2003 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard

After several years of pleasant but less-than-thrilling wines, this veteran producer (with new winemaker Hugh Chappelle, who signed on in 2004) has returned to the Pinot Noir forefront, thanks to wines like this silky, boysenberry-scented Pinot from the winery's 42-acre estate vineyard in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley.

The anticipation from the classic, bright, youthful garnet appearance is satisfied by a complex nose of earth, fruit, and floral notes. Aromas of dark cherry and rhubarb are accented by lavender, forest floor, smoke, and a “minerally” graphite character. On the palate flavors echo the nose, evolving and gaining complexity as the wine breathes.  The structure of this vintage remains true to terroir, and true to the elegant, balanced Lynmar house style. There is power here, but the wine is lithe and light on its feet at the same time. The finish is remarkably long, lingering persistently for several minutes. While enjoyable upon release, we expect this vintage will be a bit more tightly wound than usual during its first year in bottle. Based on the track record of this vineyard we anticipate positive bottle development through at least 2012.