Shea Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007

Willamette Valley Oregon, this fruit is from the preeminent wine maker Dick Shea. Considered some of the best fruit in Willamette. Very clear pale garnet color its seductively scented with briar, cherry, a hint of anise, bark and vanilla. Oak aged. Very nice.

Jigsaw Pinot Noir 2008

Made by Local Wine Company (Ransom, June Hog). Its pale -edged cherry color becomes darker in the center and has a distinct maraschino cherry and clove-spiced scent. Light-to-medium bodied with even cherry and thistle character. Good if you like a genteel pinot noir in the French style.

Domaine Doudet Bourgogne 2007 Le Petit Chemin

Also with dried cranberry on the nose and has a beautiful, long finish and a wide array of flavors including cherry, tar, cassis, clove and lavender. Light bodied and fine. Very enjoyable.

Doudet Naudin Vicomtee Bourgogne 2007

Fragrant dried cranberry and cherry on the nose. There isn't enough presence in the mid-palate and finish to be remarkable. I love their other (higher priced) Nuits St. George, though.

Stephen Vincent Pinot Noir 2008

70% Clarksburg, 30% Central Coast California. Translucent garnet color with violet undertones. Fully berried in the scent: blueberry. Nice acidity and medium bodied with red cherry and a spiced finish.

Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007

Pale, clear ruby color. Cassis, acorn and cherry on the nose a hint of cola and slight mint. A light-handed California pinot that is reminiscent of French wine without the terroir.

Angelini Pinot Noir 2007

100% pinot noir from Veneto. Black cherry scent from this garnet hued wine. Also smells of lavender and cassis. Light style and what Paul would call 'thin'. I wonder if they should stick to the white wines??

Illahe Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2007

A new vineyard with first plantings in 2001. Lowell Ford, winemaker son Brad, and Michael Lundeen have a winner on their hands. You may recognize the Ford name as they have supplied grapes to Evesham Wood, Cristom, Penner-Ash, and others. They are a 'green' operation with solar panels and a gravity-based harvesting system. A very light-colored cherry red wine with a deep, dark blueberry flavor that is surprising for a wine so light in color. There is a deep vanilla essence on the finish - oaked for nine months. A very stylish wine that wins with its versatility.

Doudet Naudin Marsannay 2007

In the Côtes de Nuits, most northern section of Burgundy. 100% pinot noir. The color is a clear, ruby red with a light, simple flavor. The nose is fresh, tart cherry and raspberry. Nice, but I think I will be hard-pressed to sell amongst other fuller French pinots that I currently have in stock.

Domaine de Bachellery Pinot Noir 2007

Languedoc outside of Beziers, on the Mediterranean. The Domaine has been producing wine for centuries. Under the current ownership for over 100 years. They also make olive oil and varietally labelled wines . Very clear cherry color and are aged in used oak casks. Marina + Bernard Julien - winemakers. Interesting medium bodied with ripe plum nose and pleasing dry, warm-spiced mouth. Decent.

Forest Ville Pinot Noir California 2008

Dusty plum color and sweet, ripe black cherry the flavor is gamey and has a hint of bacon fat. The finish is flat and I'm not impressed.

Codorniu Cava Brut

The largest producer of cava, in the world (even more than Frexinet!); made from 100% pinot noir. Very dry with a cherry backbone that is reminiscent of a cremant de loire. It is very light bodied like the tickle of a feather - some people will like that, some may not. I was hoping for more complexity, though it's not pricy, the bottle and package styling look the part.

August Cellars 2005 Pinot Noir

Very small winery - they make 2,500 cases across all their varietals- pinot noir being the most (about 900 cases). Willamette Valley Oregon. Very minimal intervention, though not organic, they use very little sulfite and do not filter the wines. Black currant, anise and toasted oak nose. Deep raisiny-color with clear edges. Big brambly flavor and earthy with clean sweet finish that is refined, and very unusual compared to California pinots. Very nice especially as Elena brought the bottle in with a slight chill and the cellared coolness works really well.

Lange Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2007

Family-owned vineyard. Willamette Valley, about 1000 cases produced. Unfiltered, deep ruby color with paler edges and nice berry -fruit and a cedar finish 6-8 months oak aged. Finish is jammy and deep.

Stoller Pinot Noir 2007 JV Estate

Dundee Hills. Nose is much jammier than the 2006, color is transparent rubies with clear edges. Light with black cherry and red raspberry - a hint of toast and cedar on the finish. I've always been partial to this vineyard. I've heard 2007 was a tough year in Oregon pinots, but this is still a keeper.

Babich Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007

New Zealand. Cherry and tobacco nose, deep garnet red in color and light on the palate. Simple, though drinkable. Lacking depth.

Melville Pinot Noir 2007 Estate

Lompoc, California, Greg Brewer, winemaker. Fragrant, toasty and warm. Nose of lavender and blackberry. Decadent cherry-tobacco finish. I hope to bring this into the store, in the fall.

DID I say that this wine is 15.3% alcohol? You'd never know it!

Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir 2007

Earthy, full-bodies fruit with fine oak (barrel aged 11 mos.) balance and a cedary finish. Eric hickey, Wine maker. $22.99

Vavasour Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2007

Deep cherry nose with spicy front. Finish is even and rich with raisin and spice on the long finish. Impressive.

Dashwood Pinot Noir 2007

Awateri and Wairu blend of grapes. Bright cherry nose with a little leather. A bit fizzy and the finish is harshly textured.