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Hug 2005 Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $48
The vineyard is across the road from Bien Nacido, and the wine shows many of the same qualities as that famed property. This Pinot is big, dry and dusty, with some fairly grippy tannins. Yet it has the purity and silky mouthfeel of great Pinot Noir, with a crushed brown spice taste that hovers over ripe cherry-berry, cola and mocha flavors. Decant for a few hours…
— S.H.
(2/1/2007)
Hug 2005 Bassetti Vineyard Rena Block Syrah (San Luis Obispo County)
- Online Exclusive
- $45
This big, ripe, powerful Syrah is potent in everything the grape develops in a cool vintage. The flavors are all about white pepper-accented crushed blackberries and cherries, with a salty, beef jerky savory taste, while the tannins give a sharp, structural edge. There’s even an acidic cut. The volume suggests decanting, and it could develop in the bottle over the…
— S.H.
(11/1/2007)
Hug 2005 Cedar Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir (Arroyo Seco)
- Online Exclusive
- $29
There’s not a lot of Pinot grown in this cool Salinas Valley appellation because most of the grapes are white, but judging from this wine, there should be. It has the medium-bodied, silky texture and crisp acids you want in a fine Pinot, as well as flavorful cherry, cola, raspberry, coffee and spice flavors that lead to a dry, polished aftertaste.
— S.H.
(2/1/2007)
Hug 2007 Boulder Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir (San Luis Obispo County)
- $48
This low-production Pinot doesn’t leave much to the imagination. It’s all about fruit. Cherries, raspberries, currants, cola, root beer and pepper flood the mouth, housed in a crisply dry, savory mouthfeel. Could develop bottle complexities over the next six years.
— S.H.
(7/1/2009)
Hug 2005 Cedar Lane Vineyard Syrah (Arroyo Seco)
- Online Exclusive
- $29
As ripe as the fruit is, and it’s very ripe, with showy blackberry, cassis, plum and mocha flavors, this Syrah is dry and balanced, with the acidity and tannic structure that comes from the terroir of this cool Monterey appellation. It’s a very interesting wine, with real class and style.
— S.H.
(11/1/2007)
Hug 2006 Cedar Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir (Arroyo Seco)
- $30
Showing the acidity this cool-climate region is known for, this Pinot is balanced and elegant. It has polished flavors of cherries, pomegranates, herb tea, orange zest and cola, and after you swallow, a burst of Asian spices covers the palate.
— S.H.
(12/1/2008)
Hug 2006 Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley)
- $48
Good and rich, with jammy cherry, blackberry, currant and dark chocolate flavors that finish dry and crisp. But the mouthfeel is a little heavy and Rhône-like for a Pinot Noir, and as a result, the wine is a pace off the ’05.
— S.H.
(12/1/2008)
Hug 2007 Casa Torres Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley)
- $40
Quite dark, soft and extracted for a Pinot Noir, this wine is almost Rhône-like, with flavors of black and red cherries, cherry liqueur and new French oak. It’s a good, admirable wine, with a lip-smacking spiciness, but some will find it too heavy.
— S.H.
(7/1/2009)
Showing items 1
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2010 Stonegate
Good price for a Napa Chardonnay this rich and balanced. It’s enormously…
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