BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

proachable, with ripe berry, cherry, cola and oak flavors.
The tannins are pretty. Drink up. —S.H.
abv: 14.3% Price: $22
85
Stonehedge 2010 Merlot (California). A
routine, although entirely drinkable, Merlot. It’s
very dry and tart in acidity, with pleasant tobacco and
sour cherry candy flavors. —S.H.
abv: 13.9% Price: $15
84
Hill Wine Company 2009 Merlot (Napa
Valley). A bit jagged, but fully dry, with some
nice sour-cherry candy, herb and spice flavors. A good
wine for parties. —S.H.
abv: 14.2% Price: $20
81
Discoveries Vineyards 2009 Merlot (California).
A soft, simple wine, with cherry cough
medicine flavors. —S.H.
abv: 13.5% Price: $10
80
Quickfire 2008 Top Chef Merlot (Napa
Valley). This has aromas of prunes and burnt
rubber, but it tastes better than that. It’s a pretty raw
effort. —S.H.
abv: 13.7% Price: $18
PETITE SIRAH
92
Elyse 2010 Barrel Select Petite Sirah
(Napa Valley). Classic Petite Sirah, in the
full-bodied richness, dryness, hard tannins and deep flavors
of ripe dark berries and fruits, cocoa, grilled meat
and black pepper. As good as that is, it also shows the
impeccable balance of a fine Napa Valley red wine.
Good now with robust meat stews and roasts, and it
should develop for many years. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $32
89
Frank Family 2009 SJ Vineyard Petite
Sirah (Napa Valley). A big, rich, softly jammy
Petite Sirah that’s packed with flavors of blackberry,
blueberry, dark chocolate, anise and pepper. It’s tannic,
so cellaring this puppy for a good six years is recommended—although,
it will always be fairly rustic. Cellar
Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $65
87
Titus 2009 Petite Sirah (Napa Valley).
So dark, you can hardly see light through it.
It’s tannic, too, which makes for one big, heavy wine.
But it’s delicious, packed with blackberry jam, teriyaki
beef, Dr. Pepper, dark chocolate and sweet sandalwood
flavors. Usually a Petite Sirah this rich will develop in
the cellar, but this one’s on the soft side, so its future is
questionable. —S.H.
abv: 14.9% Price: $36
85
Bogle 2009 Petite Sirah (California). With
sweet berry, cherry and spice flavors, this is a
fine wine for drinking now with everyday fare. It’s soft
and a little sweet, with bracing tannins. —S.H.
abv: 13.5% Price: $11
81
Discoveries Vineyards 2009 Petite Sirah
(California). A soft, simple wine, with a gluey
texture and sweet berry and spice flavors. —S.H.
abv: 13.5% Price: $10
24 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | JULY 2012
PINOT NOIR
97
Donum Estate 2009 West Slope Estate
Pinot Noir (Carneros). A fabulous Pinot Noir
that’s rich and deeply flavored, with the most wonderful
structure. After a fruity, spicy entry, the wine sinks
down dramatically on the midpalate, offering masses of
cherries, raspberries, red currants, cured meats, sautéed
mushrooms, spices and sweetly toasted sandalwood.
Bone dry, and capable of aging eight years in the
cellar, it surpasses even the 2007 West Slope, arguably
making it one of the greatest Carneros Pinot Noirs ever
made. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $100
95
Lynmar 2010 Quail Hill Vineyard Lynn’s
Blend Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
With fine acidity, grippy tannins and a tangy minerality,
this Pinot offers complex flavors of sour-cherry candy,
red currant, Dr. Pepper and spice that are laced with
notes of dried herbs and white pepper. Turns dramatic
on the midpalate, where the weight sinks in. Delicious
now, this should develop over the next 6–8 years.
—S.H.
abv: 14.3% Price: $70
94
Lynmar 2010 Old Vines Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). This is a concentrated
wine, with intense flavors of cherry and red currant.
There’s a tug of the earth by way of minerals and dried
herbs. It’s splendid acidity and firm tannins give it wonderful
structure. It’s an ager, so it should hold out at
least through 2017. —S.H.
abv: 14.3% Price: $70
93
Lynmar 2010 Jenkins Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley). Great Pinot Noir,
dry, silky and crisp in acidity, yet with enormously complex
flavors. The cherries and pomegranates have an
earthy connection by way of minerals and sweet herbs.
Only an infant now, this elegantly polished wine should
develop over the next six years. —S.H.
abv: 14.8% Price: $70
92
Babcock 2010 Slice of Heaven Pinot Noir
(Sta. Rita Hills). With low alcohol and a clean
minerality, this Pinot represents the new direction that
the variety is taking in California, helped by cooler vintages.
It’s dry, crisply acidic and complex, with the cherry-berry
flavors assisted with notes of earthy herb and
mushroom. A lovely wine now, and should gently develop
over the next six years. —S.H.
abv: 13.7% Price: $60
92
Black Kite 2009 Angel Hawk Pinot Noir
(Anderson Valley). This is the second of
Black Kite’s 2009 Pinot Noirs to be released, following
the Redwood’s Edge last year. It’s an impressive wine,
dry, richly textured and crisp, showing complex cherry
compote, chocolate-covered mint, spice and sandalwood
flavors. It’s clearly delicious, but gains extra charm
from the smooth texture and elegance. Drink now-
2015. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $75
92
Donum Estate 2009 Estate Grown Pinot
Noir (Russian River Valley). Donum is at
the top of it’s Pinot Noir game. This is simply wonder-
ful, offering a wealth of red fruit, cola, spice, mineral
and earth flavors. The tannins are negotiable, the acidity
brisk and clean, the finish dry and long. You may even
want to cellar it for 5–6 years, although it’s fully enjoyable
now. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $65
92
Donum Estate 2009 Estate Grown Pinot
Noir (Carneros). Give this polished young Pinot
Noir some time in the cellar to come around. It’s
a seriously good wine, dry, tannic and medium-bodied,
with a dense core of cherry and plum flavors. If you
have to drink it before 2015, give it several hours in a
decanter. Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $65
92
Donum Estate 2009 Thomas Estate Pinot
Noir (Carneros). An excellent wine—it’s big
and brawny, but magnificently packed with flavors of
briary fruit, cola and spices. It has all the weight, depth
and length one could want, yet it never loses its delicacy
and elegance. It’s pretty tart in acidity, but that
could help it develop. Try after 2015. Cellar Selection.
—S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $100
92
Lynmar 2010 Freestone Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). The vintage was cool,
lending this wine strong acidity that cuts through the
mouth like a squirt of lime juice. Dry and austere, it offers
oak-influenced sour-cherry candy and cola flavors.
This should develop bottle complexity over the next 3–6
years. —S.H.
abv: 14.9% Price: $55
92
Lynmar 2010 Quail Hill Vineyard Summit
Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley). The
vintage was kind to this bottling, resulting in fabulously
ripe flavors of cherry, black raspberry and cola that
finish in a swirl of exotic spices. It’s a bit heavy and direct
in primary fruit, but the acids and tannins are fine,
and should allow this wine to age for the next 6–8 years.
Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $70
92
Maggy Hawk 2009 Unforgettable Pinot
Noir (Anderson Valley). Pretty rich and fullbodied
for Pinot Noir, this is a big wine that grabs your
attention. It floods the mouth with flavors of sour cherry
candy and spicy persimmons, with a rich overlay of
toasty oak and exotic spices. The acidity lends a nice
bite. It’s too young to appreciate now, but it should gain
traction after 2014. Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $66
91
Lynmar 2010 Quail Hill Vineyard Bliss
Blend Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
An enormous Pinot Noir that’s rich and ripe in cherries,
red currants, licorice, cola and sweet toasty oak,
and thoroughly dry on the finish. There’s no doubting
its layers of complexity, although it’s a little warm with
alcohol. Could be an ager. Try after 2016. Cellar Selection.
—S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $70
91
Maggy Hawk 2009 Afleet Pinot Noir (Anderson
Valley). A fine wine, dry and bright in
zesty acidity, and an excellent example of a tight, young