrained, brisk flavors enlivened by minerals and lime. A slightly edgy Chardonnay that finishes with a piquant note of candied citrus peel. From high-acid grapes harvested on November 6; the vineyard is barely three miles from the Pacific Ocean.