The medium ruby-colored 1997 Pinot Noir Van Der Kamp Vineyard Old Vines offers a moderately intense nose of black raspberries, cherries, and spicy, roasted herbs. The wine is fleshy and open-knit, with nicely integrated toasty new oak, and a lush, heady (14.1% alcohol) finish. This supple, hedonistic example will offer delicious and complex drinking for 3-4 years. This winery continues to specialize in high quality Pinot Noir from some of the best vineyard sites in California and Oregon. I tasted four impressive 1997 offerings, all of which are bottled with minimal intervention (i.e., no filtration). Tel. (707) 578-3882

An inviting nose, just a touch tight now, offering sweet cherry and berry fruit, tea, cinnamon, smoke, and barnyardy complexity. Very friendly sweet fruit on the palate. Moderately high acidity but the density of the fruit needs it for balance. A full, ripe finish.——W.E.(10/1/1999)—— 90