2004 Schug Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast
$16.00
www.schugwinery.com

Vermont is a special place. I’ve now lived in her neighbor to the east for nearly 10 years and still continue to discover treasures hidden in her interior. From gourmet restaurants to world-class cheeses, Vermont has much to offer the wandering gourmand. For example, I recently discovered this unassuming bottle of Schug Pinot Noir as I stopped into the Woodstock Farmers’ Market, a food-lover’s oasis introduced to me by a dear friend many years ago. I was told by the store’s wine-buyer that it wasn’t the winery’s “high-end” Carneros bottling but that it was good all the same. I took her word for it. Somehow it does seems fitting that a small Sonoma producer dedicated to pinot noir should get such good exposure in this kindred corner of the country. Vermont is just that sort of place.

2004 Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was medium beet-red and transparent in the glass. Scents of strawberry, raspberry and wild blueberry preserves greeted the nose with no alcohol sting whatsoever. This pinot seemed dusty, presenting light leaf, soil and Asian spice, and with its light to medium texture was perfectly suited to the dinner table. I was awestruck by how this pinot was so immediately intriguing! As oak played such a small role in its background, savory spice and true pinot fruit were here presented center stage. In short, Schug Sonoma Coast pinot was remarkable for its balance, being both simple and pure, and was engaging with its honest fruit quality from the outset.

It’s rare for me that something so unexpected excites so completely. This wine was exciting not for being big and powerful, possessing neither of these qualities, but was remarkable for its aromatic nuance and purity of flavor. It drank like REAL GOOD village-level Burgundy (at half the price no less)! In short: buy much, drink often, and hoard this wine! Highly recommended!

2002 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast
$17.95 / 375ml
www.whsmithwines.com

I recently had the good fortune to travel to California for business. Between my innumerable tours of mega-wineries and the hundreds of miles I spent driving from the Sierra Foothills north through Lodi, on to Napa Valley and eventually to Sonoma, I made time to explore a wine shop or two along the way. Yet, I had to limit my frenzied pace of wine acquisition and get real selective toward the end of my one week stay. So this W.H. Smith half bottle was attractive not only for its smaller price tag (when compared to that of a 750ml) but also for its smaller size: half bottles fit very nicely into backpacks and the like!

W.H. Smith Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was a deep and translucent garnet in the glass showing rich concentration of color. Ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors were delivered in a frame of ample soft tannin and lingering acidity. Beneath this dense layer of ripe fruits were nuanced cedar, leaf and cocoa flavors. I even detected an interesting menthol quality and some chalky minerality which contributed greatly to this wine’s depth of palate. Powered by good grip and tart acidity, this pinot shined most with its long and powerful finish.

While W.H. Smith’s Sonoma Coast Pinot is certainly a fuller, more plush style of pinot noir, it offers power AND finesse in a rich, satiny-style. More importantly, this pinot has what it takes to go the distance in the cellar. Recommended!