Robust but still finesse-styled is the 2006 Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard. Classic sweet cherry and ripe apple skin notes intermix with a hint of underbrush and earth, making for a soft, generous, but stylish entry on the palate of this medium to full-bodied wine. As it sits in the glass, even some raspberries emerge. Tel. (707) 942-4699; Fax (707) 942-5142

This is the best Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir I’ve ever had, from any winery. It’s dry, crisp and silky, and fabulously complex, with an enormous array of flavors that change by the second. It’s silly to list them at one moment, but they’ll range from wild forest berries and Asian spices to meaty, grilled bone, licorice, carrot cake and mocha. Great now, with decanting, and should hold and improve through 2012.——S.H.(2/1/2009)—— 94