Wines and Beyond

Red Wine Pinot Noir by Loring Wine Company from Central Coast, California. Garys' Vineyard is a joint effort between Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni (of Pisoni Vineyard). Childhood friends, the two Garys decided to work together to create Garys' Vineyard after the success of Pisoni Vineyard. They took their multi-generation...

Red Wine by Belle Glos from Santa Maria Valley, California. Clark & Telephone Vineyard, located near the corner of Clark Avenue and Telephone Road in the Santa Maria Valley, is cooled by wind and fog that snakes in from the Pacific Ocean along a channel of the Santa Maria River. Now 35 years old, the Clark & Telephone Vineyard was planted own root to the Martini clone. This heirloom clone of Pinot Noir, one of the first to grace the California coastlands, has become something of a lost treasure, and is known for its brown spice (cinnamon, nutmeg and clove) and deep cranberry and raspberry flavors. The 2006 Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir exhibits rich aromas of spiced ripe plum framed by bright cranberry, toasted baking spices and deep caramel flavors. This is a full-bodied wine with refined tannins, firm acidity and a long finish.

Red Wine by Reynolds Family Winery from Carneros, California. Ripe raspberries, candied cherries, pomegranate and cinnamon join together in this New World Pinot that is long on velvety finish. Enjoy with grilled salmon or tuna.

Red Wine by Longoria from Central Coast, California.

Red Wine by Longoria from Central Coast, California. This wine is slightly lighter in color than previous vintages but no less concentrated or complex. Longoria's dedication to maintaining the high level quality of Fe Ciega Pinot Noir required them to go through numerous blending trials to determine the best possible blend from the four lots they had to work with. As a result, a substantial portion of their Dijon 115 lot was declassified, and thus became the majority of their Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir released in November 2006. This 2005 vintage of Fe Ciega Pinot Noir has complex aromas of Asian spices, sandalwood, sage, plums and black walnuts. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, and initially seems subdued and restrained. However, as the wine breathes in the glass it begins to open up and with each sip the wine expands a little more in the mouth to reveal the complex flavors and layers that has become the hallmark of Fe Ciega Pinot Noir. The wine is beautifully balanced in terms of oak integration, acidity and silky tannins. Enjoy this wine with salmon, duck, and holiday turkey.

Red Wine by MacRostie from Carneros, California. The grapes for this Pinot Noir came exclusively from Wildcat Mountain Vineyard. Here, the vines dig into the sparse volcanic soil and stand firm against the strong winds that race in off of the Pacific Ocean most afternoons. This fog-shrouded mountaintop vineyard is a classic Sonoma Coast site, cool and challenging, and produces wines of great distinction. From its dark, dense garnet color, to its multifaceted aromas of roasted cranberry and espresso-with just a hint of cola, this is a rich and expressive Pinot Noir. Full and satisfying in the mouth, it delivers a veritable explosion of ripe black cherry and baking chocolate flavors, all wrapped in subtle, but notable toasty oak. With nice structure and a complex, persistent finish, this is a wine that should age very well.

Red Wine by Rodney Strong from Russian River, California. The Russian River Valley is well established as one of the premier pinot noir growing regions in the world, and we have been growing pinot noir here for over thirty years. Jane's Vineyard, a more recent planting of pinot noir named in honor of Tom Klein's mother, provided an incredible opportunity to take advantage of the newest technology, nursery material and other modern viticultural advances. Soft and rich, with layers of intense cherry, cola, caramel and earth, this impressive, full-bodied wine is aged in 100% French oak, wich adds a distinctive toasty vanilla character. Enjoy this sensuous pinot now and over the next 1 to 5 years.

Red Wine by Hartford Court from Sonoma County, California. Complex aromas of ripe cherries, violets and cedar are followed by flavors of perfectly ripe, firm black cherries and mixed red and black berries. Allspice and coffee notes complement a long, multi-faceted finish in this True Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Red Wine by Gundlach Bundschu from Sonoma County, California. Aromas of black cherry, dried rose petal and black spice lead to broad, juicy dark fruit flavors with complex minerality and classic Burgundian character. This medium-weight Pinot Noir gets its supple mouthfeel from 35-year-old Heritage clone fruit and its concentration and weight from the younger Pommard and Dijon clone blocks, resulting in complexly layered flavors, elegant texture and a long, smooth finish. The 2005 Pinot Noir will benefit from cellaring 3-7 years from the vintage date.

Red Wine by MacRostie from Carneros, California. I love this wine. The vineyard is one of the coolest parts of Carneros, where the maritime influence has given crisp acidity boosting long hangtime fruit. The cherry, raspberry and cola flavors are gorgeous, while the earthier pomegranates and rhubarb are elevated to pie-filling sweetness. Yet the wine is entirely dry. What a beauty. -Wine Enthusiast Editor's Choice 95/100 The grapes for this Pinot Noir came exclusively from MacRostie's Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, owned by Steve MacRostie and his partners Nancy and Tony Lilly. Here the vines dig into the sparse volcanic soil and stand firm against the brisk winds that race in off the Pacific Ocean most afternoons. This foggy mountaintop vineyard is Carneros at its coolest and most challenging, but the vines produce fruit of great distinction. Dark ruby color, with aromas of black raspberry, clove, and coffee. In the mouth there's loads of ripe raspberry, plus a hint of cinnamon-laced cocoa, like good Mexican chocolate. Very full-bodied, weighty and rich, but still light on its feet. The finish turns slightly toward cedar, but the fruit goes on and on.

Ship a bottle for just a buck. Details at Wine.com.Red Wine by Byron from Santa Maria Valley, California. The 2003 Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir is complex and richly layered, displaying aromas of dark cherry and rose petals with hints of brown spice and earthiness. The flavors are bold and reveal remarkable extraction and concentration with nuances of red and dark cherry, plum and brown spice.

Red Wine by Stemmler from Carneros, California. Robert Stemmler Estate Pinot Noir is a culmination of the diversities of their property in Carneros. The 2004 is a blend of six different blocks reflecting several soil types, sun exposures, vine age and clone (5 - 30 years old vines. Martini, Hanzell, Roederer, Dijon clonal selections.) It is this diversity that creates their most complex Pinot Noir. Aromas of raspberry puree, cherry compote, fresh herbs and red licorice. Tight and focused fruit on the palate with layers of red currant, wild blackberries and juicy blueberry balanced by fresh acidity.

Red Wine by Robert Stemmler from Carneros, California. Robert Stemmler's Estate Pinot Noir is a culmination of the diversities of their property in Carneros. The 2005 is a blend of six different blocks reflecting several soil types, sun exposures, vine age and clones (Martini, Roederer, Calera, Dijon clonal selections.) It is this diversity that creates their most complex Pinot Noir. This wine shows lifted aromas of pure strawberries and blueberries intermingling with mineral, sage and earth. A lush mouthfeel focusing on wild blackberries with nuances of pepper, mineral and a long fanning finish.

Red Wine by Chalone from Central Coast, California. Perched high in the remote Gavilan Mountain Range, 1,800 feet above Salinas Valley, Chalone Vineyard is a one-of-a-kind wine estate. This is extreme wine country with rare limestone soils, limited rainfall and wide diurnal temperature swings. The unique terroir produces wine that imparts a subtle mineral character with compelling fruit and richness. By California standards, Chalone Vineyard's grape yields are small (less than three tons per acre), but the grapes from this vineyard achieve homogeneity of ripeness and display intense character and superb balance. The new Pinot Noir clones, planted in 1997, are really showing their potential with the 2005 vintage. The wine is darkly colored and amazingly opulent, with fantastic fruit intensity leaning toward red cherries and strawberries. Firm in body, with big tannins, this wine has amazing texture and length of finish. The ten months it spent in French oak integrated the fruit and tannins into a truly hedonistic glass of wine. Pair with roasted turkey, seared duck with cherry sauce, grilled salmon and wild mushroom risotto.

Red Wine by Buena Vista from Carneros, California. As they celebrate their 150th year as California's first premium winery, the focus of Buena Vista Carneros continues to be their remarkable 1000-acre Estate vineyard in the heart of Carneros. Set along a south-facing hillside overlooking the San Pablo Bay, this breathtaking property has more than 167 blocks delineated by geology and topography. Produced in limited quantities, each EVS wine reflects the complex interplay between grape, terroir and the seasonal weather patterns of vintage. The 2005 growing season started with a wet spring followed by a cool summer, leading to a long, dry, and cooler than normal fall. Conditions on the estate where Buena Vista grows theirr Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were ideal for producing a healthy balanced crop. Harvest was long, requiring a lot of patience, as they waited for their fruit to ripen to optimal maturity. The quality of the Pinot Noir was very good to outstanding. The pedigree of the site and quality of the vintage are clearly in evidence here. The color is deep purple with aromas of blueberry, violet, chocolate, clove and anise, subtle earth and forest floor. The flavors of rich raspberry, creme de cassis, plum and candied ginger lead into a long finish with bright acidity and silky tannins. The 2005 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir shows concentration, elegance and the subtle nuance of diverse clonal and site selection. Pair this rich Pinot Noir with beef tenderloin and sauteed spinach.

Red Wine by Beringer from Carneros, California. Recognized as a separate American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983 because of its shallow, well-drained soils and marine-influenced climate, Carneros is considered Napa Valley's best growing area for Pinot Noir. Late afternoon marine fog creeps up from the Bay, even in the middle of summer, so nights and mornings are cool and the grapes' natural acids are preserved, balancing the ripe fruit flavors that develop during sunny, warm days. Laurie Hook chose to ferment most of the small lots of the gently destemmed Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir grapes in open-top fermenters, using a combination of cap punch-downs and juice pump-overs to retain the delicate, layered-fruit and spice qualities, and silky tannins, while extracting as much flavor and color as possible. Nine months of aging in French Never oak barrels (approximately one third new) followed. The 2004 Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir features aromas of black cherry, ripe fig, and dried herbs as elegant flavors of plump berries mingle with notes of fruit tea, coriander, cola, smoke and pepper supported by silky tannins and fruit throughout the long, juicy finish.

Red Wine by Saintsbury from Carneros, California. From Pommard clones, this delivers distinctive Pinot Noir character of black cherry, sour cherry and spice in a vibrant wine of power and elegance. Saintsbury's house style and the essence of the appellation show most clearly in this Carneros bottling where they work with more than a dozen vineyards located throughout Carneros but with a heavier emphasis on the Napa Valley side of the AVA. Reverence for the appellation is most obvious by the gentle handling the grapes and wine receive from vineyard to bottle, critical to making high caliber Pinot Noir that maintains the mark of the vineyard, rather than simply the mark of the producer.

Red Wine by Testarossa from Central Coast, California. Dark red color. There are aromas of red cherry, raspberry, vanilla bean, anise, and black pepper. This wine smells rich and only gets better in the palate with ripe cherry and strawberry flavors, wrapped around a spicy core. The plush tannins and crisp acidity make this wine fresh today, but should age well for up to 6-7 years.

Red Wine by David Bruce from Sonoma County, California. This vintage is a selection of superb Pinot Noir grapes from the Sonoma Coast. The region combines cool ocean climate and sufficient rainfall to promote natural sugar development and flavorful grape acidity. Nose: This wine has an expression of red cherry, cranberry and plum coupled with lingering notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and a subtle hint of clove. Palate: Red cherry, plum, vanilla, citrus, toasted pine nuts with a mineral aspect. Fine tannin structure and a long finish.

Red Wine by Orogeny Vineyards from Russian River, California. Orogeny Green Valley Pinot Noir shows bright Bing cherry, pomegranate and toffee notes on the nose, with a hint of spicy oak layered with ginger, nutmeg and coriander. On the palate, the bright cherry flavors dominate, supported by lively notes of blackberry and blueberry that linger on the candied-cherry finish. The lush fruit continues to develop with time in the glass. This lovely wine pairs perfectly with seared duck breast with cherry sauce, pork tenderloin with pear-ginger chutney or wild mushroom risotto.

Red Wine by Hanna from Russian River, California. This classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir exhibits all the vibrant youth and incredible Pinot complexity of our past vintages! It shows a lovely bright ruby color, and its aromas are those of bright and deep plum and cherry with a hint of smoke. The flavor echos nose with great mid-body and rich extracted finish.

Red Wine by Benziger from Sonoma County, California. An intensely fragrant, elegant expression of the varietal, with powerful, classic Carneros aromas of blackberry and spice offset by notes of toast and vanilla, full on the palate, with superb balance of lushness and acidity set in a structure marked by supple tannins and a silky texture.

Red Wine by Clos Du Val from Carneros, California. The 2005 Pinot Noir has an attractive deep ruby color. Aromas of black cherry and spice pervade, with a hint of earth incorporated in the nose. This full bodied Pinot Noir fills the mouth with an abundance of fruit and spice flavors and displays soft, silky tannins. The lingering finish goes on and on. This is a rich, complex wine balanced with good acidity, making it a fine accompaniment for a wide variety of dishes. The 2005 Pinot Noir typifies the Carneros region and Clos Du Val's trademark style of balance, elegance and complexity.

Red Wine by J from Russian River, California. J's 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is an elegant composition of wines made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes sourced from their Estate Vineyards as well as from selected growers in the Russian River Valley Appellation. The 2005 vintage is an elegant wine with a complex nose of fresh fruit aromas of cherry, raspberry and cranberry followed by hints of white pepper, cola, and spicy, earthy notes. This wine offers crisp acidity upon entry unfolding with flavors of black cherry, raspberry and hints of vanilla, evolving and gaining complexity as the wine breathes. Rich, yet delicate, the mouthfeel is round, soft and intense, which leads to a lingering finish of Bing cherries and notes of toast.

Red Wine by Acacia from Carneros, California. The myriad of dark fruit and floral notes in this Pinot Noir come from the cool, windy Los Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the southern reaches of Napa Valley. Satsuma plum, blackberry, red rose and violet notes weave through the enticing aromas, mingled with warm nuances of vanilla and toasted oak from barrel aging. Silky, elegant flavors echo the aromas, adding blueberry and plum to the rich fruit complexity. You'll find this wine's lush flavors, bright acidity and fine tannins are perfectly balanced to complement a broad range of foods, from grilled salmon and chicken, to lamb and wild mushrooms.

Red Wine by Byron from Santa Maria Valley, California. Santa Maria Valley is one of California's coolest grape-growing appellations with one of the longest growing seasons in the world. The well-drained, lean soils and direct access to cool Pacific Ocean breezes and fog funneled to the vineyards by transverse mountain ranges, make the valley one of America's premier growing regions for Burgundian varietals. Byron 2006 Pinot Noir displays aromas of dark plum and dark cherry, accented by hints of brown sugar, brown spice, vanilla, and smoke. The flavor profile has a core of dark cherry and dark plum with hints of clove and brown spices, backed by a smoky finish.

Red Wine by Foppiano from Russian River, California. The 2006 Estate Russian River Pinot Noir has upfront floral aromas of fresh cherry and raspberry. A hint of leather and smoke mid-bouquet with an elegant finish of vanilla cream and essence of honey. Palate follows nose with more rich red fruit flavors. Full of cherry cobbler and raspberry jam with an added suggestion of sweet spices; nutmeg and clove. Mellow toasty oak in the long and fruity finish with trailing white pepper. Pair with grilled lamb chops basted in a sesame garlic honey glaze, serve over sweet potato mashers and a side of steamed green beans.