2009 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir Sweetwater Vineyard

The 2009 Pinot Noir Sweetwater is a beautifully layered, sumptuous wine built on detail and nuance, although it will take some time for those qualities to emerge. Rose petals, licorice, super-ripe dark raspberries and cloves all come to life in this textured, compelling Pinot. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020. I came away deeply impressed by the wines I tasted with Tom Rochioli. The 2010 Chardonnays are absolutely gorgeous. The cold, late-harvest provides a wonderful balance to the inherent richness that is typically present in the wines. Rochioli is one of the later growers to pick. The 2010 Chardonnays were fermented in barrel. Rochioli stirred the lees every week until January, then once every few weeks until the wines were moved to tank in July. The wines spent three weeks in tank and were bottled in August 2011. The Pinot Noirs are stunning in both 2009 and 2010. As is the case throughout the Sonoma Coast, the 2009s are more consistent across the board, but the best 2010s may very well prove to be superior. For now what is certain is that the 2010 Pinots show a level of verve and focus that is missing from the 2009s. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with any of these big, exuberant Pinots. Tom Rochioli is a bit of recluse, which means his wines remain known only to a relatively small group of consumers. Prices are very reasonable considering the quality of what is in the bottle. Tel. (707) 433-2305

Vivid ruby-red. Sappy aromas of cherry, black raspberry, violet and musky sassafras. Ripe but dry and serious, with deeply concentrated flavors of dark berries, cherry-cola, bitter chocolate and Moroccan spices. Solidly structured, dense pinot noir, finishing with firm but ripe tannins and excellent thrust. This really deserves some cellar time.