Small Sips of Pinot

2007 Kendric Vineyards Marin County Pinot Noir

13.9% alc., 368 cases, $34. Fourth vintage. · Moderately in color. Lovely perfume of earth-dusted cherries, lavender and pear. Delicious cherry fruit with a sidecar of sandalwood, oak and root beer. Medium-bodied with suede tannins and understated acidity. This wine has pinotosity. Less acidity than the 2006 vintage version with more cajones and the best yet from this small producer. Definitely worth a look. Very good.

2006 Soquel Vineyards Partner’s Reserve Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

14.3% alc., $20. A small winery with a low profile that sells most of its wine to locals. A partnership between Peter and Paul Bargetto and Jon Morgan. The wines tend to be full-bodied in a bolder style. The 2007 vintage wines won several Gold Medals at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. · Restrained aromas but appealing ripe black cherry and raspberry scents complimented by savory oak. Fully ripe core of stone fruits and black currants. A moderately rich and intense fruit-driven wine with supple tannins. Not a bashful wine but drinks easy. Very good. Other wines available on the website at www.soquelvineyards.com (this wine available from klwines.com).

2008 Castalia Rochioli Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., $50. So your not on the coveted Rochioli mailing list and you want some Rochioli wine. Look no further. Terry Bering, the long time Cellar Master at Rochioli, crafts superb Pinot Noirs from Rochioli fruit that you can actually buy. I have raved about the last few vintages in past issues. This is a no-brainer my friend. · The nose entices with fresh aromas of cherries and berries with a hint of brier patch and baking spice. Moderate in weight, this wine flaunts a delicious core of redder fruits with underpinnings of bread crust and spice. Flawless and harmonious, this silky beauty really shows off its breeding. A sophisticated wine with a top hat personality

2007 De La Montanya Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., 74 cases, $50. Aged in 50% new French oak. · Penetrating and vibrant aromas of Bing cherries, summer herbs and oak. Flavorful and mouth coating cherry essence with reserved tannins and noticeable persistence on the fruity finish. Still sporting plenty of oak which shows up on the finish over time. Good, but over oaked for me.

2007 Cherry Pie Huckleberry Snodgrass Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.5% alc., $50. Great label! The winemaker behind Hundred Acre and Layer Cake, Jayson Woodbridge, has joined the crusade for the perfect Pinot Noir. Also available is a Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir. · Beautifully scented black raspberry, Bing cherry fruit augmented with oak and spice. Juicy and succulent red cherries fill the mid palate leading to a dry and lingering finish highlighted by subtle oak char. The tannins are fine-grained and the overall impression is seductive. Very good.

2007 32 Winds Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., $36. A new wine company created by Jim Chaffin, Jim Light and David Wilhelm, partners in the Roaring Fork Club and Sonoma County’s Mayacama Club. The CEO of 32 Winds Wine is Steve Humble, director of wine for Colordao’s Roaring Fork Club. A blend of 70% Hirsch and 30% Keefer Ranch fruit. The winemaker is Ehren Jordan (Failla). · Shy aromas require plenty of swirling to bring the blueberry and cherry fruit out from under the cloak of oak and pine. Darker, savory stone fruits and berries with the emphasis on savory. Supple tannins surround the fruit. Decent without being special.

2008 Melville Estate Verna’s Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., $20. · Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Fruity and confected nose of red cherries, hard candy, and lavender. Pleasing dried cherry, strawberry and cranberry fruits smoothly textured with a short finish. Moderately light and simple with bright acidity on the finish. Good.

2007 W.H. Smith Maritime Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., $44. · Herbal oak dominates the aromas and carries over in the flavor profile background. Medium weighted dark red fruits with a wild and feral character backed by savory herbs. Smooth in the mouth. Good without being special.

2007 Etude Estate Grown Carneros Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., $30. · Nuanced aromatic profile showing baked plum, toasty bread, leather jacket and a little smoke. Typical Carneros flavor profile of dark stone fruits, cassis and earth. Decent intensity, and soft and smooth on the palate. The wine grows on you a bit over time in the glass, and I had no complaints, but no superlatives either. Good.

2008 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., $35. The artist, Mike Shine, is on the label. · Aromas of cherries, anise, spice, eucalyptus and oak with a hint of alcohol. The nose is quite funky initially but responds to air and swirling. Tasty light flavors of Bing cherries and strawberries with a sidecar of baking spices and red hard candy. Fruit flavors veer to the ripe side, persisting on the fruity finish. Good.

2008 Mark West California Pinot Noir

13.8% alc., pH 3.76. $10. 51% Central Coast, 27% North Coast, 22% other. Fermented in small tanks with daily punch downs, pressed lightly and aged in 100% French oak (medium and heavy toast) for 8 months. Alex Cose is the winemaker produceing this singular wine which has received accolades for consistency and reliability in the under $20 category for the last several years. · Moderately deep color. A fruity nose that draws interest initially with notes of black cherries, berries and spice. Over time the wine shed some of its fruity charm, revealing aromas of mint and pine pitch. An easy drinking wine sporting composite flavors of black cherries, strawberries and boysenberries with some oak influence, a slight green note, and soft fine-grain tannins. On the lighter side and rather simple, but true to the varietal. Not a connoisseurs wine, but works as a daily drinker. Decent.

2008 Loos Family Bohemian Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

13.8% alc., 25 cases, $40. Clones 115, 667 and 777. Aged in 50% new and 50% neutral French oak. The winemaker is Chris Nelson. · Scents of cranberries, cherries, herbs and allspice becoming a little minty over time. Darker fruits clothed in dusty tannins. Notes of underbrush and savory herbs add interest. Very smooth and creamy on the palate. Goes down easy. Good.

2007 Kingston Family Vineyards Alazan Casablanca Valley Chile Pinot Noir

14.5% alc., $30. Carl John Kingston came to Chile in the early 1900s looking for gold and five generations later, his decedents still farm family vineyards in the Casablanca Valley. The name, Alazan, is inspired by a favorite family horse from years past. The consulting winemaker is Byron Kosuge. · Deeply colored in the glass. The nose is somewhat strange offering no fruit but plenty of smoke, cigar, and oiled wood aromas. The palate is a different story all together. Luscious core of blue and black berry fruit with smoke and grilled meat in the background. Nicely proportioned tannins and acidity with a satiny texture and a pleasing riff of citrus on the clean finish. Love the taste of this wine and worth a look for its uniqueness. Very good.

2007 Robert Stemmler Estate Grown Carneros Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., pH 3.70, 3,500 cases, $36. The label is inspired by Le Vendange, a 14th century tapestry displayed in the Cluny Museum in France. Represents every part of the Donum Ranch including Dijon, Martini, Roederer, Calera, Hanzell and Swan selections planted in 1989-1990. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentation and Burgundian yeast isolate inoculation. Aged in 40% new French oak. Lovely aromas of red fruits, lemon cola, cherry cobbler and mint. · Primarily red-fruited with a note of chocolate-filled brioche. On the light side with a good spark of acidity on the short finish. Good.

2007 Robert Stemmler Nugent Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., pH 3.65, 1,100 cases, $40. 11-acre tightly spaced vineyard planted in 1997 to Dijon clones 115 and 667. 100% de-stemmed. Aged 11 months in 45% new French oak. · The nose is filled with very ripe cherry fruits complimented by Provencal herbs and oak. The black cherry and plum core falls just short of overripeness. A hint of oak, tea and fig adds interest. Nicely crafted and silky textured with a satisfying finish. Good.

2007 Robert Stemmler Ferguson Block Carneros Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., pH 3.52, $44. From the oldest portion of the Donum Estate planted in 1974 to Martini selection on St. George rootstock. Yields are one tone per acre. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentation and Burgundian yeast isolate inoculation. Aged 11 months in 35% new, tight-grain French oak. · Distinctive aromas of cassis, rose petals, green bean, tar and compost bin. Rustic and earthy with a heart of black currants and creme de cassis. Silky smooth with balancing tannins and bright acidity on the finish. Takes on more charm with time in the glass but remains a man’s wine. Good.