Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir Russian River Valley the North Slope Vineyard 2010

Deep ruby. An intriguingly nose evokes candied blackberry, plum jam, sassafras, cola and candied violet. Deep, intensely flavored and tightly wound, with strong dark berry fruitiness complicated by notes of candied flowers and vanilla. Lively, youthful pinot noir that finishes with with excellent thrust and slow-building tannins. Iandrsquo;d stash this away for a few more years.

Deep ruby. An intriguingly nose evokes candied blackberry, plum jam, sassafras, cola and candied violet. Deep, intensely flavored and tightly wound, with strong dark berry fruitiness complicated by notes of candied flowers and vanilla. Lively, youthful pinot noir that finishes with with excellent thrust and slow-building tannins. Irsquo;d stash this away for a few more years.

The 2009 Pinot Noir North Slope is one of the firmer wines in this lineup. Sweet black cherries, tar, licorice, mint and smoke are some of the nuances that inform this virile, powerful Pinot. The North Slope boasts impressive concentration and richness in a round, enveloping style that stands slightly apart from the rest of the wines in this lineup. Anticipated maturity: 2012andndash;2019.

The 2009 Pinot Noir North Slope is one of the firmer wines in this lineup. Sweet black cherries, tar, licorice, mint and smoke are some of the nuances that inform this virile, powerful Pinot. The North Slope boasts impressive concentration and richness in a round, enveloping style that stands slightly apart from the rest of the wines in this lineup. Anticipated maturity: 2012ndash;2019.

Not yet in bottle, the 2006 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is a fuller wine, stronger in color, with a deep ruby/purple tinge and sweet raspberry and cherry notes intermixed with some dried herbs and spice. This has some leafy characteristics in the background, and again a hint of pomegranate and earthiness. It should drink nicely for 5ndash;6 years.

With great care and small yields this wine is a perfect example of the quality that most have come to expect from this upper echelon producer, showing ripe cherry and raspberries on the nose and palate it ends with a bright acidity and sophistication.

From cool-climate soils, the 2007 Pinot Noir North Slope (Dijon clone 115 exclusively) is another admirable Pinot Noir. Notes of root vegetables, underbrush, clove, cinnamon, and oodles of black cherry and black currant fruit are present in this dark ruby/purple-tinged wine. Good acidity, full-bodied power, and plenty of concentration and depth characterize this very promising Pinot, which should evolve for at least a decade. This is a source for very fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at some of the most realistic prices to be found in Northern California.