[wine] Rus Rvr Pinot fwd sfgc

Hey, it's expensive **therefore** it's good. THE CHRONICLE SELECTIONS: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lynne Char Bennett Friday, May 9, 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is highly sought after. Few wineries in this Sonoma County appellation produce a large number of cases. Most make less than a few thousand cases - in some cases a few hundred. The Russian River Valley appellation generally has more production than the vineyard-designate Russian River Valley wines recommended last week. Most of the Russian River bottlings are blends made from more than one vineyard. Some wineries use primarily estate fruit from vineyards the winery owns; others source from growers. In some instances, a winery specifies the vineyard(s) - some of which are quite famous - on the bottle's back label. Fifty-four wines were tasted in this category, which is about the same number as last week's single-vineyard wines. Similar numbers were recommended for both - 16 this week and 19 last week - though there were higher overall rankings for the single-vineyard bottlings, as might be expected. This week's Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs have lovely fruit, balancing acidity, moderate alcohol and for the most part, modest tannins. Fewer of the wines are a challenge to locate compared to last week's recommendations. Some are available in restaurants and all can be purchased from the winery. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($33) Solid basic berry with spice notes on the nose. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, cinnamon with nutmeg and toast come together on the fresh, bright palate. Balanced and straightforward. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 C. Donatiello Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) Cherry, ripe strawberry, a bit of sandalwood and plenty of oak spice on the nose give way to buoyant, tart berry fruit with exotic citrus highlights; underlying mineral grip, nice structure and increased acidity on the finish. Rating: THREE STARS 2004 Dehlinger Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) This wine completes malolactic fermentation in 40 percent new French oak. Almost pungent loamy berry and floral notes on the nose, with hints of soy and tamarind. Ripe cherry, plum and a suppleness on the palate belies its richness, structure and weight. This 2004 bottling - which has been held back longer than our 2005 and 2006 recommendations - is the current release. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 De La Montanya Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($60) Though it isn't mentioned on the label, this reserve is from Tina's Vineyard's best two barrels. Herb notes overlay plum, cherry, mint chocolate and orange zest aromas. Brighter flavors with some mineral, a touch of heat and stemminess on the palate. Better with food. Winery only. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 De Loach Vineyards OFS Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38) OFS stands for "our finest selection" vineyards. Plenty of candied berry, cola and sweet oak aromas; the palate's tart acidity is balanced with dark cherry and subtle tannic grip. Great with food. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38) Fruit from five of the 60 individual Dutton Ranch vineyards is in this cuvee. Toast, oak and a slight smoky, rubber character underscore plum and creamy, cherry aromas. There is solid, bright red fruit on the palate, which offers grippy tannins and citrus zest on the lingering finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Kosta Brown Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) A blend of grapes from eight vineyards. Juicy dark red berry, cola, soy sauce and tamarind aromas and flavors; rich, intense fruit core with vibrancy and bounce on the palate, which shows finesse but with a bit of heat on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($39) Cherry, sweet baking spice and pretty earthy, leafy notes define the aromas. Nicely balanced palate of black cherry, cranberry and sweet oak with a bit of minerally grip for structure. Black-plum-skin finish. Winery only. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40) This wine includes fruit from the estate's Quail Hill Vineyard. Lovely aromas and flavors of buoyant cherry, red and dark fruit, and clove. Tangy and bright with a generous burst of fruit surrounding the integrated tannins. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($43) Fruit from several of the vineyards in the Papapietro Perry stable is blended into this cuvee. Lovely earth and loamy aromas surround the floral notes and bright black cherry and raspberry. Earthiness continues on the palate; mouthwatering acidity and ample structure. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($35) Olivet Lane was planted to the Martini clone in 1975 and is considered to be one of Russian River Valley's heritage Pinot Noir sites. Aromas and flavors of cherry cobbler, jammy strawberry, cola, toast and pencil segue to a buoyant finish. An oakier style with solid fruit. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Rochioli Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($58) Sweetwater Vineyard fruit comprises 70 percent of the blend with the remainder from other estate vineyards. Dusky and dusty dark fruit with a rich, ripe nose of black cherry and black raspberry with a pretty, tapered finish. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Russian Hill Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($30) Fruit from several small growers has gone into this bottling. Lavish oak, lemon curd and vanilla aromas are lifted by a slight floral quality. Surprisingly lean and tart on the ripe cherry palate with bright acidity and focused structure. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($45) Allow a bit of time for this wine to open and round its edges. A bit of gray mineral on the nose alongside black cherry and vanilla. Food-friendly acidity on the zesty palate with spice on the finish. Winery only. Rating: TWO STARS 2005 Willowbrook Cellars Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($34) Wet leaf and loam open up first then black raspberry and raspberry aromas. Focused palate of leafy berry, lemon zest, tangy tamarind and a hint of soy sauce with buoyant red cherry on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Woodenhead Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40) A rich but understated nose of mocha java, roasted cherry and strawberry leaf with hints of lavender and pencil lead. A touch hefty and hot, with fresh, tart fruit and dry forest floor on the palate. Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Chris Wright, wine educator, Boulette's Larder. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARSExcellent Rating: TWO STARS Good http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/09/WIF810F8LF.DTL -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *