OK. For those of you with the heart to try to encourage an admitted Cab and Italian wine guy:

How about a few ideas for me to (once again) foray into Pinot. I've had a few fits and starts and definitely enjoyed Radio-Coteau, Rochioli, Saintsbury; but I can't get momentum and have not really had an AHA!! wine.

Therefore it has been hard to allocate any time and money to this wine.....

Thanks,

DBW

Littorai, Brewer Clifton, Marcassin, Kistler, Peay

above + Loring, Sea Smoke

i'm hoping to start my PINOT enjoyment with the soon to be released 2002 Aubert pinot.

i can't wait for the experience to begin

I disagree. Remember also that these wines are basically the best California Pinot Noirs available. Despite their considerable quality advantage over other producers they are priced very competitively. You don't complain about Peay's price or availability (before you edited out your original comments) but their Pinot Noir is priced in the mid forties and they produced less than 300 cases of Pinot Noir in 2002. Brewer Clifton Pinots are in the mid forties as well and BC produces at least double Peay's amount. Littorai starts at $50 a bottle and maxes at $60 for the famed Summa Vineyard and has production levels at least three times as much as Peay. A 10% difference in cost for a Littorai is negligible.

While Marcassin and Kistler are more expensive their quality is exceptional and on a proportional basis compared to other areas (compare the price of Lafite to Lynch Bages for example) the premium for these wines is really quite low. Marcassin is $75 for BSR and $90 for the estate. Their production is also more than 300 cases. Kistler starts at $60 and goes to $90 and they produced considerably more than 300 cases in 2002.

Siduri, Loring, Roar, August West.

Sine Qua Non
Kosta-Brown
Red Car Amour Fou
Radio-Coteau

we had a 02 siduri rosella's at the 10-23 dinner and it was just awesome.

Martinelli

How about some SANFORD Pinot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pinot producers I really like that are somewhat attainable are:

Martinelli (maybe first and foremost), Siduri, and Ojai form CA and Domaine Serene (Evenstad is very very good, Grace is among the best Pinots produced in the US but is priced as such at $75-$90 depending on vintage), Ken Wright (particularly the Shea vineyard), and Soter from Oregon.

My bar-none favorite US Pinot is Peter Michael Moulin Rouge (a Pisoni sourced Pinot). I've never had a single vineyard Kistler or Marcassin so I cannot coment, but I assume they are fabulous. And, while virtually no one has tasted the Pinots yet, I also assume that Aubert is going to quickly be thrust into the Marcassin/Kistler stratosphere in terms of how well regarded his wines are.

a

Wow the hype machine is really rolling when a winery's first effort has not even been released yet and people are already comparing the unreleased and untasted wines to two of the best if not the two best California Pinot Noir producers in existence.

Agreed. Let's not fit the unborn Prince for his crown just yet.

To the above list, I will add WesMar. I had my first taste this past weekend, and I think it fits in very nicely with many of the others mentioned. Disclosure: I have never had a Marcassin or Kistler Pinot. Have had most of the rest.........except Aubert!

Next time you are in SF we will remedy that problem JimmyV.

I've had the marcassin but it was corked...

You and David N have had real bad luck in that regard. Its why I would buy all wines with a screwcap if I could.

While the scores that Dehlinger has received in the last few vintages have not been high, the wines are still a great value. I am looking forward to opeining another 2000 Estate this evening.

Pete

Pete, I can attest to that after having the Dehlinger Pinot with you and Barbara earlier this month.