All four wines have screw cap closures, and all are excellent wines…Lastly, the 2015 Santa Lucia Highlands is a very fine Pinot Noir: full bodied, concentrated, complex in flavor (blueberry jam, plum, herbs, dried fig, cedar, spicy oak), and long and lightly tannic on the finish. 4+ stars, excellent.

Overall score: 18.5 (9.5 for quality, 9 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.5 and six scores of at least 9. “Leathery with tart, lean, earthy cherry flavors. Age-worthy.”

50 Great Wines of 2017 Excellent

Nothing shy about the friendly personage that this is fronting. B+

Winemaker Adam Lee is best-known for his single-vineyard pinot noir, but most of those are twice the price. His so-called appellation wines may not possess all the nuance and subtlety of the vineyard designates, but they have exceptional value and can stand alone on their own merits. This 2015 Russian River pinot has all the depth and complexity that a Russian River pinot should have, without the hefty price tag.

Picking Pinot The Russian River is one of my go-to California regions—along with Anderson Valley and Sta. Rita Hills—for the kind of juicy, silky, cherry-like pinot that is hard to resist. This wine features an engaging floral-scented aroma and uncommonly smooth, ripe red fruit flavors, balanced with smokiness and firm acids. Grace notes include cinnamon, cigar box and spearmint. This is a beautiful accompaniment for grilled salmon with a honey mustard glaze.

Happy Pinot Noir Day! Toasting This Morning on KXAS/NBC DFW Their Russian River Pinot Noir with warm days, and cool nights, creates a luscious wine with red fruit and sweet baking spice notes.

Prices for many pinot noirs are rising because of huge demand for this variety, with top-of-the-line pinots now commanding $65 to $100 a bottle. And such wines are selling. This wine is thus moderately priced for its dramatic cherry/strawberry aroma, succulent mid-palate, and excellent balance. Adam Lee has always made stylish pinots and the early word is that 2015 is also a great vintage.

A juicy pinot noir weighted to red fruit, with notes of mushroom, mineral and pepper. Layered, with a silky texture. Nice length. What makes it a standout is its generous red fruit. Impressive.

Our Wine of the Week, Siduri 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, is a welcoming and engaging wine. It opens its arms wide to a range of preferences. It is delicate yet not so delicate that a fan of, say, merlot, would call it wimpy. It is substantial yet not coarse; it won’t drive away those who appreciate more, shall we say, feminine examples of this varietal. Fruit flavors, all bright and red, are beautifully integrated, though if you try, you may pick out suggestions of Santa Rosa plums, cranberries, and pomegranates. There’s a hint of wild mushroom, forest floor, topsoil, and the high, sweet notes of the world’s best black peppercorns. The texture is just what it should be, as smooth as satin rubbing against taffeta, with an almost mineral-like crispness. The finish lingers, temptingly: Yes, go ahead, have another sip. At the table, the wine will be flattered by mushrooms, fresh and aged goat cheese, delicate tomato and butter sauces, rare duck, lamb, and beef, the dark meat of chicken, salmon, smoked fish and deep fried oysters.

Anyone who thought Adam Lee was selling out when Jackson Family Wines bought his Siduri winery in early 2015 should taste this pinot noir from his first post-sale vintage. Fans will note the simplified label that suggests a marketing guru wanted more visual pop in the packaging, but the real impact is in the wine. It is savory, sophisticated, mouthfilling and downright delicious.

This is a pretty pinot noir that’s also edgy. It has bright raspberry fruit and crisp acid. It also has savory flavors of mushroom and smoke. All of this makes it a smart pick for your feast. Well crafted.

This is a pretty pinot noir that’s also edgy. It has bright red raspberry fruit and crisp acid, which makes it a lovely food pairing. It also has layered flavors, with notes of mushroom and smoke. Well crafted.

This is a pretty pinot noir that's also edgy. It has bright red raspberry fruit and crisp acid, which makes it a lovely food pairing. It also has layered flavors, with notes of mushroom and smoke. Well crafted. (Siduri is open the first weekend only, according to the www.wineroad.com website).

The fruit produced at Hawks View vineyard in the Willamette Valley has progressed considerably since its beginnings ten years ago, and has greatly improved under the watchful eyes of Adam Leeof Siduri. Aggressive floral and red fruit aromas compliment the zippy cherry, pomegranate and spice flavors of this well-made medium bodied Pinot noir. Comte cheese, rosemary scented ham or tea smoked duck will bring out the characteristics of this wine. Excellent.

Those who relish savory will find this pinot striking because it’s earthy and even a bit gamy. What’s more, it’s complex with layered notes of boysenberry and cola, and it has impeccable balance. Smart. Four stars.

Four special Pinot Noirs from Adam Lee at Siduri The intensity of the wine is obvious, but the flavor development seems just a tad backward, so decanting is suggested. Excellent acid and pH indicate it will expand in 2-3 more years.

Pungent Pinot perfume with earthy underpinnings; sense of “opulence” and weight on the palate – densely textured, meaty with tannin, yet zesty in its high flying fruit qualities. According to Siduri’s Adam Lee, the wine’s aggressive yet scented personality is totally in keeping with the site, which he describes as “impossibly steep hills facing into the wind on the eastern (and climatically warmest) edge of Sta. Rita Hills... this leads to small clusters and tiny berries with thicker skins... (and) darker fruit flavors and more tannin than many of our Pinot noirs.”

Medium ruby-mulberry color fading to an ethereal rim; notes of red cherry with cherry skin and raspberry; cloves, sassafras and sandalwood; crushed rose petals, old leather and loam; smoke and cigarette paper; incredibly animated, lithe and supple, powered by a sustained weight of bright acidity; succulent red fruit flavors but quite dry on the palate, with a touch of tannic austerity and graphite in the finish. Now through 2023 to ’25. Excellent.

So muscular, sinewy, powerful, and gorgeous, it might as well be a thoroughbred. A-

In Pisoni grown fashion, a luxuriously rich and spicy Pinot aroma with high, low, and middle notes filling the nose; full yet round and fleshy – high wire balance (even at 14.8% alcohol), and very “complete” in its feel. “Years ago,” says Lee, “I would have told you there are similarities between Pisoni and John Sebastiano, since both produce a bigger, richer style of Pinot... In recent years, as the vineyards at Pisoni have gotten older, the wines from there have proven to be more complex, with a wider range of flavors... part of that because Pisoni is actually a collection of vineyards, and we source from three of them... What is fascinating is that Pisoni tends to push later – the southern end of Santa Lucia Highlands gets colder in the winter – but ends up ripening sooner, so there is a bit less hang time... The positives are that the soils are poorer, and thus the vines really have to struggle, which gives you the vineyard’s concentrated character.”

Weekend Wine August 18 is National Pinot Noir Day! One of the best ways to discover the Siduri magic is to try their entry level wine the Russian River Pinot ($35). This is all the Pinot most people will ever need, amply proving the seductiveness of the grape with big red fruit and berry aromas and the kind of mouthfeel that matches so seamlessly with everything from Beef Bourguignon to broiled salmon. If the perfumed aromas grab you and you want to move up, try the Rosella’s Vineyard wine from the Santa Lucia Highlands ($55). If that sounds like a lot of cash, start saving your money. It’s cheaper than most addictive drugs, and certainly a lot more pleasurable.

Four special Pinot Noirs from Adam Lee at Siduri Wild berry and subtle (almost peppery) spice notes mark this dramatic version of cool-climate PN. It’s only $5 more per bottle than the three other PNs in the release, and worth the extra outlay. Shows brilliantly a day after it is opened.

Entrancing transparent ruby-magenta color; red and black cherries with a cranberry and pomegranate undertone; sassafras and beetroot; lovely and provocative texture, a balance of luxurious with lithe and sinewy; deep, densely satiny; opens hints of smoke and cloves with notes of cumin and sandalwood; meadowy and woodsy altogether; long, clean and vibrant; touches of fruitcake, oolong tea and spice cookie in the finish. Wow. Now through 2023 to ’25. Excellent.

Black raspberry tea with a side of smoked meat, and they're not just for lunch anymore. A-