The 1996 Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard (13.7% alcohol) is a soft, light ruby-colored wine with good freshness, a stylish, understated, restrained personality, and pleasant berry fruit intermixed with cherries and strawberries. The color is deceptively light for the amount of flavor, but this is reminiscent of a good Cote de Beaune-Villages or premier cru. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. The eight Pinot Noir tasting notes in this segment represent about half of the available cuvees. All of the offerings revealed high levels of tangy acidity, a style that allows the winery to utilize extremely low levels of sulphur, a worthy objective. I tasted four 1996 Pinot Noirs,all of which has been sold out. They are bottled with no fining or filtration after only two rackings. These wines tend to be aged in Francois Freres Burgundy cooperage, with a high percentage of new oak. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 578-3882