1 | Wine | Willamette, 91 to 95

"Fresh boysenberry and purple plum are garlanded with bitter-sweet flowers; tinged with brown spices; underlain with clean red meatiness; and suffused with saliva-liberating salinity in a Pinot of refined tannins and outstanding persistence."

"Adding Johan Vineyard to the roster of four sites that informed this cuvee’s previous edition, the Ransom 2010 Pinot Noir Selection – tasted in a close approximation to its final assemblage – delivers downright refreshingly as well as invigoratingly tangy red currant and fraises des bois, tinged with coriander seed, nutmeg, and rose hip. Buoyant to the point of delicacy, this finishes with mouthwatering persistence and is sure on release to represent an outstanding value that can be enjoyed over at least the next half dozen years."

"Luisa Ponzi decided not to make any vineyard designates in the 2009 vintage so the 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve was the beneficiary of that fruit. Dark ruby red in color, it exhibits an alluring perfume of cedar, Asian spices, incense, lilacs, black cherry, and black raspberry."

"Sleek and tangy, tightly focusing its cherry, raspberry and mineral flavors on a taut frame. Finishes with intensity and a hint of black olive."

"Vivid red. A sexy, heady bouquet evokes black raspberry and cherry compote, with Asian spice and sandalwood nuances gaining strength with air. The palate offers intense red berry and floral pastille flavors, along with spicecake and cola accents. Closes with impressive energy and sweetness, leaving an allspice note behind."

"Explosively perfumed aromas of red and dark berry preserves, Asian spices and potpourri, with cola and vanilla accents building in the glass. Sappy, broad and appealingly sweet, offering lively, spicy dark berry flavors with nuances of soy and candied flowers. Shows plenty of upfront appeal and intense fruit, finishing smooth, spicy and very long."

"Bright red. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes candied red fruits, rhubarb and allspice, with musky herb and vanilla nuances building in the glass. Offers an array of red fruit flavors that put on weight and gain spiciness with air. A floral note comes up on the finish, which clings with impressive tenacity and focus. I suspect that this wine will age nicely on its balance. But the way, the 2003 version of this wine is drinking extremely well right now."

"Displays ripe, juicy blackberry mingled with resin, cinnamon, dark chocolate, vanilla, and clove, and underlain by beet root and a subtly present sense of forest floor. A vivid, tart berry edge and salted meat suggestions serve for invigoration and saliva inducement in a long finish. The alliance of sweet richness with levity and bright ping of acidity reflects the unusual proclivity of this site, where Bergstrom says “you can let the fruit hang as long as you want, and still come up with Burgundian pH numbers.” The flip side of that, he notes, is that the tannins can be aggressive if vines and young wine are not carefully monitored under that aspect; but in the present instance I find them fine-grained and well-integrated. Incidentally, apropos the youthfulness of so many of the vines in this site (roughly half were planted only in 2006), Bergstrom maintains that quality doesn’t have to suffer in the vine’s “adolescence” if the crop is managed tightly, and I suppose this wine makes that point pretty decisively!"

"This savory pinot leads with beguiling scents of plum and anise, suggesting even in its bouquet that it's a high-toned wine. The fresh core of fruit is supported by a fine vinous texture and a white pepper spiciness that runs through many St. Innocent wines, a character winemaker Mark Vlossak attributes to his preference for warmer fermentations. With firm soil-inflected tannins, this is poised for a long life."
Reviewed by: Wine & Spirtits Magazine 94 pts

"Sexy black raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by sassafras, cola and dried rose. Deeply pitched cherry-vanilla and dark berry flavors are enlivened and nicely framed by a spicy quality. Fine-grained tannins add shape and grip to the long, sappy, appealingly spicy finish."

"Bright ruby-red. Black raspberry, cherry-cola, star anise and violet on the perfumed nose. Pliant, sappy dark fruit flavors are lifted by juicy acidity and gain spiciness with air. Shows very good energy and focus on the finish, which leaves spicecake and dark berry skin notes behind."