Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Hartford Court from Sonoma County, California. Vibrant black cherry, mineral, coffee and Asian spice aromas and flavors complement the fine grained, silky tannins that reflect the cool, coastal ridge terroir. 2005 is the inaugural vintage of Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir. Our Far Coast Vineyard is a cool site surrounded by redwood forests, almost two hours north of the Russian River on a Sonoma Coast mountain ridge. It is an area that some call the ?True Sonoma Coast'. Others would simply describe the distant vineyard site as ?the middle of nowhere'. Far Coast Vineyard sits just south of the Peay Vineyard at an elevation of about 900 to 1200 feet above sea level. The soils at this mountain site are well drained and import minerality and a strength of focus to the wine.

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. 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 Longoria from Central Coast, California.

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 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 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 Gary Farrell from Russian River, California. This wine opens with alluring ripe cherry, raspberry and strawberry aromas and has plush, succulent dark berry flavors, complimented by lavish, spicy oak elements. It is deeply colored with layered complexity and a silky, sensual, long finish. The 2005 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir shows wonderful balanced acidity ensuring excellent compatibility with a wide range of foods, including salmon, lamb and pork dishes.

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.

Red Wine by David Bruce from Russian River, California. An important and defining feature of the Russian River appellation is the distinctive combination of coastal coolness and afternoon heat which allows early-ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir to mature slowly and concentrate on the character of the fruit without losing its natural acidity. Their gentle handling process allows David Bruce's winemakers to preserve the intensity of fruit flavors associated with Pinot Noirs from this region. Nose: An elegant expression of rich cherries, cranberries, rose petals, cinnamon and vanilla. Palate: Red cherry, plum, vanilla, citrus, toasted pecan. Fine tannin structure and a long finish.