The El Molino 2002 Rutherford Pinot Noir has oxblood red color and lifted notes of cedar and violets. On the palate, a ripe broad entry to a dense viscously textured mid-palate with wonderfully integrated tannins, overlaid by dark cherry, raspberry and spice flavors, harmonious acids and a persistent finish.

The El Molino 2001 Napa Valley Pinot Noir shows classic raspberry, plum and cherry notes, with secondary hints of spice, toffee and cream. It has a crisp entry with a tightly structured mid-palate showing integrated tannins and ample acidity creating a plush mouth-feel. The red fruit flavors continue through the palate to a long harmonious finish.

This is one of the richest wines we have ever produced. The color is intense and the aromas and flavors are complex. The wine is firm, yet seems to have a soft edge for current drinking pleasure. It is loaded with clean, sweet fruit showing red plum, black cherry, blackberry and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla all nicely knitted. Our guess is that this wine will rank along with some of the great years like 1984, 1990, 1992 and 1994, that possessed big, rich, ripe fruit flavor.

This remarkable, full-bodied wine exhibits a serious side of Pinot Noir. Fragrant aromas of hazelnut, vanilla, and ripe fruit accentuate the deep ruby color. Full of wild berries, black cherry, and rich spice, this powerhouse wine lingers on the finish with a well-integrated mouth-feel and structure. Big and fruit-forward, this wine will appeal to even the most die-hard Cabernet drinker. 950 cases.

This was a wonderful vintage for us. We picked the Pinot grapes 30 to 40 days beyond the 1997 harvest dates. The longer "hang time" allowed the grapes to develop to full maturity, yet sugars did not skyrocket and alcohol was average. Our wines are known for their enticing aromatics, which come from our clean fruit and emphasis on whole cluster fermentation. The 1998 Pinot Noir exhibits rich, complex flavors with mild tannin. The color is deep magenta and the nose shows a mix of fruit with spice and mild toasty oak. This is a big wine for us without the high alcohol often seen today. The harvest produced fewer grapes so our production declined to 875 cases.

Our 1997 Pinot Noir displays the rich, ripe fruit that developed during a relatively warm summer. The wine is deep magenta in color and our use of just 75% new French oak helps integrate the aromas. As in the past, this is 100% Pinot Noir with over 70% of the fruit coming from our Rutherford vineyard. The Rutherford terroir is clearly evident in the rich flavors of this vintage. Our Pinot Noir shows spice, black cherry and some tannin, softened by fining with one organic estate egg white. The wine dances on the palate and exhibits a long, lingering finish. An abundant harvest lifted our production to 940 cases.

For some reason, the even-numbered years in the 1990's have been a bit more concentrated and 1996 is no exception. We harvested the fruit in late August and early September with warm, dry weather. The last lot was quite ripe and we de-stemmed a higher percentage than normal, which seemed to enhance color. The wine is rich in Pinot flavor showing more black cherry and raspberry, as opposed to strawberry flavors. The acid levels are good and the wine should age well. 830 cases were produced.

The 1995 vintage was another great year for red wine. Harvest came later than normal, which helped to develop flavors and our blend seems to be benefiting from our Rutherford fruit as the three distinct clones mature. The vintage produced a softer wine with deep, rich, fruit flavors and a strong finish. As in the past the wine spent 18 months in 75% new Francois Frere oak barrels, fined with one estate egg white and lightly filtered before bottling. We produced 750 cases.

1994 produced an ideal growing season, which resulted in rich fruit flavors. The wine is substantial and seems more like the 1990 and 1992 vintages with its deep berry flavors and strong floral aromas. The grapes are a blend of our own Rutherford vineyard and two select Carneros growers. Our production crept up to 700 cases. This wine should age so remember to hide a few bottles.

Our 1993 Pinot Noir is characteristic of our recent releases with its big rich ripe fruit quality. However, it retains a delicate accessible nature showing wonderful floral and fresh fruit aromas. The wine has good balance and complexity that will enhance its versatility and aging potential. As each year passes the percentage of Pinot Noir fruit from our Star Vineyards in Rutherford is rising. In 1993 Star fruit accounted for 20% and this number will exceed 60% this year. While our production has been gradually rising, we made just 650 cases of the Pinot Noir.

Our Pinot takes time to develop because it is primarily fermented on the stem and aged in 75% new French barrels for 18-20 months. In 1992 we were able to produce another big Pinot, rich in fruit flavors with a wonderful blend of aromas. There were 625 cases produced.

This wine strikes us as a fraternal twin of the 1990 Pinot Noir, but perhaps more female than male with a all the attendant beauty and finesse. It shows wonderful floral and fruit aromas with lasting cherry and berry flavors in the mouth. There is plenty of acidity and tannin for aging, yet the wine is delicious now. We made 620 cases.

This is the most robust Pinot for us to date, yet it seems to retain the elegance of our early releases. 1990 provided ideal harvest conditions and we expanded our vineyard sources by adding two new clones. This wine was aged twenty months in new Francois Freres barrels and another year in the bottle. We produced just 625 cases of this exciting wine.

The 1989 is a classic, French Pinot Noir. It has the depth of summer fruit flavors found in our 1987 as well as the more feminine texture and spicy fruit aroma of the 1988. Whole cluster fermentation is partly accountable for these exciting fragrances. The wine is aged in new Francois Frere barrels for 20-21 months, which gives it the toasty vanilla nose. We fine with one egg white per barrel from our free-range El Molino chickens. 600 cases produced.

This wine has one of the most exciting and seductive aromas of any wine I can remember. It is a little lighter in color and body than our 1987, while it seems more youthful and should last longer.

We have experimented with different Burgundian style wines since 1981 and our Pinot Noirs have become our trademark. We ferment in small one-ton tanks with most of the grapes still on their stems. The wine flows by gravity to new French oak barrels, where the aging lasts almost two years. The 1987 was un-fined and lightly filtered. It is complex and exciting with rich fruit character. 300 cases released.