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A six-pack of fine Pinot Noirs

By Darryl Beeson

Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. Likewise, it is a challenge to make into the fine wine that is within it's potential. Here are six of the best that I have tasted in recent days.

Domaine J. M. Boillot Volnay, Cote d'Or 2001
Price $31
Rating 91
The color is dark and concentrated. The nose is earthy, almost barnyard-like with a hint of "Bret." There are delicate aromas of black fruit and mushroom. The sip reveals more earthy black fruit, with delicate nuances through the moderate to good length.

Jean-Marc Boillot [bwah-yoh]  was one of the new generation in Burgundy who was determined to improve his family's wines. In 1984, after vinifying 13 vintages at the family's Domaine Henri Boillot, Jean-Marc walked out in protest, intent on producing highly concentrated, rich and ripe wines. He became the wine-maker for Olivier Leflaive for the next four years, and at the same time produced wines from five acres of vineyards, bottled under his own label. The wines impressed Boillot's grandfather, who bequested half his vineyard to Jean-Marc. Boillot runs his domaine from his grandfather Henri Boillot's house and cellars in the village of Pommard. Jean-Marc's maternal
grandfather was the late Etienne Sauzet, from whom he also inherited exceptional vineyards.

King Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon 2002
Price $22
Rating 91
The nose is bright with cranberry, red cherry and soft mineral. The sip is rich with ripe cherry and luscious raspberry. It is full bodied, with 13% alcohol, and the length is good.

King Estate's mission is to produce varietal wines of consistently exceptional quality through meticulous fruit selection, impeccable winemaking practices, and judicious blending. Wine production at King Estate focuses on three main varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay, and features the small lot, hands-on winemaking techniques essential to produce the finest wines. When growing conditions are ideal, King Estate has been known to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon and old vine Zinfandel.

Saintsbury Pinot Noir, Carneros 2003
Price $24
Rating 93
The sip is full of conentrated red fruit, very ripe and powerful. The alcohol level is 13.5% and it shows. Serve this bold red with crisply roasted duck in a fruit-based sauce or with venison or elk.

By the time Saintsbury undertook their commitment to Carneros Pinot Noir in the early 1980's there was every indication that this cooler region set in the southern most part of Napa and Sonoma Valleys bordered by the San Pablo Bay could be the home for great Pinot Noir. Both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are early ripeners. To achieve complexity and depth of flavor, they both need to be grown in cooler areas that will allow for an extended growing season. The cool breezes that come off the San Pablo Bay with such perfect regularity provide these conditions in a manner that warmer areas in the
rest of Napa and Sonoma Valleys cannot.

Frei Reserve Pinot Noir, Sonoma 2003
Price $24
Rating 93
This intriguing Pinot Noir is very concentrated in both flavor and color. Lots of ripe red fruit, especially red cherry, maybe a bit of eucalyptus and/or brown spice, and a dusting of complex earthiness. Some of the best Pinot Noirs produced in the New World come from Sonoma. The Frei Brothers Reserve Pinot Noir continues to be an excellent example.

Finely made Pinot Noir is a delight to match with food, as the wine goes with almost any meat or cuisine. Try this with firm, steak-like fish, maybe putting lemon or Balsamic vineger with olive oil and finely diced tomato for a sauce. Add garlic and fresh basil, then enjoy the food and wine pairing.

Mac Murray Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2003
Price $22
Rating 93
There is a concentrated and powerful nose with aromas of dark fruit, it further showcases an array of fruit and freshly tilled earth. There are crisp red fruit flavors of cherry and, again, delicate but complex earth.  This new winery keeps improving from year to year.

In the late 1930's, actor Fred MacMurray discovered approximately 900 acres of perfect Sonoma land, with the Russian River running through it, perfect for his love of fly fishing. "Being in Los Angeles was work, meaning daddy was in a film," remembers daughter Kate MacMurray. "When we were back in Sonoma, as a family, we were home. Our family wanted to keep the property in agriculture, so the idea of preserving the ranch as open space was an immediate conversation between ourselves and the Gallos. We knew this family takes a long-term view of the care and management of their land."

Rutz Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2003
Price $17
Rating 92
The flavors are big, complex and powerful. There is a spectrum of fruit plus delicate mineral down below, along with zesty spice nuances. This Pinot Noir is a show stopper. Pair it with pasta in a lusty tomato and shellfish sauce or with a gourmet meat loaf laced with exotic mushrooms and cracked black pepper. Try a hard Italian cheese like Romano, thinly shaved.

Pinot Noir is an elusive grape. It can result in the finest of wines. It can very often fall short. It is winemaking's Holy Grail. Some of the classic examples come from Burgundy's Cete d'Or region, being very subtle and hugely complex. Other regions in the world produce what might better be described as "fruit bombs."

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Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., "Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it."

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