Pinot Noir
2006 Churchill Cellars Bella Luna Vineyards is like magic in a bottle. The bouquet fills the room with aromas of cherry rhubarb pie filling, hints of strawberry and raspberry. Earthy barnyard, violets and Asian spices round out this remarkable pinot. The finish never ends and the perfect acidic balance shows that this was built to age.

2008 Peter Paul Mill Station Road Russian River Valley. This is an extraordinary wine and one of the best pinots I’ve tasted recently. Wine this good does not come along every day, especially for $38 a bottle. This is a 300-case, under-the-radar production, that has very limited distribution. This single vineyard designate is showing a deep, multi-layered core of complex flavors redolent of black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla and herbs. Silky tannins provide a fine framework, while balanced acidity offers excellent focus on the palate. The wine finishes long and luxuriously. A real “wow” wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Vine Cliff Oakville Estate is pretty much as good as Napa Cabernet gets. It shows the blackberries, black currants, blueberries and spicy plums of Oakville and scads of spices, and the tannin-acid structure is, in a word, superb. The oak elaboration is just about perfect, adding a tasteful layer of smoky, buttered toast. The finish goes on and on and on.