The 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley which contains 5% purchased fruit. Medium ruby in color, it gives up an alluring bouquet of cedar, cinnamon, incense, black raspberry, and black cherry that jumps from the glass. This leads to a dense, ripe, spicy, well-balanced wine with enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years (ageability being a significant trait of the vintage). This lengthy effort will be at its best from 2012 to 2020. Tel. (503) 864-2700; www.domainedrouhin.com

Once again, the Burgundian touch of Veronique Drouhin has crafted a wine of surpassing elegance and immaculate structure. This is the antithesis of a jammy, California style yet it retains much of the vibrancy of New World fruit rather than the suppressed rusticity of Burgundy. Delicate cherry and tart plum fruit is sculpted into a wine with nuanced details of cola and coffee and spice.——P.G.(3/1/2011)—— 91