Sticks Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 2004

The medium-bodied 2002 Pinot Noir offers both sweet and sour cherry as well as spice characteristics. It is a soft, well-made, realistically priced Pinot to drink over the next 1-2 years. This is a good value from the Yarra Valley.

Seems like a hot-climate Pinot, with aromas of baked cherry pie and rich, jammy cherry flavors. A nice wine, and shows off this difficult varietal's soft, silky tannins and gentle mouthfeel.

Light, bright and open-textured, with pretty raspberry and cherry flavors on a polished frame. Drink now through 2009.

It is almost impossible to find high quality Pinot Noir for under $35-40 a bottle, so Sticks' 2003 Pinot Noir represents an exceptional bargain. Dark ruby-hued with a lovely perfume of damp earth, plums, cherries, and hints of blueberries as well as subtle oak, this medium-bodied Pinot offers an ethereal mouthfeel, little weight, but beautiful fruit, decent acidity, and sweet tannin. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years. From the Yarra Valley, this excellent value represents a style of wine that should have tremendous appeal in the American marketplace. The fruit is prominent, the wine is impeccably pure, and moreover, it offers immediate appeal. The wine reveals serious winemaking as well as surprising character for wines in this price range.

The red wines start with the 2005 Pinot Noir. Light ruby-colored, the nose reveals spicy red fruits, primarily raspberry and rhubarb. This leads to a supple-textured wine with correct varietal flavors ending in a slightly tannic finish. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.