CULTISH Pinot at 1/2 price!

THE WINE INSIDERS "CLASSIC 95" RATING (updated 2/09): "This is a flamboyant, sexy effort displaying a voluptuous texture, and ripe spicy cherry, cranberry, and creamy strawberry fruit intermixed with creamy liqueur characteristics. The most succulent new Pinot we’ve sampled in a while, it is impossible to resist NOW (after decanting 1/2 hour) and will age well for 3 - 5 years, peaking around 2012 in our estimate! 95+ points now and perhaps 96 points in just a few years."

ROBERT PARKER OUTSTANDING 94: “It reveals classic black raspberries, cherries, and spring flowers. With terrific fruit, full body, ripe tannin, and a round, generous, savory mouthfeel already displaying tremendous complexity, it should drink well for 7-8 years. Almost half of the fruit comes from Pahlmeyer’s own 24-acre Pinot Noir parcel at his Sonoma Coast vineyard called Wayfarer. 94”

INSIDER SCOOP: One of the silver linings of this current economic downturn is that formerly inaccessible collector wines are now available in small allocations. A marvelous example is the rare new Pahlmeyer Pinot Noir which we originally rated 94 points (fyi, Parker did too - see below) when tasting the pre-release sample but we popped a cork last Friday and now believe this wine is well on the way to a 96+ rating within the next 2 years. Paired with a grilled pork chop at Nopa restaurant in San Francisco this wine was easily a 95+ point experience.

At $94/bottle, the Pahlmeyer 2006 Pinot Noir is not exactly "cheap" but trust us when we say that it is comparable in quality to the oh so 'Culty' best vintages of Kistler and Marcassin which both trade for more than double Pahlmeyer's price. We've been fortunate to sample Kistler and Marcassin each vintage as well as Williams Selyem, Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke and other highly rated Pinots. We can assure you that this Pahlmeyer bottling is on par and will surpass many of those highly sought after wines this vintage. Tasting notes below!