Cambria
1996 Pinot Noir
Santa Maria "Reserve" -$35.

Medium ruby; complex, mature varietal aroma with red cherries, vanilla, kirsch (or chemical?), cocoa, bacon, toast, smoke and oak; complex, delicious flavors add spice and a suggestion of sweetness; quite rich with a supple, smooth velvety texture, well-balanced; medium-full body; very long finish. Mouthfeel and balance made this wine the winner.

Solitude
1997 Pinot Noir
Russian River "Rochioli" -$32.

Medium ruby; attractive, complex, ripe cherry, cola and pencil-lead aroma with some leather, dust and barnyard notes; subtle, red raspberry flavors with a sweet hint of alcohol or terpine; rich mouthfeel, medium-to-full-body, soft tannins in a long finish with a faint bite.

Gary Farrell
1997 Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley -$22.

Light ruby; pleasant, youthfully bright, varietal candied cherry aroma with hints of vanilla, coffee grass and a faint funk; light fresh, young strawberry and cherry flavors are faintly stemmy; light-to-medium body, lively acidity, could use richness; medium-long finish. This lighter overall style sparked tart controversy and showed better with food.

Husch
1997 Pinot Noir
Anderson Valley -$13.

Light ruby; attractive, light, complex, tomato and strawberry varietal aromas with hints of mint, maple, vanilla, smoke and tar; pleasant, ripe strawberry flavor; dry, slightly rich with youthful acidity, light to medium-body; soft tannins and a long, faintly stemmy finish.

Adelaida
1995 Pinot Noir
Paso Robles -$33.

Medium-dark ruby; very ripe to overripe, intense, plum, black cherry and mint aromas with hints of coconut, cassis, leather, tobacco and diesel; deeply extracted plum, cherry, oak and briary flavors with noticeable alcohol; very big, velvety rich, yet somewhat rough, full-body; very long finish.

Handley
1997 Pinot Meunier (!)
Anderson Valley -$18.

Medium ruby; pleasant, young, sweet, bright cherry, grape and strawberry fruit aromas with some spicy oak and hints of bananas and carbonic maceration; deep, slightly grape-jammy, raspberry, strawberry and somewhat oaky flavors; mouth-filling, medium-to-full body, slightly rich; somewhat harsh, candied finish.(This stealth ringer fooled everyone.)

Chalone
1997 Pinot Noir
Chalone "Estate" -$24.

Medium-dark ruby; pleasant, but muted black cherry aroma with hints of perfume, caramel, smoke, earth, oak and bacon fat; clean cherry and slightly spicy flavors don't quite deliver what the aromas promise; medium body, faintly tart balance; somewhat short finish. Seems youthful and does offer potential to develop.

Santa Cruz Mountain
1979 (YES!) Pinot Noir
"Rider Ridge" - ($15. at release)

Dark garnet; spicy oak, cedar and charred scents dominate ripe tomato, plum, berry, cassis and faintly minty aromas; big, intense, meaty, woody, oaky flavors; mouth-filling, medium-to-full body, needs richness; dry, tannic finish.(Although wood completely upstages fruit, this wine amazingly showed only the barest hint of age.)

Solitude
1997 Pinot Noir
Carneros "Sangiacomo" - $20.

Medium ruby; sweet ripe cherry, dark chocolate and faintly minty aromas with some bramble, earth and a slight funk; tart cherry and gamey flavors with a hint of tar; medium-to-full body, mouth-filling and slightly rich; long, tannic finish. More enjoyable with food.

Flowers "Moon Select"
1997 Pinot Noir
"Camp Meeting Ridge" - $50.

Medium-dark ruby; complex, ripe cherry, minty and leather aromas with vanilla, violets, smoke and tar; deep, ripe, very extracted cherry and smoky flavors, slightly hot; medium-to-full body, mouth-filling and slightly rich; long, slightly rough, tannic finish.(Easily the most controversial wine with equal numbers of 2nd, 3rd, 10th and 11th rankings. Some panelists objected to a "bubblegum" component.)

Piguet-Girardin
1996 Santenay Comme
Côte de Nuits -$22.

Light ruby; sweet, bright black cherry and blackberry aroma with mint, cola, currant, violet, pepper and blood orange notes; light cherry and plum flavors are tight, slightly earthy and tart; medium body; medium-long finish.

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This panel included Mark, Deanna, Glenn, Diana, Roy,
Marlene, Jon, Ray, Jim, Ron, Greg and James

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