Pinot Noir -
Domestic
 '94
Panther Creek Reserve: Pretty oaky and hollow. Impressive lack of
any mid-palate flavor. Weirdly unripe for the vintage. Did I mention
the excessive barrel treatment? SY (5/01)
'98
Navarro (Mendocino):
Lightish, but not overly so, the "regular" pinot is a berry bomb with
herbal flavoring. Crisp, bright, and food-friendly, this is the kind
of relatively inexpensive wine that more Californians should be making.
On an evening with some tough competition, it made Thunderbird Award
(first bottle empty).
'93
Ojai "Bien Nacido": This was a dark, extracted, but well-balanced
wine from the start. It's smoothed out a bit over the past few years,
showing some nuance and regional character. Drinking great. SY (5/01)
'96
Rochioli "Little Hill": Little fruit. Shemp.
SY (3/99)
'93
Foxen "Sanford and Benedict Vineyard": A light wine from
the get-go, it's still showing some bright fruit, but it's fading away.
SY (2/01)
'98
La Crema "Russian River": Nice structure, well-extracted
without going over the top. Typical Russian River black cherry cola
aromas. Sweet on the palate. Not a keeper. The price is too high by
a factor of two. SY (2/01)
'99
Copain Cellars "Dennison": Winemaker Wells Guthrie is
a strong advocate of Anderson Valley for Pinot Noir. Here's proof, a
tightly-packed ball of black fruits and spices. At this stage, you can
get a hint of the riches within, but it will need a few years to unfurl.
SY (2/01)
'97
Monticello "Corley Reserve" ($30): Shows its Napa Valley
roots with a more structured style. The fruit is there but a
little subdued and stemmy. Moderate tannins indicate that a
couple of years in the cellar in indicated. This was better
when I had it a few weeks ago. JD (5/99)
'97
David Bruce "Central Coast" ($16): The list of good
under $20 Pinots has grown by one. Bright cherry and
blackberry fruit on the palate with a touch of stemmy
herbaceousness. The palate follows in a medium body style
with good balance and nice acidity. Elegant to drink now,
the mild tannins warrant saving a few bottles to try in a
year or two. Definitely worth giving a try and then buying a
case. JD (5/99)
'95
Napa Ridge ($7): The '94 Napa Ridge hit a high QPR mark
with its big, simple fruit and silky texture. The '95 is
just a shadow of the '94 and the extra two years of bottle
age have not been kind. It's worth sipping while you pour it
into a sauce though. JD (4/99)
'95
Mondavi "Reserve" ($26): Napa is not a great place for
Pinot Noir. Cab yes, Pinot no. That said, Mondavis'
"Reserve" is at the top of the Napa Valley Pinot heap.
Cherries and berries on the nose with some spice and a hint
of tea. The fruit is there on the palate but in a more
austere style than I like in a Pinot. Another year or so may
improve it but for now, it gets the nod for being a
drinkable Pinot that has not yet rocketed into the
stratosphere pricewise. JD (4/99)
'96
Etude "America" ($25): The grapes are from California
and Oregon, hence the "America" appellation. Forward cherry
nose with a flinty edge. Decent cherry fruit on the palate
with a touch of five-spice powder. The fruit falls off a
cliff on the finish. Worth trying a bottle over a few hours.
JD (4/99)
'97
Gallo "Russian River Valley" ($10): Grand cru
burgundy? Nope. Top of the line single vineyard Pinot? Not
even close. However, if you're looking for a few bottles of
Pinot for everyday quaffing, give the Gallo a try. Decent
Pinot fruit on the nose with a hint of spice. The palate
follows with only a distant memory of silkiness but it is
noticeable. Short to medium length finish with mild tannins.
This is not a great Pinot but it is definitely worth giving
a shot. JD (3/99)
'97
Rochioli "Estate" ($30): This wine is a great way
to tell what the single vineyard bottlings from Rochioi
might be like. That said, I'm looking forward to the fall
release. Cherry and beet aromas with a dash of spice. New
oak rears its head and dominates for a while and then
simmers down to a dull roar. Good round fruit on the palate
with a spice frame and the ever present oak in the
background. Still pretty tight, I'd give it six months to a
year to chill out and the drink it over the next three to
five years. If you open it now, decant and air it for 30
minutes or so. JD (3/99)
'97
Castalia ($22): Castalia is from the Russian River
Valley. Interestingly enough, it tastes like a slightly
smaller version of
Rochioli's Estate Pinot. Why, you ask? Mainly because it's
made by the assistant winemaker at Rochioli, from Rochioli
grapes at Rochioli Winery. 'Nuff said? Pleasant cherry and
spice aromas with a bit of beets and herbs. Decent enough in
the mouth with medium bodied fruit and a dash of oak. Hasn't
developed a lot of that silkiness that I like so much in
Pinot but it may down the road. I like it enough that I
bought half a case for drinking over the next year or two.
JD (3/99)
'91
Kalin "Cuvee DD" Pinot Noir ($60): Great bottle
bouquet with mature Pinot fruit. The palate has decent fruit
but doesn't deliver as much as the nose promises. Well built
and appears to have a few years of life ahead of it.
Unfortunately, the wine hits a wall and falls off the palate
faster than Niagara Falls. JD (2/99)
'97
Greenwood Ridge Pinot Noir ($20): The first '97
Pinot I've tried, I'm pleased with what's in the bottle.
Medium ruby color, the nose has plenty of fruit and "asian
spice" that is so commonly associated with Pinot Noir. There
was even a hint of mercaptan funkiness that in small doses,
adds complexity. After about half an hour, toasted oak
reared its potentially ugly head. Fortunately, the fruit
would have none of that and reasserted itself, with the oak
staying in the background where it belongs. The palate is
medium bodied with plenty of fruit and spice. Decent acidity
with some of the silkiness that I attribute to a good Pinot.
The finish hangs on long enough to satisfy. Although it may
improve in the next year or so, it's not a wine to lay down
for any length of time. Greenwood Ridge continues in its
line of drinkable, reasonably priced
wines.JD(1/99)
'86
William & Selyem "Rochioli Vineyard": Chock
full of bottle bouquet and mature, somewhat dried fruit.
Plenty of rich fruit on the palate but the earthiness
denoted the wines age. Probably a couple of years past its
prime but it's still quite drinkable. JD
(11/98)
'94
Rochioli "West Block": Still a couple of years away
from maturity but its breeding definitely shows. Plenty of
rich cherry flavors framed by toasted oak and spice. The
acidity is still noticeable and the components don't seem to
be as integrated as they could be. Try it at six years of
age and expect it to go for a few years beyond that without
harm. JD (11/98)
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