BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
character. It’s ripe enough in cherries to satisfy,
and also brisk in acidity, with complex mineral
and herb notes, and the oak barrel layering is perfect.
Lovely now for its silky texture, and will
develop over the next 5–7 years. —S.H.
93
Belle Glos 2008 Taylor Lane Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast);
$44. The best of Belle Glos’s 2008 Pinots. It’s
notable for the extreme richness of the raspberries
and cherries, which have a jammy intensity
with even more succulent notes of vanilla cream
and smoky butter. But the finish is dry, while
acidity and tannins bring the wine to earth. Delicious
now and through 2014. —S.H.
93
Conspire 2008 Russian River Pinot
Noir (Sonoma County); $42. Richly
textured, this Pinot comes from the Sebastopol
area. In this cool vintage, it has a bright burst
of acidity and is very dry, with intricate
flavors of raspberries, cherries, pomegranates,
licorice, sweet oak and lots of dusty spices.
Now–2014. —S.H.
93
Testarossa 2008 Brosseau Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Chalone); $54. A
beautiful Pinot Noir. So dry and elegant, so light
and crisp in the mouth, and yet so complex. Continues
a string of impressive wines from this
remote vineyard. Shows mineral-inflected cherry,
currant and cola flavors, in a full-bodied wine
with great density and finish. Now–2016, at least.
Cellar Selection. —S.H.
92
Feliz Noche 2007 Pinot Noir (Santa
Barbara County); $95. Tons of flavor
in this Pinot. Dazzles with waves of cherries,
rhubarb, pomegranate, cola, currants and licorice,
accented with swanky oak. The texture is firm
and silky, the finish thoroughly dry. A real beauty
that should develop complexity for a decade. The
grapes are from Santa Rita Hills, so why doesn’t
the label say so? —S.H.
92
Riverbench 2008 Mesa Pinot Noir
(Santa Maria Valley); $48. This has
been Riverbench’s best Pinot and it still is. Shows
the wonderful ability to be deliciously drinkable
now, yet with the stuffing for the cellar. Dry and
crisp and full-bodied, it shows berry, currants,
mushroom, grilled meat and sandalwood flavors,
dusted with Indian spices. Now–2015. —S.H.
92
Rusack 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir
(Sta. Rita Hills); $40. This is a fine
example of a fresh, complex, young Santa Rita
Hills Pinot Noir. It’s bone dry and elegantly crisp,
with intricate flavors of cherries, rhubarb, pomegranates,
Dr. Pepper cola and minerals, along
with sweet, smoky notes from oak barrel aging.
Best of all is the silky texture. Fine now, with
decanting, and through 2014. —S.H.
91
Belle Glos 2008 Las Alturas Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Monterey
County); $44. Impresses for the sheer volume
of fruit, offering waves of pie filling raspberries,
cherries and red currants, with notes of cocoa,
bacon, sweet oak and savory spices. A good bite
of Central Coast acidity fortunately brings briskness
to the richness. Drink now–2012. —S.H.
91
Rusack 2008 Pinot Noir (Santa
Maria Valley); $36. This is a beautiful
Pinot Noir for drinking over the next few years.
It’s bone dry, and shows the classic structure you
want from a Pinot Noir, with brisk acidity and
gentle tannins framing spicy flavors of black cherries,
pomegranates and cola. —S.H.
91
Rusack 2008 Solomon Hills Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Val-
ley); $45. Give this fresh young Pinot a few
years to come around. Right now, it’s brisk in primary
fruit cherry, blackberry and cola flavors,
with bright acidity and furry tannins. Shows all
the hallmarks of a wine that wants age. Should
develop after 2013. —S.H.
90
Healdsburg Ranches 2009 Appellation
Series Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley); $19. Great price for a Pinot Noir
this rich and fancy. It really flatters the palate,
offering waves of raspberry, cherry, root beer,
vanilla and sandalwood flavors, with a spicy finish.
The light, silky texture is especially nice, as is the
low alcohol balance. Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
89
Saintsbury 2009 Garnet Pinot Noir
(Carneros); $18. Garnet long has been
one of California’s greatest entry-level Pinot
Noirs, and it still is. Maybe the best. The ’09
reflects the balanced vintage. It’s a dry, silky, lightbodied
wine, with pretty raspberry and cola flavors.
Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
89
Terlato 2008 Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley); $60. An interesting and
challenging wine. Shows some funky, mushroomy
notes, along with flavors of cherries, cola, rhubarb
and green tomato jam, accompanied by high acid-
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ity. It’s Burgundian, in its own way, and could
develop in the bottle. Now–2014. —S.H.
88
Belle Glos 2008 Clark & Telephone
Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Maria
Valley); $44. Tremendously rich and ripe, this
Pinot just dazzles the palate with waves of raspberries,
cherries, cocoa, red licorice, bacon and
other intense umami flavors. It’s dry and silky, but
the drawback is excessive softness. —S.H.
88
Chime 2008 Pinot Noir (Anderson
Valley); $18. This is a fine Pinot Noir.
May not be as full-bodied or fruity as some, but
it’s truly elegant, crisply refined, and thoroughly
dry, offering raspberry, rhubarb, tangerine zest
and Dr. Pepper cola flavors that are wrapped into
a silky texture. Production was a low 820 cases.
Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
88
Firefly Night 2008 Lone Oak Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands);
$55. This is a heavy, full-bodied wine,
with the weight of a Rhône variety, perhaps
Grenache. Purists will criticize it for lacking the
elegance you want in an expensive Pinot Noir.
It’s dry and tannic, with deep flavors of red currants,
cherries, licorice, Canadian bacon and
peppery spices. Could develop in the bottle, but
it’s risky. —S.H.
88
Testarossa 2008 Niclaire Pinot
Noir (California); $75. A bit of a letdown
after a string of riper, more successful vintages.
Feels sharp and somewhat herbal, with a
hay or dried wheat edge to the black cherry and
rhubarb fruit. Could just be going through a
tough period, and might emerge on the other
side in 5–6 years. —S.H.
88
Windsor Sonoma 2008 Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley); $28. Here’s a
sweetly delicious young Pinot whose flavors are
designed to please. It floods the mouth with raspberry
and cherry jam, anise, cola, pepper and sandalwood
notes, brightened with crisp acidity.
Drink now. —S.H.
87
Belle Glos 2008 Meiomi Pinot Noir
(Sonoma County-Monterey
County-Santa Barbara County); $25. Luscious
in candied, pastry-filling raspberries
and cherries, with dustings of cocoa, cinnamon
and vanilla, and a sweet veneer of smoky sandalwood.
Could be somewhat crisper and better