2006 Breggo Cellars Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

This was a really good Pinot Noir. We are trying to drink some of our Pinot Noirs in order to make room for the fortcoming 2007 vintages.

Breggo Cellars in located just outside the little town of Boonville in Mendocino County. They make some great Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris.

We opened this bottle to serve with dinner two consecutive nights.

There is a slight tobacco edge to the taste of cherries, raspberries and oak. It’s a dry, medium-bodied wine with a silky smooth texture. Very easy to drink and enjoyable. This could easily compete with Pinots costing 2x-3x the price.

2006 Benziger Pinot Noir - Giusti Ranch

Benziger is a large family-owned winery in the town of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. They specialize in organic and biodynamic farming of their vineyards.

An old apple orchard, the seven acre Giusti Vineyard was planted to vine eight years ago. Giusti Pinot Noir has enticing aromas of cinnamon and baked apple pie. A fresh California Pinot typical of the Russian River appelation, this wine has layered flavors of black cherry and fruit compote. 643 cases were produced.

We opened this wine to service with dinner, stoppered the bottle, and drank the rest two nights later.

2005 Radio-Coteau Sonoma Coast La Neblina

This Pinot Noir from grapes grown in the cool western Sonoma Coast area was one of the wines we served at Thanksgiving dinner. It is an excellent example of a well crafted California Pinot Noir. Aromas of minerals, spices, and berries. Tastes include flavors of tart cherry and blueberry. It was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator magazine.

Radio-Coteau is a small winery based in Sonoma County that makes highly regarded, small quantities of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay.

2005 Eric Kent - Stiling Vineyard Pinot Noir

This was a second Pinot Noir we served with Thanksgiving dinner.

Only 300 cases were produced of this wine produced with grapes from the Russian River Valley. Eric Kent Wine Cellars is one of our favorite producers for Pinot Noir and Syrah. They print a different artist's work on every varietal and every vintage - helping the local art community.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Our ‘05 Stiling Vineyard Pinot Noir is a beautiful example of this magnificent cooler vintage – bright and showy fruit supported by wonderful natural acidity offering balance and great potential for graceful aging. The nose is redolent of ripe cherries, rhubarb and rose petals with a touch of truffle, followed by cherry, dried cranberry and blackberry on the palate, finishing with hints of green tea and black olives. Exuberant and richly flavored, yet refined and well delineated from the first sniff to the last drop.

2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard

MacPhail Family Wines makes nothing but Pinot Noir in small batches from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma and Mendecino counties. Their website is at the address www.grapewagon.com. I think you can detect that James MacPhail has a sense of humor.

This wine comes from a vineyard of about 15 acres located southwest of Sebastapol in the Sonoma Coast appellation. Less than 500 cases were produced.

Wine Spectator notes: Sleek, trim and well-balanced, showing cedar, herb and savory nutmeg flavors, with a hint of ripe cherry. Veers toward drier fruit flavors, with notes of coffee, sage and tea.

Served this wine two different nights. First with a dinner of various small plates (i.e. leftovers) and then with chicken.

2005 Eric Kent Cellars Pinot Noir, Stiling Vineyard

I really like this Pinot Noir. Good thing I have a few more bottles of the 2005 and the 2006.

Eric Kent Cellars is a husband and wife team. They have a unique way of supporting local artists. A different painting adorns each wine label.

Wine Spectator Magazine 2007: Winemaker Kent Humphrey purchases Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah grapes from several vineyards in Sonoma County. Each bottling features a contemporary artist's work, and the wines are equally stylish, balancing elegance and power. 94 pts. 250 cases produced.

California Grapevine, June-July 2008. 90 pts. – Medium-light ruby; attractive, elegant, toasty, ripe red cherry fruit aroma; medium-full to full body; plush, supple, bright cherry fruit flavors with a velvety mouthfeel; well-balanced and structured; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Delicious to taste now though deserving a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

The Stiling Vineyard is an old 1500-tree apple orchard in the Russian River valley of Sonoma County turned into a thriving 35-acre vineyard specializing in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

1999 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vineyard

We served this unfiltered Pinot Noir as a red wine option while we watched Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

Picked up this wine as part of my initial wine club shipment. Marimar Estate in the Sebastopol area of Western Sonoma County is owned by the Torres family, one of the biggest names in Spanish wine. They also have a winery in Chile. Marimar Torres is the proprietor and winegrower.

The Russian River/Green Valley appellation where the winery is located in a perfect microclimate for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles north of San Francisco, the site is influenced by the sea's cooling breezes and drifting fog.

We visited the winery earlier this year. They have two huge metal sculptures of their English Springer Spaniels on the hillside below a beautiful, modern tasting room building. Winston and Spencer insisted we join the wine club of their cousins.

Their Don Miguel Vineyard is named in honor of Marimar's late father.

I felt that this wine was near the end of its good drinkability years. I'm glad we enjoyed it now.

2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sangiacomo Vineyard

Yet another great Sonoma County Pinot Noir (seems like our cellar has gotten loaded with them). MacPhail Family Wines is a small producer that makes outstanding Pinot Noirs from various vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. There were only 255 cases of this wine produced, nearly all of it sold to their mailing list and to a select group of restaurants.

From Wine Enthusiast magazine: "Made from Dijon clones, the wine shows a brilliant purity of cherry fruit, with rich, earthy complexities of mushrooms, forest floor, cola and balsam. Bone dry, it has an elegantly silky quality that cries out for the best foods." Rating - 93 points.

We served it with Teriyaki Barbeque Chicken Breasts, Snap Pea Salad with Sesame Oil Dressing, and Rice with Green Onions.

2005 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This is the Williams Selyem 25th Anniversary vintage. From the winery's website: "The Pommard clone predominant in this blend is reminiscent of blackberries, plums, cloves, black truffle, cola and crème brûlée. The rich and broad tannins accentuate blackberry-plummy fruits and complement the creamy, silky, yet fat finish and concentrated berry/spicy flavors."

Bottom line - this is a really, really good Sonoma Pinot Noir. 3,308 cases made.

We had the wine with a light dinner of cheeses, fruit, marcona almonds, salami, and bread.

2003 Mueller Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - Emily’s Cuvée

Mueller Winery produces small quantities of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah and Pinot Gris from the Russian River and Sonoma Coast regions of California. Their winery is located on Starr Road in the Russian River Valley.

The Emily’s Cuvée is produced primarily from pinot noir grapes from a single vineyard near the banks of the Russian River. From Wine Spectator which gave the wine a 93 rating and named it one of the Top 100 wines of 2006: "The wine has a deep, rich cranberry color. Fragrant rose petal and raspberry aromas turn elegant and stylish on the palate, with fresh, lively acidity and a sleek, rich aftertaste. Wonderful balance, finesse and delicacy. The finish sails on."

We had this wine at Citrus at Social restaurant in Hollywood with our friends Elyn and Ed. We ordered a variety of appetizers and main courses that we shared.

2002 Deerfield Ranch Cohn Vineyard Pinot Noir

The nearly 40 year old Cohn Vineyard lies on a rocky slope above the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. The vineyard produces very low yields (that's good).

Deerfield Ranch is a small, family owned winery located in the town of Kenwood, just north of the city of Sonoma in the Sonoma Valley. PJ and Robert Rex founded this winery in the 1980s. Michael Browne of Kosta Browne wines is a consulting winemaker.

We visited the winery in February 2006 and tasted their wines with PJ while sitting at their dining room table and playing with their dog, Skywalker.

This wine is full flavored, berry aromas, soft tannins, low acidity, and a long finish. Most of the qualities you enjoy in a great California Pinot Noir. 360 cases produced.

We served this with grilled chicken and apple sausages, a pasta salad with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, and watermelon.

2007 Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir Rose'

This Rosé is 100% Pinot Noir from Ketcham Vineyard just off Eastside Road in the Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County. It is made in the saignée method, in which the juice of the fermenting pinot noir is bled from the tanks. The light color is due to the short period of time the juice is exposed to the grape skins, which provide color to wine. It is delightfully dry with wafts of strawberry, watermelon and berry. It is crafted as the consummate summer quaffer. Only 40 cases produced.

Served with a light dinner of caprese salad, tuna with white bean salad, and antipasto plate.