The bottled 2008 Pinot Noir Cuvee Alyce merited a lower score than my projected rating from the barrel and the wine reveals one of the worrisome issues for this vintage of Pinot Noir. While it offers an attractive perfume (spice, pomegranate, plums and berries), the flavors do not live up to the complex aromatics, and the wine is lean and austere. This can be a challenging vintage for Pinot Noir in the northern Russian River and northern Sonoma Coast appellations, not to mention in the Anderson Valley, which had serious smoke taint issues. If I were giving out awards for proprietors who combine remarkable humility with high quality, candidates for the top two spots would be Tom Dehlinger and Stephen Hansel. Stephen prefers his 2009s to his 2008s, primarily because they were easier to make and they have shown well since the first pressings of the grapes, always a reassuring sign of quality. Moreover, prices at this estate have not risen in over seven years and it is rare to see such reasonable prices for such high quality. The outstanding 2009 Chardonnays are all perfumed and French in style. All of them go through malolactic fermentation and are aged in approximately 40% new French oak with lees stirring and minimal clarification if possible. Hansel is also making wines from purchased grapes that sell for lower prices. All the 2009 Pinot Noirs are completely destemmed, fermented to total dryness, and then transferred on their lees into French oak barrels (70% new). Hansel is a believer of early bottling, so these cuvees are bottled 13 months after they are moved to barrel.Tel. (707) 525-3614; Fax (707) 528-1310
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