Very good nose, balanced, classic.

Leather, cherry, herbs, roasted walnut, dried red currants.

Earthy, balanced, intense.

Aroma: Apple, lemon zest, lemon bar, lime, citrus, flower blossom, honeysuckle, Alpha Bits cereal, flint, mineral, crisp, fresh, pleasant.

Palate: Green apple, tart apple, Golden Delicious apple, pear, kiwi, pineapple, white peach, grapefruit, lemon, citrus, eucalyptus, green tea, flowers, hint of cinnamon spice, minerality, crushed rock, wet rocks, granite, chalk, cereal, buttery, refreshing.

Finish: Vanilla, light butter, creamy, lemonade, tart, tangy, enjoyable.

Deep broad and complex, grapefruit, peach and melon.

Nice ripe fruit, good concentration & structure, nice acidity & long finish.

Long live pinot noir, the “wine of kings”

Produced by longtime Fairfax couple Frank and Ronita Egger in Healdsburg (although technically their home in Fairfax is both a bonded and licensed winery) this wine dances with red fruit elegance. Not an overt punch in the face, but more Burgundian “sweet science.” Red raspberry, strawberry and red currant all pirouette delicately with a bright minerality and soft tannins. It’s light brick-red color is lovely and its 14.5% alcohol adds to the easy drinkability. Good with food wouldn’t do it justice. More like great with food. In fact, you probably could just skip the food. Discounts are offered on mix and match cases, and it is widely available at specialty markets throughout the county.

The beautiful, distinctly varietal aroma starts with traces of dried herbs mingled with black cherry and graphite. In the mid-palate it’s supple with sufficient tannins to improve for a few years. Because it’s already 8 years old, it tastes superb today, which is counterintuitive because it’s from such a cool region and thus has great acidity.

The 30-year-old vineyard is at 1,600 feet altitude in an area probably suited more to Pinot Noir. Foot-stomped fruit yielded 13.9% alcohol and 28 months in new French oak was so careful the wine doesn’t show smoke/bacon. Just pure depth. A bargain!

Aroma: Lemon chiffon, pink grapefruit, touch of lime, Welch’s white grape juice, rich coconut, subtle vanilla, cinnamon, spicy, wood.

Palate: Bosc pear, nectarine, lemon, nutmeg, smoky, buttery, floral, sunny, elegant.

Finish: Vanilla, light butter, creamy, lemonade, tart, tangy, enjoyable.

Very pretty, orchard fruits, nice balance, fresh. Great food wine