2009 J. Christopher Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Cuvée

The 2009 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Cuvee emits a bouquet of fragrant red fruits. Intense, elegant, and succulent, it is a prototype of what could optimally be achieved in this vintage. J. Christopher Wines (the winery of guitar aficionado Jay Somers) has not been reviewed in these pages since the 2001 vintage. Given the quality of this collection of wines, he must have been in hibernation or taking lessons from the elusive John Thomas. Better late than never! The following wines generally are aged for 16-20 months in 25% new French oak. Tel. (503) 231-5094; www.jchristopherwines.com