February 2003 Over the last twelve months, Wine & Spirits tasted 422 pinot noir. The following 13 wines received the strongest praise from our critics. A list of all pinot noir tasted, with the recommended wines highlighted, is included with subscription copies.

Pinot Noir
95 I Stephen Ross $35 2000 Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir Tasters may find a memory in this wine's aroma: Is it a hike in the autumn forest? A reflective moment among the boxwood and flowers of an English garden? The rush of a deep breath on a hill above the sea, as a wave crashes below reflecting the sun back up from the surf? The wine might seem aquamarine. But it's red. It might smell of pressed flowers, of seaweed, of cumin and red spice. The density of red berry fruit may blanket the tongue, even as the freshness of the acidity pierces upward, releasing beautiful aromatics for minutes after each sip. Brilliant pinot. (146 cases) (W&S 2/03) Stephen R. Dooley, San Luis Obispo, CA
94 I Mueller $37 1999 Russian River Valley Emily's Cuvee Pinot Noir All berry, all the time. Plus the sun, the rain and the wind blowing in from the Pacific into the Russian River Valley. The fruit for this wine, named after Bob Mueller's seven-year-old daughter Emily, grows a mile from the river in a gravelly, cold vineyard - a "Brand X" vineyard, as Mueller terms it, referring to its not-yet-famous status. That anonymity may well change. The purity here impresses, the clean, clear flavors of fresh raspberry and strawberry carrying through on a crisp, discreet line of acidity that snaps all the fruit into place. And even with all its clarity of flavor, there's an undertow of complexity already making it hard to put it away in the cellar; drink some now, but try to keep a few bottles until it's mature. (1,538 cases) (W&S 4/02) Robert Mueller, Healdsburg, CA
93 I Acacia $50 2000 Napa Valley - Carneros District St. Clair Vineyard Pinot Noir St. Clair is Acacia's only single-vineyard pinot to be dry-farmed, and that may be what concentrates the power in this wine. It's deeply colored and full-on deeply scented, as if viewed through the black skins of the grapes, black as the night sky. Behind that dark scrim, there's a beautifully grown pinot, reminiscent of jasmine, loam, wild mushrooms and tiny wild strawberries. The red fruit is plush and elegant, the texture generously padded, the yum factor high. Ripe tannins carry the flavors through an earthy finish, with a long life ahead. (312 cases) (W&S 10/02) Acacia Winery, Napa, CA
93 I Cambria $50 2000 Santa Maria Valley Rae's Pinot Noir When first poured, this is as bright as the sun reflecting off the beach. So bright, it's hard to catch the bottom notes, the fruit slowly revealed below all the dusty red spice that hovers like a cloud-thread of perfume. A chocolate note of tannin emerges as the dust begins to settle, along with a deeper tone of black olives and dense red fruit. But the tension continues, a contrast of grounded strength with elusive perfume, feverish as a young wine and well worth following as it ages. (619 cases) (W&S 2/03) Cambria Winery & Vineyard, Santa Maria, CA
93 I Domaine Serene $30 2000 Willamette Valley Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir Winemaker Tony Rynder's latest release, predominantly from the Evenstad estate, demonstrates what Oregon - and Domaine Serene - does best: this is a wine more about grace than power, about suppleness rather than strength. There is a bright, almost airy scent of cherry fruit, dusted with red earth, rye flour and cocoa powder. Fruit carries the complex flavors forward in the mouth, purely expressed, giving way to elements of earth, cherry skin and smoke - a flavor profile light enough for fish such as a caramel-glazed grilled cod. (1,729 cases) (W&S 2/03) Domaine Serene, Carlton, OR
93 I Merry Edwards $48 2000 Russian River Valley Olivet Lane Pinot Noir A velvet brick on first taste, this pinot's juice comes up with air, from strawberry to darker cherry. Layers emerge, the red fruit luxurious in feel, toned by the fine grit of tannins. Those tannins keep a tension within the wine's texture, firming it through a harmonious, lasting taste. Balanced to develop for years, and to drink well along the way. This may be one of the last pinots Merry Edwards will make from Olivet Lane, as the Pellegrini family will be holding back the grapes for their own use. (W&S 12/02) Merry Edwards Wines, Forestville, CA
93 I EL Molino $51 1999 Napa Valley Pinot Noir Think of Gevrey on steroids, pinot on a power trip. This wine grows in a stretch of Rutherford that winemaker Reg Oliver compares to Carneros in terms of climate and exposure. For now, it's substantial and youthfully hardened by oak, yet it doesn't skimp on length, or on more delicate aspects that bring lavender and violet tones to the fruit. The black cherry core, gripped by tannins is released as a raspberry push. Age it for calmer days, or thrive on its power right now with grilled portobello mushrooms or veal marsala. (950 cases) (W&S 8/02) El Molino Winery, St. Helena, CA
93 I Gary Farrell $38 2000 Russian River Valley Starr Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir From its profound aroma to the plush, supple texture, this is an essential Russian River Valley pinot. The richness of the texture may be over the top, but the flavors are tight and fresh, ripples in a cool spring, concentric waves of black raspberry, tarragon, raspberry seed. It's fully formed, the flavors mouthfilling, sweet and complex, the tannins soft and dense, their integration promising a long life ahead. (400 cases) (W&S 12/02) Gary Farrell, Healdsburg, CA
93 I Peter Michael Winery $65 2000 Santa Lucia Highlands Pisoni Vineyard Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir Working the potent side of these coastal highlands, Le Moulin Rouge is a powerhouse in 2000. Fragrant black tannins coat the mouth in velvet, a vast textural pleasure stuffed with dark cherry and black raspberry fruit. The meatiness and grip extends the flavor along a black line, with diversions for scents of forest floor mushrooms and black tea. The volume is there in Gevrey weight and tremendous length, a huge wine, in control, a match for game. (526 cases) (W&S 2/03) Peter Michael, Calistoga, CA
93 I Shea Wine Cellars $45 2000 Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir Dick Shea has been growing grapes for nearly fifteen years, but only started bottling his own wine in 1998. His 2000 is clearly about the Willakenzie soil profile that makes up this hillside vineyard. Earth grips the wine at first, with scents of dark, damp clay and red cherry. Then it relents, yielding hints of marjoram, black mint and thyme. Nothing in the aroma prepares you for its richness, though, a juicy wild cherry, with a plumb line of minerals coursing through. Good now, it will meld with some age. (W&S 2/03) Shea Wine Cellars, McMinnville, OR
93 I Siduri $35 2000 Santa Lucia Highlands Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir Adam and Dianna Lee take all the big, luscious flavor Gary Pisoni grows into his pinot and still manage to make a graceful wine. It has the power and ripeness that parallels pinot grown in Gevrey Chambertin, and a New World juicy freshness, a dramatic raspberry and cherry component that doesn't turn chocolatey in the context of the oak. It's pinot noir expressing a site unlike any other. (587 cases) (W&S 10/02) Siduri Wines, Santa Rosa, CA
93 I Siduri $50 2001 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Buzzing with energy, this bold pinot captures the powerful ripeness of the region without giving up the lithe peculiarities of the grape. Two-thirds of the blend comes from the Pisoni vineyard, with the balance from two other sites, Garys' and Rosella's. The wine is warm rather than hot, a pure expression of rich red cherry and deeper blueberry fruit, freshly balanced by a line of acidity that keeps it high in the mouth, carrying the finish above the furry tannin toward wildflower honey and raspy floral scents. (W&S 2/03) Siduri Wines, Santa Rosa, CA
93 I Williams Selyem $69 2000 Russian River Valley Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir A great wine like this Allen Vineyard 2000 shows how the Russian River Valley can combine a fruit-driven richness (all juicy black cherry) with a lasting autumnal feel, the scent memory of walking through a fall forest. It brings the softness of humus to mind, a generous textural give that yields scents of walnuts, honey and smoke. That soft integration may make the wine a pleasure to drink now, but more complexity may come with five or six years of age. (252 cases) (W&S 2/03) Williams Selyem Winery, Healdsburg, CA