Dark purple, brooding and opaque.  The nose is black cherry, dare I say blackberry as well?  The palate is tasty, with the blackberry theme continuing as well as some really fine tannins that are well integrated.  Extraction is obvious with this one, but not overdone.  The mid palate is refrained compared with the initial taste.  I get dark cherry jam and a vegetal note- very interesting.  The finish is smooth with more dark fruits and a hint of acidity.  I would drink this with a filet and roasted veggies or perhaps marinated flank steak.  It needs a lean cut of beef to shine methinks. 90 points and 4 stars for this $25 wine.  Salut….

From the Santa Lucia Highlands comes this modern styled Pinot Noir.  Bright cherries and gobs full of green pepper swirled around in some decent acidity with a nice finish. Not exactly my style of Pinot, but certainly well made and delicious.  I would bet this wine is popular with New World fans as it offers upfront fruit and a touch of the wood.  It is very smooth at 7 years of age and will probably go for another 5 years.  I don’t see much evolution a’la Burgundy but it will retain its freshness.  WS gave it 91, I’m going with 90.  I believe it can be found for $42 now which makes it a solid 3 star wine for me.  I would drink this with Roast Chicken or by itself, keeping a watch on the sneaky 14.2% alcohol so it doesn’t sideswipe you.  Salut….