The 2009 Pinot Noir Bucher Vineyard shows good up-front intensity, but then loses a measure of persistence on the mid-palate and finish. This is a rather dark, brooding wine, but it never fully comes together in the glass. Tar, smoke and licorice are some of the notes that struggle to fully emerge in the glass. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. I tasted a dizzying array of Pinot Noirs from Williams Selyem and winemaker Bob Cabral. Yields were down in 2009 because of bunch-stem necrosis, a condition that can occur because of weather/humidity extremes or mineral imbalances. Otherwise, it was a pretty regular vintage with an even set and a harvest that took place beginning in early September.Tel. (707) 433-6425

Lots of sweet, ripe, jammy blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fruit in this sweet, silky wine. Oak, too, plays its role in contributing toast and caramel notes. A little too ripe for comfort, but delicious. Drink over the next six years. ——S.H.(2/1/2012)—— 90