Autumn leaves, dried herbs, tobacco cedar and sweet spices all flow from the glass in the 2010 Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge. In this vintage, the Comptche Ridge comes across as delicate and at times even a bit fragile. Ideally it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. The cold growing season was especially challenging in this northern part of Sonoma. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. This is another set of gorgeous wines from Anthill Farms. Proprietor Anthony Filiberti comments that 2010 was a challenging growing season. A cold, wet spring resulted in an irregular flowering, which lowered yields and left the plants with grapes and clusters in varying stages of development. The only way to achieve full ripeness was to sacrifice the fruit that lagged in maturity, which reduced yields even further. These sacrifices paid off, however, and as a result, Anthill Farms produced a fabulous set of wines. Filiberti typically uses 40-50% stems and prefers low amounts of new oak. These are some of the most transparent, graceful Pinots being made in California today. Pricing remains quite fair within the context of top-echelon California Pinot.Tel. (707) 385-9396

The 2009 Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge is one of the more pointed wines in this lineup. Clean veins of vibrant minerality support expressive dark fruit in this polished wine. Mint, eucalyptus, crushed rocks and licorice are some of nuances that appear on the focused finish. The wine’s inner perfume and sweetness appear with extended aeration. This is a gorgeous showing. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. This line-up from Anthill Farms is very impressive. The Pinots in particular are distinctive and well deserving of serious consideration.Tel. (707) 385-9396