The 2006 Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge has a medium to dark ruby color and a sweet nose of currants and black cherries intermixed with a cold-steel earthiness. The wine has beautiful texture, but an overall sense of elegance and finesse. Tel. (707) 942-4699; Fax (707) 942-5142

You’ll want to stick this in the cellar for a good three to five years because, tasted in early Fall 2008, it’s a tough young wine. The flavors are fantastically complex and interesting, ranging across wild berries and cola to leather and spice, with a subtle application of smoky oak. But the tannins and acids are upfront and immature. ——S.H.(2/1/2009)—— 92