Pinot Noir specialist Rick Longoria continues to tackle this difficult variety, which may be the hardest to master in California. His results are inconsistent. The ’09 is a very good wine, bone dry and dusty, with tobacco and cherry flavors. — (5/1/2012) —87

A decent but clumsy wine, showing the pitfalls of this variety in California. It’s very dry and silky in texture, but hot in alcohol, and there’s a burnt taste to the cherry and oak flavors. Not going anywhere.——S.H.(12/22/2011)—— 84

One of the best California Tempranillos of this or any vintage, Longoria’s ’07 establishes a new benchmark for the variety. Finally we have a dry, crisp and complex Tempranillo, filled with cherry, red currant, tobacco, spice, vanilla and sandalwood flavors, wrapped into polished tannins. A delicious, medium-bodied red wine to enjoy with lamb chops, game, or even roast salmon.——S.H.(4/1/2010)—— 93

Juicy and ripe, with cherry pulp, bacon, tobacco, glycerine and pepper flavors that finish dry and a bit hot. The challenge for Longoria is to add layers of complexity while keeping the alcohol under control. ——S.H.(11/1/2009)—— 87