2009 Auteur Manchester Ridge Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., $40. · Moderately dark reddish-purple hue in the glass. Gorgeous aromas that make you just want to chew on the juice. Deep perfume of perfectly ripened pie cherries and vanillin oak. A stunningly flavorful wine that is quite flamboyant and showy, offering an array of darker berry and cherry flavors backed by complimentary oak. The finish is extraordinarily long, lasting more than 30 seconds. As good as this wine is upon opening, it did not show as well the next day from a previously opened bottle and probably is not a long term ager. Drink up for smiles now. Very good. Reviewed June 24, 2012

Winery: Auteur
From article: Mendocino Ridge: California’s Best Kept Secret Source of Spectacular Wines