The 2005 Pinot Noir Grand Detour offers a concoction of sweet cherry, raspberry, plum, and spice characteristics. Totally captivating, this medium-bodied Pinot reveals no hard edges, a savory texture, and impressive purity. It reminded me of a premier cru from the Cote de Beaune. Drink it over the next 4-6 years. Tel. (707) 833-0212; Fax (707) 833-1164

I love this Pinot for its dry silkiness, fruit, and the way it’s so complex and ever-changing in the glass. Cherries, raspberries, cola, plum skin, mocha and dusty Asian spice are the elementary flavors, amplified by rich oak, but it’s not a fruit bomb. It’s elegant and complex, exemplifying cool-climate California in a great vintage.——S.H.(8/1/2007)—— 93