2009 Relic Pinot Noir Kashaya

(from a "true" Sonoma Coast vineyard three miles from the Pacific at an altitude of 1,200 feet, says winemaker Mike Hirby): Good deep red. Lovely perfume of black cherry, licorice, flowers and wintergreen. Juicy and tight, with an attractive core of berry and underbrush flavors energized by strong natural acidity. Hints of black tea and spices add complexity to this concentrated wine. Seventy-five percent of the fruit was picked at less than 24 degrees Brix, and the fruit was 100% destemmed, noted Hirby, who vinified with wild yeasts and bottled without fining or filtration.