2009 La Rue Pinot Noir

The 2009 Pinot Noir is a big wine bursting with fruit. This is an immediate, rather bombastic style with tons of up-front red berries, sweet spices and new leather. It shows plenty of initial intensity, but loses some of its persistence on the finish. The 2009 was made from the Rice-Spivak, Joy Road and Emmaline vineyards. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Proprietor Katy Wilson’s resume includes stints at Flowers and Kamen, where she works as associate winemaker. Wilson sources fruit from several vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. These are very pretty Pinots that suggest a very bright future lies ahead. Tel. (707) 933-8355; www.laruewines.com

Bright red. Powerful aromas of cherry compote, blackberry, black cardamom and smoky minerals, with a suave floral quality and a hint of resinous herbs. Mouthfilling dark berry flavors are given bite by tangy acidity and pick up a candied violet nuance with air. Plenty rich in flavor but there's a weightless quality to this wine. Finishes sappy, clinging and very long, leaving spice and floral notes behind. Has the heft to handle rich foods without coming across as heavy; pretty impressive for a freshman effort.