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est floor make it savory and substantially rewarding.
—V.B.
abv: 14.8% Price: $56
91
Bernardus 2014 Soberanes Vineyard Pinot
Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands). Cranberry
juice, touches of juniper and muddy-soil notes arise
on the nose of this bottling from a popular vineyard
in the region. The earthy palate combines a line
of beet juice with clay, turned earth, black plum
and dried pine needles, framed by chalky tannins.
—M.K.
abv: 14.5% Price: $55
91
Bernardus 2013 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands).
Clean and classic aromas of dark-red
fruit, from cherry to bramble, meet with candied
rose petal and clove aromas on the nose of this
appellation blend. The palate is led by allspice and
dried mint, all packaged in a medium-bodied format.
—M.K.
abv: 14.5% Price: $35
91
Blair 2013 Delfina’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Arroyo Seco). Peppery herbs lead the nose
on this bottling, with sagebrush, bay leaf and rust
giving depth to the light cranberry and raspberry
fruit. The palate is earthy with juniper and turnedloam
flavors, plus more bay leaf, iron cranberry and
some rhubarb. —M.K.
abv: 14.2% Price: $45
91
David Bruce 2013 Pinot Noir (Sonoma County).
This is a deliciously spicy exploration of wild
strawberry and succulent waves of medium-bodied
earth and structure. Lengthy and complex, it makes
a case for the beauty that can come from blending
from various vineyards. —V.B.
abv: 14.7% Price: $36
91
En Garde 2013 Olivet Court Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). This wine is made entirely from
the Martini clone of the variety, a heritage clone
that imparts a lovely perfume of raspberry and rose
that’s hard to resist. Moderately spicy cola seasons
a voluptuous midpalate that fills with length as the
wine develops, never letting go of its unshakeable
prettiness. —V.B.
abv: 14.2% Price: $54
91
Migration 2014 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
For full review see page 14.
abv: 14.5% Price: $38
91
Monte Smith 2014 Leras Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley). This is made from a
cool vineyard site, low in elevation and often covered
in fog. The wine is sultry and velvety, with a
smoky edge wrapped in candied cherry and cinnamon.
It’s overdelivers in terms of price as well.
—V.B.
abv: 14.4% Price: $28
91
Puma Road 2012 Apex Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Santa Lucia Highlands). Hearty rhubarb,
cranberry and cherry notes meet with copious
spices, from allspice to cinnamon to vanilla, on
the nose of this bottling that also shows dust and
cigar box. It’s boisterous with fresh flavors on the
palate, where black raspberry and juicy strawberry
flavors are cut by sharp spice and a pine-needle finish.
—M.K.
abv: 14.1% Price: $45
91
R2 2013 Guidici Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma
Coast). This is a clear, light wine, aged lightly
in oak, only 30% of it new. Wild brush and burnt
orange dominate in taste and aroma, with additional
characteristics of rhubarb, red cherry and
lovely rose. —V.B.
abv: 14.3% Price: $68
91
Rideau 2014 Garey Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa
Maria Valley). A healthy dose of potpourri
and lavender kick off the nose of this bottling, with
sweet pine, plum and raspberry waves inviting one
in for repeat sniffs. Cedar, sandalwood and incense
touches show on the palate, where tangy plum fruit
and roasting herbs start to delve toward the olive
and Mediterranean spice rack as well. —M.K.
abv: 13.7% Price: $46
91
Saintsbury 2014 Pratt Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Sonoma Coast). From the Pratt Vineyard on
Sexton Road, this impressive offering is bold and
lush, smoothly textured even in its concentration of
thick red cherry and forest. It exalts in a shock of
white pepper that is beautiful to behold. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $62
91
Saintsbury 2014 Sundawg Ridge Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Green Valley). Cranberry and
strawberry make for a pretty, fruity wine that’s velvety
in texture and full bodied in depth and length.
Black tea and a backbeat of orange and lemon add
to the tartness of this layered, complex red. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $62
91
Sonoma-Cutrer 2014 Pinot Noir (Russian River
Valley). For full review see page 15.
abv: 14.2% Price: $30
91
Talisman 2013 Adastra Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Los Carneros). Adastra is an organically
farmed vineyard and the wine shows an earthy
profile that’s substantial and defining. Full bodied
and ripe, it rides a tension of acidity that provides
freshness, seasoned in tart cherry and pomegranate.
—V.B.
abv: 14.9% Price: $56
91
Talisman 2013 Gunsalus Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley). From a sloped vineyard
in Green Valley, this impressive wine is spicy
in cardamom with plenty of forest floor character,
a tanginess dominant on the full-bodied palate.
Orange zest and cranberry accent fine-tuned tannin
and subtle oak. —V.B.
abv: 14.6% Price: $54
91
Talisman 2013 Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Yorkville Highlands). The antithesis of a
squeaky-clean commercial wine, this funky but
compelling and complex bottling is an adventure
to drink. Brownish in color, it conveys strong earth,
spice and new-leather notes in the aroma, followed
by flavors like black tea, rhubarb and cedar. While
it was aged for an unusually long time in 70% new
French oak, it comes off as layered and spicy but not
at all overoaked. —J.G.
abv: 14.2% Price: $65
91
The Calling 2014 Fox Den Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley). For full review see
page 15.
abv: 14.1% Price: $62
91
White Hart Wine 2015 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia
Highlands). From a vineyard that’s 40 years
old, this smartly priced bottling shows vanilla,
clove, hickory smoke and black cherry on the hearty
nose. The palate is soft upon entry, showing more of
that clove against a baked black-plum background.
—M.K.
abv: 14.5% Price: $25
90
Acacia 2013 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
For full review see page 16.
abv: 14.5% Price: $60
90
Acacia 2013 Thornton Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Sonoma Coast). For full review see page
16.
abv: 14.5% Price: $50
90
Angeline 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir (Mendocino).
For full review see page 16. Editors’
Choice.
abv: 13.9% Price: $18
90
Balletto 2014 BCD Vineyard Estate Grown
Estate Bottled Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
For full review see page 16.
abv: 14.1% Price: $42
90
Balletto 2014 Sexton Hill Vineyard Estate
Grown Estate Bottled Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). For full review see page 16.
abv: 13.6% Price: $42
90
Bernardus 2014 Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Santa Lucia Highlands). Mulberry, crushed
slate, turned earth and a touch of clove can be found
on the nose of this bottling from a vineyard planted
by the Franscioni and Pisoni families. The sip shows
rusty rhubarb and beet juice, with some tart cranberry,
sour cherry and graphite rounding out the
flavors. —M.K.
abv: 65% Price: $65
90
En Garde 2013 Pinot Noir (Russian River
Valley). Light in color and lightly spiced,
this wine has a leathery undertone that veers into
intriguing aspects of baking spice, white pepper and
sap. Full bodied and densely concentrated, the fruit
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