Earthy cinnamon and almost charcuterie notes, along with some black tea aromas jump from the glass of the medium to dark ruby-colored 2006 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel. This is a lean, austere, but stunningly complex wine that again comes across like a grand cru Burgundy from the southern sector of the Cote de Nuits. Give this wine several years of cellaring and drink it over the following decade. All of the 2006 Pinots from Brewer-Clifton tend to emphasize the more spicy clove, allspice, underbrush, and root vegetable characteristics of Pinot Noir more than pure raspberry, black cherry, or black currant fruit. Not that they don’t have fruit, but it seems this vintage has been given a very overt spiciness, so readers who don’t like that might want to steer clear of the following Pinots. Some of the longest-lived Chardonnays being made in California these days come from the dynamic duo of Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer. The wines only see about 20-25% new oak and are bottled without fining or filtration. While their alcohols are relatively high, the acid levels are as well, and I have never had a Chardonnay from them that hasn’t been still very vibrant at 6-7 years of age, and they never taste hot. Tel. (805) 735-9184

Nearly always B-C’s top wine or close to it, this quintessential hilltop vineyard combines power and finesse with sheer deliciousness of flavor. Silky and dry, the wine shows an earthy spiciness that undergirds ripe tastes of red cherries, pomegranates and cola. Best now and through 2012.——S.H.(12/1/2008)—— 91