ComfortWinery.com

2005 Lattanzio 'W.E. Bottoms Vineyard' Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

After five years in the cellar, this Lattanzio bottling from the wonderful 2005 vintage is drinking extremely well.   The acids are still very high and the oak interplay with the black cherry and bing cherry fruit is completmentary (instead of dominating).  This wine will blind-taste well against many of the best-known pinots made with Russian River Valley fruit in 2005.   I like the bootstrapped efforts of the proprietors, and am happy that they've received so much praise for their work.   This wine is mostly mailing-list only -- good luck finding a bottle!

2002 Williams Selyem 'Ferrington Vineyard' Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

Nine years later, this single vineyard bottling from Williams Selyem is drinking like a wine less than half its age...    I prefer to wait 5-7 years to drink most pinot noir from Northern California, because the high alcohol and extracted fruit turns me off (these tend to settle down a bit with age).   Bob Cabral's embrace of ripe fruit and heavy oak is a style that's popular now -- and the winery's shift to more and more single vineyards (many of which they own) gives them more control over the entire process.     Anderson Valley is lesser-known for pinot noir than the more famous Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, but bottlings like this one will change that...

$75; 90 points

Verve Pinot Noir 2001 Russian River Valley

I was lucky to meet Jerome Aubin, Verve's co-creator, shortly after I moved to San Francisco in mid '90s.    He has taught me a lot about high quality pinot noir -- via tastings, winemaking conversations, dinners, and his business -- Artisan Barrels.  Jerome has all the connections to the master coopers of France, and provides cooperage to a wide array of top producers (I used his Rousseau barrels twice, and was very happy with them)...

This 2001 Verve botting is starting to show signs of age after a decade.   It is still harmonious, but the acids have fallen off (which is to be expected for most Russian River Valley fruit that is harvested at or above 24 brix).   Whenever you see Verve bottlings at retail; buy them -- you won't be disappointed...

This 375ml bottle was a gift from Jerome; the 750s retail in the mid $30s.

2004 Alesia 'Sonatera Vineyard' Pinot Noir

One of the goals of the winemaking team at Rhys has been to take a strong stand against what I call the Syrah-ification of American pinot noir -- a revolt against high-alcohol & over-ripe fruit.   This bottling simply missed the mark (Kevin told me "I think we might have gotten in there (to harvest) a little late").   The fun thing about the Alesia label is that it was experimental, and while there was nothing technically wrong with this wine, it's not what they set out to make.   $45; 88 points

2008 Alesia Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The Alesia label is dead after only a few years of life.  By purchasing fruit to fuel Alesia, Rhys was able to experiment with a variety of winemaking techniques and practice while their own vineyards ramped-up (those vineyards supply the fruit for the Rhys label).    Many of the Alesia wines were excellent, and ironically this "last" Sonoma Coast bottling was the best, achieving many of the flavor & textural characteristics that have distinguished Rhys' namesake pinot (medium-weight, layers of young fruit flavors, low-oak, & higher acids than are found in most American pinots).  $45; 90 points

2006 Joseph Swan 'Great Oak Vineyard' Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Joseph Swan pinot is one of the old guards of Sonoma pinot noir.  This was my first taste of the Great Oak Vineyard bottling, which showed low acids & meaty fruit with earth.   I'm looking forward to exploring more of Swan's single vineyard bottlings...

2006 Chasseur 'Twin Hill' Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Twin Hill's fruit is highly sought after and Chasseur did a masterful job with it.

2008 Le Grand Pinot Noir France

It is funny to see French producers start to cave-in and include English versions of their labels (or bottlings completely for export).

2007 Amity Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Amity is one of the best known pinots from the Willamette Valley, Oregon's showcase winemaking region.

2005 Rippon Pinot Noir Central Otago

Rippon is one of the few producers in Central Otago (the world's southernmost wine growing region) that gets a fair amount of their product exported.