'68-'79 Ridge Geyserville - 2/16/12

Last night out tasting group got together for the first of a 4 part series tasting almost all of the Geyservilles produced. With wines this old we were lucky all of the bottles showed well. The first vintage of Geyserville was produced in 1966 and was Ridge's first non-estate wine.

Ridge '68 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - soft, fruitcake and tobacco.
Light tart tobacco-y red fruit, strawberry and cinnamon. 92 pts

Ridge '70 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - black cherry, dark chocolate, smooth, cinnamon.
Super-smooth, sweet black cherry, quite ripe, touch of raisin, hint of fudge. 89 pts

Ridge '72 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - cherry wood, toasty baguette, redwood, haw fruit.
Cherry, haw, toasty baguette, clean, hint of tobacco. 92 pts

Ridge '74 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - sweet red cherry, mint and dill, touch of fudge.
Sandalwood, red cherry, lemon zest and pith, fudge, tangello. 91 pts

Ridge '75 Geyserville Late Picked (Sonoma County)
Nose - tobacco ash, black olive, funky leather.
Suede with cherry, redwood, lime zest, hint of barnyard. 90 pts

Ridge '76 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - dusky cola, dark cocoa, dill, cherry.
Dark dusky mahogany, ripe black cherry, hints of cinnamon hard candy and lime zest. 91 pts

Ridge '77 Geyserville Late Harvest (Sonoma County)
Nose - sweet strawberry, cocoa, brandied cherry.
Sweet delicate strawberry and cherry syrup, allspice and redwood. 93 pts

Ridge '78 Geyserville Late Picked (Sonoma County)
Nose - toasted baguette, summer savory, cherry.
Full lovely savory spice mahogany, red cherry, redwood. Still young and continued to improve over time. 95 pts

Ridge '79 Geyserville (Sonoma County)
Nose - sweet pickle, cherry, silky.
Spicy cedary cherry, cinnamon, fresh/vibrant, hints of tangerine juice and zest. 92 pts

Ridge Visit - 2/10/12

One of my out-of-state wine friends comes here on quick business trips a few times a year. He usually has time to join a bunch of us for dinner, but had never had the time to visit any wineries before. This time was different, and my standing offer was taken. As a fellow Ridge fan his priority was clear. Ridge now offers limited weekday appointments - two seatings of a themed tasting at a communal table. I made the 2 pm appointment and decided to play the rest by ear.

Our rendezvous, with another local friend joining us, was at the Big Basin Vineyards tasting room in downtown Saratoga. No notes taken, in keeping with being a good sociable host. Our favorite was the '09 Lester Vyd. Pinot Noir, followed by the '07 Rattlesnake Rock Syrah.

Next stop was a quick visit to The Mountain Winery. Great view. The tasting room is now inside the restored historic former Paul Masson Winery. We tasted the '09 Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This is the fourth vintage from the replanted La Cresta Vineyard. The Chard is fresh, expressive and ready to drink. The Pinot seems a bit problematic. The grapes want to be made into an age-worthy wine, but the nature of the venue is for these wines to be mostly consumed at their events. It showed deep but closed down - dull. I think it will come around in a few years to show its pedigree, but its potential is greatly compromised by a failed attempt to make it approachable young. Previous vintages of these two wines showed the greatness of the site - why it was considered one of a handful of American grand cru vineyards - why Paul Masson was able to charge several times the amount of other top wineries for his wines. This is really disappointing, especially considering how great 2009 was for others in the area. Try Ridge's Monte Bello or Estate Chardonnay or Mount Eden's Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All stellar!

From there we zipped across and up to the Ridge tasting room. As we hit Montebello Road we entered and ascended a fog shrouded mountain. The road was wet and the view non-existent. We shared a table of 8 with people from 3 different parts of the country. There was bread and 4 artisan cheeses to enjoy while tasting. (I waited til I was done taking notes.) After tasting we were led up into the vineyard to check out the old vines, cover crops, training method, lack of view.

From there we drove back to the sun at Cooper-Garrod. Our favorites varied, but we all loved the Viognier. The Cabernet Franc was a fave for one. My easy favorite was the Syrah, though I don't think my friends share my passion for the peppery cool climate expression of this grape.

For dinner we joined a larger group for fresh crab and bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Holy moly was that good porky beef! We found an excellent Vouvray to be the perfect pairing with the crab. Wine of the night was the '81 Monte Bello our guest picked up from the Ridge library, followed by the '08 Mount Eden Estate Pinot Noir (which needed a few hours air to really soar).

Ridge '10 Chardonnay Estate (SCM)
This was bottled just the day before.
Nose - musky, round, loquat, soft spice.
Musky, viscous, under-ripe peach, tart, subtle spice, very young. (91 pts)

Ridge '09 Chardonnay Mikulaco (SCM)
Nose - notes of fontina and prosiutto, white peach, brown spice.
Soft round meaty peach, good supportive minerality, long finish. Younger drinker. 90 pts

Ridge '09 Geyserville (Alexander Valley)
(74% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro)
Nose - deep intense plum, purple fruit, quite heady, marachino.
Lovely intense plum and marachino, fine dusty tannin, wild huckleberry. 93 pts

Ridge '05 Grenache Lytton Estate (Dry Creek Valley)
(88% Grenache, 6% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah)
Nose - smoky dark savory plum, touches of redwood and nutmeg.
Lighter body, dark dusky fruit, light dusty tannin, wild plum, huckleberry, white pepper, lime. Drink '14-'22. 92 pts

Ridge '08 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
(75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc)
Nose - classic black currant, smoky black pepper, cherry wood.
Black currant, plum, tellicherry, firm gritty tannin, cherry wood, cedar. Drink '20-'35. 93 pts

Ridge '08 Monte Bello (SCM)
(72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot)
Nose - lovely floral fruit, boysenberry, cherry, black pepper, lavender, plum.
Firm gritty/dusty tannin, plum/black currant/boysenberry, tellicherry, cherry, draper perfume. Tight. Drink '22-'52. 94 pts

Ridge '10 Monte Bello (SCM)
Nose - Wow! Onderful heady perfum and spice, meaty, smoky violet, soft purple fruit.
Lovely plum and black currant, dine dusty tannin, boysenberry, violet. Drink '20-'50+ 96 pts

SCM Trade Tasting - SF 2/7/12

Yesterday Dave and I drove up to San Francisco to sample some new and upcoming releases from several of the Santa Cruz Mountains producers. I followed a strategy to go from white to light to darker reds, with an emphasis on Pinot Noirs, so I bounced around quite a bit. (Notes are posted in order of tasting for your inconvenience.) As always, there wasn't time to get to everything. I skipped Ridge because those are wines I'll be trying Friday when visiting with an out of town friend. Unfortunately, Kathryn Kennedy had packed up by the time I was ready to try them. (The crowd had died down quite a bit near the end, so perhaps they just decided to finish pouring what was open and then take off.) Anyway, tasted a lot of excellent wines...

River Run '10 Viognier (Santa Cruz County)
Nose - clean, hay, sweet pea, touch of lemon, pith.
Pert lemon, sweet pea, hay, pith. Nice early drinker. 88 pts

Quinta Cruz '10 Verdelho Silvaspoons Vyd. (Alta Mesa)
Nose - rich, custardy, nutty.
Lovely, rich, nutty, lemon custard. Trails off. Young? 87 pts

Mount Eden '09 Chardonnay Estate (SCM)
Nose - full, elegantly rich, hazelnut, lemon custard, complex spice.
Gorgeous, packed, good acid,lemon, sour grass, nutmeg. Just so complex! Very young. Drink '22-'36. 96 pts

Fogarty '08 Chardonnay (SCM)
Nose - smooth, creamy, notes of anise, lime and lemon.
Smooth but flat, awkward blend of grass, lemon, spice. 86+ pts

Fogarty '09 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - good intensity,lovely savory herbs.
Peppery, rhubarb, white pepper, pith, button mushroom. 89 pts

Bargetto '09 Pinot Noir Reserve (SCM)
Nose - shy, dusty/smooth, refined spice, dark fruit.
Smooth tannin, dark fruit, refined complexity, touch of graphite, black cherry, dried leaf, chamomile. Touch of bitter herb on the finish. Drink '14-'20. 92 pts

Sonnet '09 Pinot Noir Muns Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - reserved, rich, custardy, peppercorn.
Custard, white pepper, cherry, nutmeg, cinnamon. Lingers well. Drink '12-'18+. 92 pts

Mount Eden "09 Pinot Noir Estate (SCM)
Nose - gorgeous heady cherry and spices.
Lovely cherry, dark mineral, savory, gorgeous complexity, violets. Drink '12-'27. 95 pts

Domaine Eden '10 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - heady cherry and strawberry, elegant, hint of star anise, white pepper.
Lighter body but intense. Cherry, strawberry, good mineral, violet, white pepper. Drink '12-'16. 92+ pts

Sonnet '09 Pinot Noir Tondre Grapefield (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - nice full SLH expression, with red clay, cinnamon, redwood.
Dark plummy, lots of nutmeg, dusty tannin, clay. 90 pts

Storrs '08 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - creamy, bright, strawberry, vanillin oak spice, dark plum.
Vanillin oak spices, confectionary plummy fruit. 91 pts

Clos LaChance '08 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - smooth plum, raspberry, flan.
Smooth rhubarb, smoke, creamy oak spice, brambly, good mineral. 90 pts

Odonata '11 Petite Sirah Rose
100% pressed juice, barrel fermented. This will be an April club release.
Nose - gorgeous intense strawberry, cherry, plum wine, touches of cinnamon and anise.
Clean gorgeous Strawberry, cherry, plum and lemon. Touch of papaya on the finish. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Pinot Noir Domani Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - heady savory deep fruit, hint of cinnamon.
Lovely spices and savory dragon fruit, hints of cherry, rhubarb, lemon, strawberry. Drink '12-'18. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Malbec Silvaspoons Vyd. (Alta Mesa)
Nose - deep jujube, plum, anise, custard.
Full dusty plum, dragon fruit, hints of cinnamon and cardamon. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Syrah Zayante Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - intense meaty minerally plum, hints of galangal and patchouli.
Lovely savory plum, dark mineral, smoked meat, violet, white pepper. 93 pts

Odonata '09 Petite Sirah Machado Creek (Santa Clara County)
Nose - intense porty blackberry, cinnamon, marachino liquour.
Ripe blackberry, porty cherry, hint of heat, cinnamon, good acid. 90 pts

Damselfly Cellars '09 Sangiovese Machado Creek (Santa Clara County)
(This is Odonata's second label.)
Nose - escorial, delicate slightly meaty red fruit.
Bright cherry and strawberry, dusty tannin, delicate spice, slight meat. 90 pts

Damselfly Cellars '09 Petite Sirah (Monterrey County)
Nose - boysenberry with orange and strawberry.
Tart fruit follows through, ash, fine/dusty tannin. 88 pts

Mount Eden '08 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - dark smooth black currant, blackberry, savory spice, lint of licorice.
Lovely brambly blackbeery and black currant, elegant spice, flan, savory, hint of orange zest. Drink '12-'22. 92+ pts

Domaine Eden '08 Cabernet Sauvignon (SCM)
Nose - smooth intense plum and black currant, hints of cedar and redwood, very classic expression, hint of white pepper.
Classic cedary black currant, smoky plum, good mineral, hints of licorice and violet. Drink '12-'16. 91 pts

Quinta Cruz '09 Tempranillo Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
Nose - lighter red fruits.
Strawberry, dragon fruit and mango, smooth soft tannin. 89 pts

Quinta Cruz '08 Tempranillo Reserve Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
(Includes some Touriga and Graciano)
Nose - savory, smoked alder, blackberry, cinnamon, kirsh.
Round soft kirsh, blackberry, cinnamon, red plum. 89 pts

Quinta Cruz '09 Touriga Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
Nose - lovely cooked orange, plum, kirsh, allspice.
Lovely pert plum, lemon, orange, ginger, cinnamon, Cotlets. 93 pts


Quinta Cruz '09 Graciano Bokisch Vyd. (Clements Hills)
Nose - soft cherry and tellicherry, smoky tea.
Plum, soft peppercorn, raspberry, cinnamon, toasted rice. 90 pts

La Rustican d'Orsa '07 Cinque (SCM)
(These are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, made by Jeffrey Patterson.)
Nose - deep fruit, redwood, jalapeno.
Soft full plum and black currant, green peppercorn, redwood, some frosting on the finish. Drink '12-'14. 90 pts


La Rustican d'Orsa '08 Cinque (SCM)
Nose - smoky rubber/tar, deep fruit, hint of red plum, sweaty.
Smoky savory soft plum and black currant, touches of boysenberry, lavender and rosemary. Drink '12-'14. 91 pts


La Rustican d'Orsa '09 Cinque (SCM)
Nose - deep savory soft fruit.
Soft plummy black currant, hint of tellicherry. Drink '12-'15. 90 pts

Nauman '07 Merlot (SCM)
Nose - roasty, meaty, savory, saline plum.
Smoked grain, savory plum, dusty/gritty tannin, roasted pork. Drink '12-'18. 90 pts

Nauman '09 Tre Rosso (SCM)
(60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc)
Nose - tellicherry, soft plum, lavender.
Soft savory plum, hint of jujube, lavender, roasty. 90 pts

Fogarty '06 Merlot (SCM)
Nose - smooth smoky cherry.
Smoky peppery cherry, alderwood, hint of bitter herb. 87 pts

Mandarin Wine - 8/11/11

Four years ago Burt and I made wine from my Rangpur Limes. Burt was over recently and saw the tree was full, so suggested doing it again. We stripped the tree clean, then spent the next few hours juicing the fruit. In all, we yielded 3.4 gallons of juice from 4 bins of fruit.

Amit joined us to adjust for fermentation. We added water and sugar to 15 gallons, adjusting the sugar up to 21.5 brix. It tasted great! Rangpur Limes are very intense in flavor. The only question was acidity, which tasted perfect. We didn't want to dilute any more than necessary. It tested out to .86% TA.

Racking the '10 Syrah - 5/3/11

Amit, Burt and I got together to rack our group's '10 Syrah. We cleaned the tank, pump and tubing, transferred the wine off its lees to the tank, cleaned the lees out of the barrel, then back to the barrel it went. Then we cleaned again, before sitting down to taste the wine. It's coming along well.

Barton Orchard '10 Syrah Coastview Vineyard (Monterey County)
Sulfur is minimal and color is darker.
Nose - dark, rich, soft, more integrated, lovely black and red fruit from blackberry to cranberry, good smoky character, hint of bacon, clean mineral sense.
Grippy tart blackberry, juicy, a bit of pith and plum skin, good mineral - granite and graphite, hints of meat and mushroom, orange zest. Lighter on the finish, with a touch of bubblegum, purple basil, thyme, violet, savory and passionfruit.

'10 Plum Bottling - 4/29/11

Gil, Burt and I got together to bottle our most recent plum wine. Burt bought a floor corker, like the one we used for the '09 Cabernet, which is far superior to the hand corker we'd been using. Like last year's Elderberry, Burt wanted to filter his portion of the plum wine. First, we tasted our wine as it was, dry and unfiltered. Then we filtered his half and tasted again. Then sweetened to his preference level and tasted again. I chose not to filter, as I feel it strips the wine of some complexity. We also tried his version of the '09 Elderberry wine. I'll include my notes from my unfiltered version, tried two days later. Lastly, we sampled from our barrel of '10 Syrah, deciding it was reductive and in need of racking.

'10 Plum dry, unfiltered
Nose - bright and heady, with deep plum skin, black plum and raspberry, with touches of apricot and strawberry.
Quite tart. Intense flavors follow through. A touch of bitterness from the concentrated skin taste.

We're thinking that since the intensity of flavor is always so high, and that the '08 came out too acidic, that this year if the acidity is too high at crush, we can simply adjust it by adding water. Some of Burt's friends would prefer it less concentrated, anyway. (That would, of course, be done before adding sugar to desired brix level. I should also note that our desired acidity level for the plum is higher than just about any grape wine.)

'10 Plum filtered, dry
Cleaner, lighter, simpler. Plummy, more strawberry.

Burton's '10 Plum "Barton Orchard" Filtered
Sweetened with 6 cups of sugar to 7 gallons.
Nice round smoky plum, strawberry and raspberry. Good grip.

Barton Orchard '10 Plum "Estate" Unfiltered
Sweetened with 1 cup of sugar to 6 gallons.
More delicate, more strawberry, less sweet than previous off-dry. Nice.

I was planning to do this completely dry, but chicken out due to the minor bitterness. Then, after trying the Elderberry, which was quite bitter when bottled last year, I immediately regretted my second guessing. But I did do 2 bottles completely dry, in order to have something to check in on.

Burton's '09 Elderberry "Barton Orchard" Filtered
Nose - shy light red fruit, a touch meaty, musty, opening up with pomegranate.
Delicately sweet, light red fruit, a touch meaty, foxy/musty elderflower. Bitterness is almost completely gone.

Barton Orchard '09 Elderberry "Estate" Unfiltered
5/1/2011: Bitterness is pretty much resolved. Very fragrant and floral with lots of raspberry, other red fruits and elderberry, some astringency and a hint of bitterness. Good complexity and body. Should be better dry, or at least sweetening wasn't necessary after all.

Barton Orchard '10 Syrah "Coastview Vineyard" (Monterey County)
Nose - deep, touch of sulfur, classic dark Coastview Syrah, touch of smoked ham, soft expression.
Sulfur note, blackberry, smoked ham, good mineral, touch of mandarin.

Pathway to Pinot Paradise - 3/26/11

Pathway is the support event on the Saturday of the Pinot Paradise weekend. A self guided tour, where many of the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir producers host open houses, bringing out special treats such as barrel samples, library wines and limited release wines. I joined my friend Tom for a visit to the four Corralitos wineries.

NICHOLSON VINEYARDS
The Nicholsons planted their first vines in 1996. In 2008 they were joined by talented winemaker Ian Brand. Ian is also winemaker and vineyard manager at Coastview Vineyard, among other things. Bringing Ian on board has really brought their wines up to the next level.

'07 Chardonnay Estate (SCM)
Nose - rich, dark, unctuous, smooth, loquat and cinnamon.
Sharp, dark, brown wood spice, heavy wood over light minerally fruit, loquat, lime, cinnamon, allspice. 84 pts

'09 Viognier Cedar Lane Vineyard (Arroyo Seco)
Nose - warm peach cobbler, nutmeg.
Lovely peach and green apple, good minerality, cinnamon and a hint of nasturtium. Should round out with about 6 more months in the bottle. 91 pts

'08 Pinot Noir Brook's Block (SCM)
Nose - nice savory spice, dark fruit showing rhubarb.
Savory rhubarb with clove, firm, dusty/grippy tannins, touches of plum and cinnamon. Drink '13-'23. 92 pts

'08 Pinot Noir Estate Reserve (SCM)
Nose - more elegant, dark fruit, nutmeg, rhubarb, savory.
Savory spice, nutmeg, rhubarb. Lovely. Dusty/grippy tannin, firm, hint of lemon verbena. Drink '14-'24. 93 pts

'08 Pinot Noir Split Rail Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - light floral sense, savory, touches of black cherry and rhubarb.
Savory black cherry and rhubarb, nutmeg, dusty tannin, slight meaty tinge, hint of iodine. 93+ pts

'08 Syrah Coastview Vineyard (Monterey County)
Nose - inky, deep, boysenberry and sandalwood, cinnamon and violet.
Firm, boysenberry, plum, grippy/dusty tannin, sandalwood, cherry, violet. Drink '15-'25. 93 pts

'08 Zinfandel Old Vine (Amador County)
Nose - bright, porty, cherry and strawberry, dried plum, raisin.
Smooth raisin and cherry, cinnamon. 88 pts

PLEASANT VALLEY VINEYARDS
PPV were established in 1996, crafting wines from 5 acres of estate fruit as well as careful sourcing from distinctive sites elsewhere.

'08 Dylan David Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard Thelma-Henrietta Block (SCM)
(This block is planted to Dijon Clone 115.)
Nose - shy unctuous wild cherry, soft wood spice.
Wild cherry, firm, wood spice, wild plum. Drink '11-'17. 90 pts

'08 Dylan David Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard Willa-Louise Block (SCM)
(This block is planted to Dijon Clone 667.)
Nose - meaty, strawberry, wild cherry.
Unctuous pithy wild cherry, a bit brambly, chamomile, grass, sage. Drink '13-'18 91 pts

'08 Dylan David Pinot Noir Family Estate Reserve (SCM)
Nose - warm rich strawberry and plum, soft spice.
Savory, round, dusty tannin, plum, rhubarb, lavender, hints of thyme and lemon rind. Drink '15-'27. 92 pts

'09 Dylan David Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard Thelma-Henrietta Block (SCM)
(Barrel sample)
Nose - smooth savory plum, slight meaty sense.
Savory, stemmy, smooth, plum, soft oak spice. Needs time to round out. Drink '13-'18. 90+ pts

'09 Dylan David Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard Willa-Louise Block (SCM)
Nose - bright lovely Seguin Morreau oak spice, hint of raspberry, green herb, nutmeg.
Lovely nutmeg spice, tart. plum/raspberry/wild cherry, fine tannin. Drink '12-'22. 93 pts

'09 Dylan David Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard Cuvee (SCM)
(This is a blend of 2/3 clone 115 and 1/3 clone 667.)
Nose - Heady lovely savory spice, wild plum, violet.
Dusty, savory, lavender, plum, wild cherry, thyme. Drink '14-'22. 93+ pts

ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARDS
The Alfaros purchased their 75 acres property in 1997 and planted 35 acres of it to vines. The estate is planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot. They also purchase fruit and sell some fruit to other wineries, such as Big Basin.

'08 Scarlet Red Wine (SCM)
(85% Pinot Noir, 12% Syrah, 3% Merlot)
Nose - deep dark cherry and nice spice.
Deep cherry and plum, acidic, savory wood, gritty tannin, touch of rustic jujube. Drink '12-'18. 87+ pts

'09 Pinot Noir Gimelli Vineyards (Cienega Valley)
Nose - smooth, meaty, velvety berry and raspberry.
Nice savory plum and raspberry, good grip, touches of nutmeg and rhubarb. Drink '11-'21. 91+ pts

'08 Pinot Noir Schultze Family Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - warm, mildly barnyardy, savory berry, luxurious oak spice.
Lovely Francois Freres(?) spice, good mineral, berry and plum, vibrant and lingering, hints of rhubarb and cranberry. Drink '11-'23. 92+ pts

'08 Pinot Noir Alfaro Family Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - nice full savory tingly berry, touch of redwood, hint of rhubarb.
Firm, almost harsh, packed with berry, dusty tannin, good acidity, hint of cranberry, redwood, good minerality. Drink '12-'19 91+ pts

WINDY OAKS
The Schultzes planted their first Pinot Noir in 1996, and have really been been the leaders in Corralitos Pinot Noir.

'08 Pinot Noir "Diane's Block" (SCM)
Nose - light, heady, brandied spiced cherry, touch of sassafras, hint of raspberry.
Firm, spiced cherry, flan, raspberry, lime pith, a touch of bitterness and heat, smooth/dusty tannin, touch of cocoa. 89 pts

'08 Pinot Noir "Cuvee" (SCM)
Nose - full, smoky and meaty, minerally cherry.
Minerally cherry and rhubarb, some pith, smoke, lanolin, cinnamon. Drink '13-'18. 91 pts

'08 Pinot Noir "100% Whole Cluster" (SCM)
Nose - lovely and elegant, cinnamon, soft red fruit, subtle smoke.
Lovely elegant red fruit, good mineral, cinnamon, some mid-level grip, cherry, dandelion, hints of nutmeg and lanolin. Drink '13-'25. 93 pts

'08 Pinot Noir "Proprietor's Reserve" (SCM)
Nose - rich minerally berry/rhubarb/cranberry, some sandalwood and flan, smoky earthy redwood.
Minerally cranberry, berry, rhubarb, redwood, cinnamon, cilantro, some meaty pith. Drink '13-'27. 93 pts

'09 Pinot Noir "Proprietor's Reserve" (SCM) barrel sample
Nose - lovely deep velvety strawberry, flinty smoke, berry.
Grippy rustic wild cherry, strawberry, flinty mineral, lime zest. Hints of rhubarb and lavender. Lovely. Drink '13-33. 95 pts

'06 Pinot Noir "Special Burgundian Clone" (SCM)
Nose - lovely, soft, almost meaty, haw fruit, leche dulce, strawberry, bread pudding, nutmeg, cinnamon.
warm, soft, bread pudding, plum, haw fruit, lovely, firm dusty tannin. Drink now-'25. 94 pts