This is an excerpt from Restaurant
Wine, issue 116, Nov/Dec 2006.
Subscriptions start
at $99 per year in the U.S. Visit our subscription
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Here are wines that Restaurant Wine author Ronn Wiegand
recommends to you, on the basis of price, value, and
quality.
He believes these are among the best of their types available,
within their respective price categories, and that they
have special qualities which makes them worthwhile to seek
out.
PINOT NOIR — Medium
Priced:
$73-$144/case ($9.10-$18/btl. full retail)
BOGLE VINEYARDS, 2004 RUSSIAN RIVER ****
VALLEY, $120 ($15)
A round, full bodied wine, with good depth of fruit, light
oakiness, and a long finish, tasting of ripe berries and
spicy oak. [2007-2008] 916.744.1139
CHALONE VINEYARD, 2005 MONTEREY ****+
COUNTY, $144 ($18)
Round and full bodied, this is moderately rich Pinot Noir,
with good flavor and balance, and a medium long finish,
tasting of plum, peach, and toasted oak. 70,000 cases.
[2006-2007] 831.678.1717
FIVE RIVERS, 2005 CENTRAL COAST, $108 ($13.50) ****
A finely flavored, supple, medium full bodied wine, with
good balance, and a medium long finish, tasting of spicy
oak, violet, clove, plum, and cherry. Excellent value.
[2007-2008] 415.444.7400
PINOT NOIR — High
Priced:
$145-$280/case ($18.10-$35/btl. full retail)
ESTANCIA, 2004 STONEWALL VYD., ****
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS, $216 ($27)
Excellent: full bodied, supple in texture, medium rich,
and firm and long on the finish, with light oakiness. It
tastes of blueberry, plum, toast, pepper, and nutmeg. [2007-2008]
707.967.2110
MERRY EDWARDS, 2004 SONOMA COAST, ****+
$280 ($35)
Aromatic and fragrant, this is full bodied, finely flavored
wine that is crisp and very long on the palate, with a
persistent finish, tasting of rose petal, baked cherry,
clove, toast, and plum. 1,650 cases. [2007-2008] 888.388.9050
PARAISO, 2004 SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS, *****
$192 ($24)
Delicious Pinot Noir: fleshy and medium rich, full bodied,
well balanced, and long on the finish, tasting of plum,
cherry, strawberry, nutmeg, cedar, and tobacco. Long aftertaste.
Top value. 3,060 cases. [2007-2008] 831.678.0300
PINOT NOIR — Expensive:
$281-$600/case ($35.10-$75/btl. full retail)
BARGETTO, 2004 REGAN VYDS., RESERVE, ****
TA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, $304 ($38)
A rich, ripely flavored wine, with intense fruitiness (red
currant, plum, cherry) and spicy oak overtones (nutmeg,
roasted nut, cedar). Long aftertaste. Perhaps the best
Pinot yet from Bargetto. 283 cases. [2007-2009] 831.475.2258
CLOS LaCHANCE, 2004 BIAGINI VYD., ****
TA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, $320 ($40)
Fine Pinot Noir, in a full, moderately intense style; it
is supple in texture, long on the palate, and persistent
on the finish, tasting of strawberry, baked cherry, toasted
oak, and nutmeg. 280 cases. [2007-2008] 408.686.1050
ETUDE, 2004 DEER CAMP, CARNEROS, $520 ($65) ****
A richly flavored, full bodied Pinot Noir, with intense
ripe
fruit character (plum, cherry), with overtones of spicy
oak, cedar, and roasted nut. Long, lightly oaky aftertaste.
470 cases. [2008-2009] 707.257.5300
GAINEY VINEYARD, 2004 LIMITED SELECTION, ****+
TA RITA HILLS, $384 ($48)
Wonderful Pinot Noir. Rich and complex in flavor, full
bodied, and long on the palate, with a persistent finish,
tasting of plum, cherry, blueberry, toast, nutmeg, and
oak. 450 cases. [2007-2009] 805.688.0558
This is an excerpt from Restaurant
Wine, issue 116, Nov/Dec 2006.
Subscriptions start
at $99 per year in the U.S. Visit our subscription
page to place your order today. Also, browse our
complete back issue collection by
topic to buy individual back issues ($24 each / $27 outside USA) for particular
inspiration.
