2021 Bailarin Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 95 Points
Rich if fruit and packed with the mix of savory and feral-earthy counterpoints that are a signature of this vineyard, this is a distinctive and praiseworthy Pinot Noir. The nose offers aromas of dark cherry, ripe Bing cherry, cherry cola, carob molasses, mocha, bresaola, forest-floor spice, sweet tobacco, black tea leaves and toffee. It is as darkly ripe yet quietly zesty on the palate, with good tannins, rich body and a lingering finish of impressive complexity. The flavors are a medley of dark cherry syrup, cherry pie, licorice root, sarsaparilla, soy sauce, dark chocolate and toffee, poised above a subtle undercurrent of peppered beef. Perhaps two years from its full expression, it is now and will always be a fine companion to roasted meats, stews, stuffed turkey and the like. 166 cases produced.
2022 Paul Lato Pinot Noir “Suerte”, Solomon Hills Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 96+ Points
This notably elegant vintage of Suerte is aromatically forthcoming, genteel and focused on aromas of boysenberry, dry dark cherry, Bing cherry, cranberry sauce, blueberry and plum compote, in seductive harmony with savory notes of star anise, mace, mulling spice, potpourri and hazelnut nougat. It is surprisingly gripping and appealingly zesty on the palate, where its sophisticated fruity-savory combination is caressed by the typical Lato suppleness, although that tannic grip firms things when the wine is first opened. With airing, all the elements achieve their promised harmony and reveal an extremely long, satisfying finish, with an undercurrent of saline minerality. Likely eighteen to thirty months from its full expression, this is already a lovely dinner wine. 668 cases produced.
2023 Nid Tisse Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 97 Points
2023 was a brilliant vintage for this celebrated property and this bottling, it clearly still young, already captures the vineyard’s character with precision. The aromas are a focused mix of dark cherry, boysenberry and whortleberry fruit that gains clarity from sharp mineral undercurrents and further richness from baking spice and other oak-derived notes. It is bright, deep and shows fine concentration on the palate, where well-defined flavors of black cherry, sour dark cherry, boysenberry, mace, baking spice and firming minerality carry through a very long, youthful finish. Delicious dinner wine already, it is sure to evolve brilliantly over the next three years and likely beyond. 127 cases produced.
2021 Pont Neuf Pinot Noir “La Vouge”, Silver Eagle Vineyard, Russian River Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 97 Points
Notably complex and already impressively evolved, the nose of this gorgeous Pinot Noir is a zesty yet generous medley of black cherry, black raspberry, dark plum, Mr. Lincoln Rose, hazelnut nougat and sweet tobacco scents. On the palate, it proves every bit as rich in body, texture and depth as could be hoped, with harmonious, long-lingering flavors of cherry, raspberry, plum, hibiscus syrup, black tea leaf, mace, star anise, baking spice and a hint of cardamom. If certain to yet improve it is a splendid drink already. 67 cases produced.
2023 Red Stitch Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 95+ Points
Full, rich, zesty and concentrated, the nose of this classy Pinot Noir offers scents of raspberry, pomegranate, sour red cherry, pink peppercorn, baking spice, pink rose and a hint of cardamom. It is textbook Rosella's on the palate, where mineral notes, fresh red cherry, lingonberry, whortleberry, pomegranate, pink peppercorn, star anise and cardamom fan out in bright focus. The finish is youthful and long-lingering and this already delicious bottling will grow ever finer over the next three years and beyond. 230 cases produced.
2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Petaluma Gap
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 97 Points
The aromas of this vibrant Pinot Noir surge forth as a rich, youthfully bright, focused rendering of classic Gap's Crown fruit, with scents of boysenberry, Bing cherry, blood orange, mace and baking spice at center stage and saline mineral undercurrents in reserve. On the palate it proves as rich and zesty as expected yet is surprisingly gripping, gutsy and exceptionally long. The dominant flavors, a combination of blueberry, blood orange and Bing cherry, are made richer by notes of spice cake and mace. If certainly delicious and dinner worthy now, the may improve for another three or four years. 565 cases produced.