Another recent dinner with friends, this one turned out to be a blind tasting of US pinot noirs. (Notes and scores were given before the names of the wines were revealed) The cellar master arrived and whetted our palates with a 1997 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet. A light gold hue with even some green trace, for a 10 year old not yet ready to give up its youth. Power and youthful in the mouth, like "crystalline gold," I said. A beauty with many years left.

The first flight started with (unknowingly) the 2002 DuMol Russian River valley "finn" pinot noir. I found it sappy, with orange peel and leather on the nose, but with a tad too much volatile acidity. Alcohol. the VA reasserted itself in the mouth and it was medium bodied. I thought it was 10+ years old. Overall it was not very complex and not very interesting. 2 out of 4 stars.

Next we had the 1999 Rex Hill Jacob Hart vineyard, pinot noir (Oregon). the color showed more age than the DuMol with more orange at the rim. In the nose it was leather and spice. Fatter/juicier than the DuMol, with a shorter finish but overall much more savory and enjoyable. . 3 out of 4 stars.

Then we had the 1997 Dehlinger Estate Reserve pinot noir. More youthful in color and in nose, but some browning at the rim. Leaps out of the glass with briar and orange peel. Alcohol. Really good stuff. 3 out of 4 stars. Surprisingly youthful for its age.

The next wine of the first flight was the 1999 Domaine Comte-Lafon Volnay-Santenots-Du-Milieu (1er cru). This had a ruby rim and a stunning and complex nose of game, menthol, red fruits, and orange peel. tannic and complex in the mouth. I thought it was new world for all of its power, but going back later the less ripe tannins stood out after all of the californian pinots. 3.5 out of 4 stars. The wine of the flight

The last wine turned out to be the 2004 Pisoni "estate" pinot noir. Purple in the glass. Barnyard nose with cranberry and Thanksgiving stuffing. Cinnamon. Definitely from California. Powerful, I guessed it was from Helen Turley. Only a bit more enjoyable than the DuMol. 2.5 out of 4 stars.