88 2005 Sanford Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 3/23/07 ($25)
Color: Medium raspberry. (2.5) Bouquet: Tart raspberry with excellent acidity and P.N. perfume. Has a slight edge due to acidity. (3.0) Body: A solid middleweight with plenty of acidity and good fruit. Hopefully the acidity integrates more with a little time. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor with a little austere acidity and heat. Nothing a little time shouldn’t bring into line. (2.5)
Overall: An aromatic P.N. with high acidity that should enable it to improve in the next year or so. Very tasty, but not as interesting as the ’04 Amisfield from New Zealand, but has more body/acidity that enables it to stand up to food better. (14.0)