WINE PICKS : PINOT NOIR
By Thom Elkjer
wine editor
TIP: Pinot Noir is a light to medium bodied wine. The color ranges from a light red ot a mediumdark red color.
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57°F / 14 °C
Ideal serving temperature
for Pinot Noir. |
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HARTFORD FAMILY RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Arrendell Vineyard 2001 ($65): a big, berry-flavored wine from one of the coldest spots in the Russian River Valley. Worth seeking out, it’s a dense bud destined to flower into a plush garden of delights.
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LOST CANYON RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Morelli Lane Vineyard Dutton Ranch 2002 ($38): if you find brut too dry or daunting, try this smooth, apricot-scented sparkler. “Extra Dry” actually means “slightly sweet,” so you can serve it as dessert or turn it into a Champagne cocktail. Excellent value. |
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MARIMAR ESTATE RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
“Cristina” 2002 ($45): intense color and dark cherry flavors pour out of the glass. Abundant new French oak is well integrated, suggesting that this velvety new bottling will age as well as the estate’s other Pinots.
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MERRY EDWARDS RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Klopp Ranch 2002 ($48): sweet, succulent and serious, this Pinot layers its cherries with red plums and blackberries and folds them into a gripping, gliding structure that softens gently into the long aftertaste.
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