Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/57654
REPORT RITZY PINOT #8: "DUSKY AND EARTHY" Lucienne 2009 Doctor's Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands ($50) Hahn Family Estates T his is one of three single-vineyard bottling for Lucienne, a small-lot program from the folks at Hahn Family Estates, the largest land-holder in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. "This is our wine- maker's baby," says Marketing Director Philip Woodrow, when speaking of Paul Clifton's pet project. The Doctor's Vineyard is in the southern part of the SLH, offering a dark, rich profile to this Pinot. "Cherry-wood and chocolate-coffee-toffee, with focused concentration and deep, inky color." —Geoff Kruth "Chocolate and cherry sauce, with a touch of rhubarb brightness. Developed red-black berries and a plush mouthfeel." —Peter Estrada Philip Woodrow is the Director of Marketing for Hahn Family Estates. RITZY PINOT #9: "BIG, BAD BOY" Arista Winery 2009, Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ($56) A rista Winery was founded by the McWilliams family in 2002 and they presently craft 14 different Pinot Noirs. The family's philosophy is that "wines carefully cultivated in the vineyard are well behaved in the cellar." While most of the Arista Pinots hail from the Russian River Valley, the Anderson Valley specimen poured at our event is a style "out of the box" for the family. 250 cases. "Not restrained at all, this is a big, big, delicious wine with cooking spices and velvet tan- nins." —Ted Glennon "Deep color—almost electric. Baked cherries, baked apple skin, exotic mandarin orange and a heady vanilla spice continue to add character to this heavy hitter." —Chris Gaither Mark McWilliams manages the day-to-day operations at Arista Winery. 92 / the tasting panel / march 2012 SPEED T AS TING