Pinot Paradise '09

What an amazing event. 35 Santa Cruz Mountains wineries pouring so many excellent Pinot Noirs. Well, I guess I shouldn't be self-conscious about liking so many wines from my favorite region.

The first six wines were part of the sub-regional seminar.

Cumbre of Vine '06 Raffaelli Vyd.
Nose - restrained, ollalieberry, touches of clove and resin.
Dense black and rhubarb fruit, earthy, some zest, mushroom, white pepper, sage, rosemary, rose hips. Seems muddled. This may come together with time, but I'm not holding my breath. 85++ pts

Storrs '06 Wildcat Ridge Vyd.
Nose - blambly, blackberry, mint, rich.
Rich, full, sultry, integrated. Blackberry, sage, nice spice, smooth dusty tannin, savory, a bit of zest. Very nice and ready to go. 93 pts

Fogarty '07 Estate Rapley Trail Vyd. Block M
Nose - Restrained, earthy, minty, blackberry, resin.
Dark brambly rhubarb, black plum, minty eucalyptus, earthy, with a hint of pith a truffles on the finish. Fairly heavy. 89-90 pts

Beauregard '06 Bald Mountain
Nose - boysenberry, allspice, earthy, red plum, lavender, creme de menthe.
Black plum and bay, sweet red plum, rhubarb, mushroom, blackberry, pinot gris, touch of zest, tingly mouthfeel. 91 pts

Mount Eden '06 Estate
Nose - bright but dark and rich, black plum, blackberry, redwood, and some red fruit.
Elegant but intense, dark earthy minerally savory, truffle, low-key black plum, sandalwood, hint of orange zest, smoked meat. Ethereal finish. Young and tight. 94+ pts

Sonnet '06 Muns Vyd.
Nose - has a light mintiness, basil, chocolate, restrained red and black fruit.
Bay, earth, truffles, mint, black plum in the back seat, with smokiness, sandalwood and a touch of zest and pith on the finish. Needs 2+ years. 89 pts

McHenry '05 Estate
Nose - heady, rustic, floral, strawberry, dark minerality, rhubarb.
Brambly, truffle, black cherry, smoke, zest. Lovely. 93 pts

McHenry '06 Estate "Swan Clone"
Nose - bright, strawberry, rhubarb and black cherry.
Dark minerality, black cherry, smoke, orange, bright glyceriny strawberry. 93 pts

Muccigrosso '05
Nose - warm, mellow, dark fruit.
Dark, toasty, nutmeg, black plum, red cherry. 90 pts

Muccigrosso '06
Nose - restrained, tight, hints of black cherry and red plum.
Smoky, roasted plum, truffle, red cherry, glycerin, lemon zest. 91 pts

Windy Oaks '06 Wild Yeast
Nose - light, elegant, cardamon, star anise, cinnamon, red plum.
Smooth strawberry, red plum, hint of rhubarb. Just lovely. 93 pts

Windy Oaks '06 Diane's Block
Nose - Smooth, zesty, rhubarb, red plum.
Fresh spicy rhubarb, raspberry, nutmeg. 92 pts

Woodside '05 Estate
Nose - heady spicy aromatics, blackberry, black plum, nutmeg, anise, sage...
Extraordinary spice medley, black plum, blackberry, rustic, tingly. 95 pts!
(This was my #2 wine last year and it's really opened up.)

Woodside '06 Estate
Nose - warm, smooth, tighter rustic black fruit.
Blackberry, orange zest and orange, smoky, cherry, char, citron. 93+ pts

Clos LaChance '06 SCM
Nose - tangy rhubarb, dark minerality, strawberry, earth.
Zesty, black plum, truffle, cranberry, smooth, ready. 90 pts

Clos LaChance '05 Biagini Vyd.
Nose - stinky, earthy, rich, red plum, hint of resin. The stink blew off completely after a minute in the glass and some sandalwood appeared.
Cranberry, red plum, dark spice, good minerality. 92 pts

Clos Tita '05 SCM Cuvee
Nose - dark, sweet, spicy, brooding, VA, cinnamon.
Smooth, dark, spicy, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, black plum. 92 pts

Clos Tita '05 Estate
Nose - super dark, tight, with resin and spice, balsa and VA
Dark and resiny, with elegant spices, sweetish red finish. 91 pts

Domenico '08 SCM barrel sample
Nose - light strawberry freezer jam, anise, nutmeg.
Strawberry, blackberry, glycerin. 89 pts

Domenico '07 SCM barrel sample
Nose - resiny balsa, blackberry.
Cranberry, blackberry, lemon zest, cardamon. 87 pts

Domenico '06 SCM
Nose - smoky, roasted plum
Boysenberry, orange, rich, allspice, smooth, peppery, with blackberry and black plum on the tail end. 91 pts
(I remember from my visit, this has 2.5% Barbera & .5% Petite Verdot.)

Hallcrest '05 Terra Serena Vyd.
Nose - creamy, minty, bay, cran-raspberry.
Smooth sweet red fruit, mint. 86 pts
(This is the Woodruff property, before the vineyard was fully restored.)

Hallcrest '06 Vista del Mare Vyd.
Nose - integrated raspberry, blackberry, sweet anise, creme de menthe, hoisin.
Sweet black plum with five spice. Very nice. 91 pts

Heart O' The Mountain '06 Estate
Nose - Rich, smooth, hoisin, plum, french oak.
Smooth, integrated, savory, spiced plum, blackberry, with a peppery clove finish. 90 pts

Hunter Hill '07 Estate
Nose - spiced plum, heather, hint of resin, strawberry, mint.
Raspberry jam, nutmeg, strawbery, anise. 88-89 pts

King's Mountain '05 Estate
Nose - (reminds me of GBH) smooth blue fruit, creamy mint, sandalwood.
Spicy plum, blueberry, blackberry, smooth mint, hint of barnyard, black plum. 88 pts

Ahlgren '07 Veranda Vyd.
Nose - rhubarb, cranberry, oak spice.
Sweet glyceriny raspberry, red plum. Nice, but fairly simple. 87 pts

Alfaro '07 Estate (blend of 3 estate vineyards)
Nose - plum, light oak resin.
Dark oak, plum, savory and smoky. Needs time. 87+ pts

Alfaro '06 Lindsay Paige Vyd.
Nose - redwood, black and red plum, creamy, minty.
Black plum, tart, grippy dusty tannin, red and black plum. 89+ pts

Black Ridge '06 Estate
Nose - dense black fruit, dusty resin, tight.
Delicate, smooth, spicy, raspberry, red plum, good acid, dusty tannin. Needs 2 years. 91 pts

Black Ridge '07 Estate
Nose - tight!
Dense, complex, spicy plum, raspberry, bay, rosemary. Needs a few years. 92 pts

Big Basin '07 Branciforte Ridge
Nose - pure boysenberry, hints of resin and black plum.
Blackberry, orange, boysenberry, nutmeg, bay. Needs 2 years. 92+ pts

Big Basin '07 Alfaro Family Vyd.
Nose - blueberry, spiced plum, rosemary.
Sage, spiced plum, boysenberry, allspice. Heavenly and ready. 94 pts

Beauregard '06 Trout Gulch Vyd.
Nose - creamy, red and black fruit, smooth, mint.
Creamy, minty, bursting with boysenberry, nutmeg, peppery finish. 90 pts

Bargetto '06 Reserve
Nose - rustic plum, bay.
Pert, sweetish red plum, rustic minerality, nutmeg, rhubarb. 90 pts

Trout Gulch '07 "La Source"
Nose - rhubarb, cranberry, cherry.
Pert raspberry and rhubarb, glycerin, good minerality, boysenberry, some green. 89 pts

Fogarty '07 SCM (from estate, Regan and Camel Hill vineyards)
Nose - tight grippy blackberry, rich, hint of blueberry.
Pure, zest, boysenberry, some truffle, smoky, bright. 90+ pts

Fogarty '07 Windy Hill Estate
Nose - orange blossom, resin, black plum, mint, pineapple sage.
Black plum, boysenberry and sage, smoky and savory. 92 pts

Soquel '07 Saveria Vyd.
Nose - Sweetish red plum, hint of mint, nutmeg.
Dark spice, bright raspberry, smoke, sweet. 90 pts

Mount Eden '05 Estate
Nose - smoky, minerally, rhubarb, black plum and mint.
Black plum, sage, red plum, mint, dark minerality, smoke. Very elegant. 93++ pts
(This was my #1 wine last year. I think it's a bit closed, despite how well it's drinking. It should peak in about 10 years and could easily end up a 96 pt wine.)

Cinnabar '06 SCM
Nose - warm, black plum, hints of anise and mint.
Sweet smooth smoky red fruit. 84 pts

SCMV '06 Branciforte Creek
Nose - bay, black plum, zest.
Meaty, smoky, plum, rhubarb, blackberry. 91 pts

SCMV '05 Bailey's
Nose - bay, black plum, rose hips.
Smooth, red plum, orange zest. 91 pts




Paul Galli, Richard Jennings, Ray Walker




Jeff Emery (SCMV), Ray Walker (Domaine Ilan)




Ashley Dubois (Black Ridge)




Bradley Brown (Big Basin)




Henry and Linda McHenry