The black raspberry flavor of this wine cuts through the thickness of its texture, saturated, almost unctuous in its weight. The flavors suggest that the wine could transform in the company of a rich, beefy braise.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley is a fairly straightforward offering. Juicy dark red/blue-hued fruit, flowers and mint emerge over time. The 2011 remains delicate and at times a bit fleeting. Still, it is a solid effort in what is an irregular and challenging vintage in Anderson Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Nine Barrel comes from the Dijon clone 777, the French Pommard clone, and the Heritage California clone Martini. The wine displays fresh strawberry jam notes intermixed with sassafras, root vegetables and a forest floor/earthy component. Medium-bodied, spicy and evolved, it is best drunk over the next several years.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco comes across as firm, dark and tightly wound. The wine's structure is impressive, but I don't quite find the level of elegance here that is typical in so many of the new releases from La Crema. This is the first vintage for the Arroyo Seco, and this bottling seems to be a work in progress at this stage. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2017.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Shell Ridge is quite promising at first. The aromatics are quite attractive, but they don't quite carry into the mid-palate, where the wine feels a bit hollow. There is plenty of energy in the glass, but the 2011 lacks fruit and the pure depth of the best wines in this range. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2017.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is an attractive, mid-weight wine laced with sweet red cherries, herbs, mint and dried flowers. Bright floral notes reappear on the finish, giving the wine additional lift. This is an amazing value and a remarkable level of quality considering there are 210,000 cases of this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Nine Barrel is a silky, perfumed wine. Sweet floral and spiced notes are woven throughout the dark fruit in this layered, racy Pinot. Ultimately the Nine Barrel is a fairly straightforward Pinot whose charms are best enjoyed over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

The 2007 Pinot Noir Monterey reveals more red currant, pomegranate, and strawberry fruit as well as a decided earthy component in the mouth. It, too, should drink well for 3-4 years.

Pinot Noir’s blue fruit spectrum (blueberries, dark raspberries) and spring flower aromas emerge from the 2006 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley. This light to medium-bodied, pretty, elegant effort is best consumed over the next 3-4 years.

Offers notes of allspice, cola, cranberries and cherries in a ripe, medium-bodied, spice-driven Pinot. Along with its siblings, it possesses a supple texture as well as a velvety expansiveness. It will drink well for 2-4 years.

The finest of this quartet, the expansive 2002 Pinot Noir Russian River offer aromas of black cherry, earth, allspice, smoke, and a hint of white chocolate. This nicely-textured, rich, slightly tart, but authentic Pinot Noir will drink well foe 3-5 years.

Chunky, fresh & possesses good fruit and a lovely fragrance.

Which exhibits more kirsch, plum, forest floor, and spice notes in a more tightly-knit, more concentrated, fleshier example of Pinot Noir.

Juicy dark fruit, toasty oak, nutmeg, caramel and pepper elements combine nicely in this substantial wine. It's juicy but structured, and turns more serious on the finish where firm tannins show on the long, tea- and spice- accented fade.

Good deep red. Aromas of syrupy red fruits, minerals, flowers and exotic spices. Dense, nicely concentrated and pliant, with fruit driven flavors of raspberry confiture. Nicely sweet pinot, finishing with smooth tannins.

Smooth and spicy, with crisp cherry, raspberry and wild berry flavors that are tart and lively, finishing with firm tannins.

Bright and lush with lovely, juicy fruit and bright acidity.

This simple viognier is fragrant rather than aggressively floral. Its generous texture and green, grassy bite...

Elegant and polished, with understated apple, melon and light hazelnut flavors that build to depth and complexity.

Elegant and polished, with understated apple, melon and light hazelnut flavors that build, offering depth and complexity.

There's a firm sense of cool ripened fruit, a touch of apricot and light floral Notes, but the wine expresses little at the moment. It's cold closed off, needing time to evolve in the bottle. It may take a year or three, but when the wine does open it's clean balance should serve well.

Ripe and complex, with rich, focused citrus, pear and toasted oak flavors, and a long, creamy aftertaste.

"Serves up a moderate range of ripe pear and apple-laced Chardonnay flavors and picks up dashes of spice and mineral on the finish. Shows only a small oak influence; drinks well now." also appeared in the 7/98 issue

Medium golden luster. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Heavily oaked. Walnut accents with apple aromas. Lemon and apple palate with oak on the finish.

Medium golden luster. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Heavily oaked. Walnut accents with apple aromas. Lemon and apple palate with oak on the finish.