4 | Wine | Willamette, $20 to $50, 86 to 90

"Spice-accented aromas of black raspberry, cherry, sassafras and anise, with a smoky nuance building with air. Sappy and expansive, offering dark berry and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of vanilla. Closes with very good breadth and focus, leaving vanilla and peppery spice notes behind."

"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."

"Tight, focused and juicy, with blackberry and currant fruit playing against mineral flavors and tangy acidity as the finish lingers enticingly."

"Light, bright red. Red berry and floral scents are complemented by cinnamon and black tea. Racy and light on its feet, offering vibrant redcurrant and strawberry flavors and a touch of bitter herbs. Finishes tangy and lucid, leaving spice and floral notes behind."

"Lively red berries and cherry on the nose, with notes of fresh flowers and cola adding complexity. Bright, racy strawberry and raspberry flavors give way to a deeper bitter cherry quality in the mid-palate, with tangy orange zest adding cut. Finishes floral and piquant, leaving a hint of white pepper behind."

"Cherry and tart red currant dominate the Chehalem 2010 Pinot Noir Three Vineyard which, as its name implies, incorporates fruit from all three estate locations, and essentially represents those barrels that weren’t selected to inform single vineyard bottlings. Buoyant, bright, and refreshing, it finishes with penetrating persistence allied to piquant nuttiness, if ultimately without a lot of complexity."

"This displays an unusually dark – cassis and elderberry – fruit wreathed in bay laurel and smoky black tea. Broad, rich, and velvety, it nonetheless retains a welcome sense of levity, vivacity, and primary juiciness, finishing with next sip-inviting length. It offers considerable polish for the price and might well even gain in stature over the next several years."

"Soter’s 2010 Pinot Noir North Valley is informed by fruit from five growers in disparate sectors whom winemaker James Cahill says have proven over the last half dozen years to be those with whom a collaboration that demands organic certification, strict quality control and a common vision proved viable. “A couple of our growers are dear friends,” Cahill adds, “with whom I’d like to think that collaborating on this wine has been a mutually satisfying relationship close to the heart.” The bottled result is certainly highly satisfying. Nut oils and vanilla join ripe, fresh red berries on the nose and on a satin-textured yet refreshing palate, with a savory streak of salinity serving to activate the salivary glands in a delightfully long finish. This is how an “intro-level” Willamette Pinot should taste: not just encouraging the next sip but also a move up the qualitative ladder to single vineyard selections based on the experience of an allure that only ever accrues to Pinot Noir."

"Medium red. Fresh red berry and floral scents show good energy and pick up spiciness with air. Bracing redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors show good depth and pick up a smoky nuance with air. Closes bright and long, with lingering spiciness and a touch of gingerbread. This wine shows the raciness of the vintage to good effect."

"Light red. Red berries and spicecake on the nose. Light-bodied and tight, offering zesty redcurrant and strawberry flavors that show a slightly rigid edge. Finishes with good clarity and cut, leaving a spicy note behind."