2006 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)

"Two thousand six started out tough, with lots of rain, which created too much vine vigor," said Paul Hobbs, "and it stayed damp, which means that we needed to keep our eyes open for botrytis." It was overall a cooler vintage than 2005, he added, which allowed for slow maturation without dangerous heat spikes. "There was a lot of rain at the very end of September and beginning of October, so it was a good idea to have your grapes in before September 29th," he told me. Two thousand five was a moderate, drawn-out season for the Napa cabernet vineyards, followed by a late, extended harvest, which began in the second week of October and carried on until the beginning of November. He expects "good but not extreme richness, smooth tannins, and very good complexity from these wines, especially compared to the 2004s."