A gorgeous wine, the 2010 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is full of character. Savory herbs, tobacco and licorice are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. Focused, bright and beautifully articulated, the 2011 is an excellent rendering of Pinot from this coastal site just west of Occidental. This is yet another in a series of hugely impressive wines from Hartford Court. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

Hartford's 2010 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard captures the best qualities of Russian River Pinot. Juicy and explosive, the 2010 is layered and nuanced throughout. Juicy dark cherries, hard candy, mint and freshly cut flowers are all alive in the glass. The Arrendell has a level of inner perfume, complexity and sheer sweetness that is remarkable. Hints of sage, rosemary and mint add nuance on the close. This is a gorgeous wine from start to finish. Arrendell, one of the cooler sites on the Russian River, was planted in 1975 with the Martini clone. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

Bright ruby-red. Complex, high-pitched aromas of raspberry, licorice, potpourri and gingerbread, lifted by an exotic bergamot topnote. Sweet, broad and generous, conveying a strong impression of spiciness and deep red berry and rose pastille flavors. Distinctly elegant and precise pinot with a sweet, floral, spicy finish that hangs on tenaciously.

Given its comparatively restrained nose of fresh cherries, minerals and wood spice, this wine surprises a bit by being bigger and far more expressive than expected once in the mouth. Its deep and solidly varietal flavors show layers of vanilla, dark cherries and sweet spice, and, if fairly ripe, it keeps fruit front and center all the way through. It is full and fleshy in feel with an open architecture that invites early drinking, and it will make a fine mid-term foil to succulent lamb stews or classic Boeuf Bourguignon.

From the winery's Annapolis Vineyard, at the cool, northern tip of the true Sonoma Coast, comes the chunky young Pinot Noir. Although the grapes were determined before fermentation, the tannins are significant, a reflection of the low yields and tough skins the berries develop. In fact, the wine is almost Zinny in its full body and spicy, briary fruit. It clearly needs time. Best after 2011.

Close in quality is the deep ruby-hued Far Coast Vineyard (a site near the Pacific Ocean). Notes of fruitcake, spicy cherries, pomegranates, and incense along with excellent depth, purity, and richness are found in this top-class Chambolle-Musigny look-alike. It should drink well for 7-10 years. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

Deep red. Seductively perfumed bouquet of red berry preserves, five-spice powder and flowers. Juicy raspberry and cherry flavors are framed by silky tannins and gain weight with aeration. Richer black raspberry and kirsch qualities dominate the long, seductively sweet finish. Offers an impressive blend of power and vivacity.

The brilliant 2007 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyard (a Sonoma Coast mountain site) also comes from Dijon clones, but it is a deeper, richer, full-bodied effort. Its dark ruby color is accompanied by a sweet, floral, raspberry, and black cherry-scented bouquet with the wood component pushed to the background. Broad, deep, rich, and impressively endowed, it should drink well for 5-8 years. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

Rich and concentrated with ripe cherry and extracted, deep, robust flavors; powerful, intense and spicy yet quite elegant.

Bright red. Strongly perfumed nose offers a sexy set of red and dark berry aromas, along with cinnamon, mace and dried rose. Juicy, sharply focused raspberry and blackberry flavors display impressive depth and vivacity. Silky tannins add support to the long, sappy finish. A drop-dead gorgeous pinot that's drinking wonderfully right now.

Forest floor scents of ferns and conifer contrast with brighter fraise de bois and violet notes in this pinot noir. the structure is clean and transparent, allowing the wine's complexity to show through. The impression is gentle yet concentrated, a wine built to age or to decant for coq au vin.

Made from 34-year-old vines, this wine is bright and fresh with minerals, earth, dark cherry and concentrated notes of black tea; balanced yet full of complexity.

This is from the winery's Annapolis vineyard. It's a very fine and interesting Pinot, showing the acidic, elegant structure of true coast Pinot, and exotic flavors of wild raspberries, red cherries, licorice, sweet leather, tea and Asian spices. All this, in a lightly silky, eminently drinkable texture.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard is an exceptional Pinot Noir. Dark ruby in color, with a beautiful nose of rose petals, strawberry and cherry jam, forest floor, and peat moss, the wine also has an undeniable minerality about its character, with great fruit, terrific texture, and a long finish. This is a superb Pinot that should drink nicely for 5-6 years.

Showing the beautiful silkiness and delicacy that great Pinot should have, this one also combines immense power. The end result is an important wine of ageworthy proportions. Drinking it now rewards for the wealth of cherry, raspberry, cola, cinnamon spice and oak flavors that are so delicious. But the wine has a fine balance that will allow it to age gracefully for at least six years.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard, which is made from the oldest vines (32-year-old heritage Martini clone Pinot Noir), exhibits a Grenache-like kirsch liqueur and raspberry fruitiness. Elegant, with medium to full-bodied flavors, great fruit on the attack and mid-palate, and a savory, medium to full-bodied finish, this wine should drink nicely for 5-6 years.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters from the Savoy and Falk Vineyards in Anderson Valley is a classic example of this area. Bluer fruits with copious notes of flowers jump from the glass of this dark ruby-colored wine. It is nuanced and elegant, with plenty of stuffing, but lovely balance and a feminine personality. Drink this wine over the next 4-5 years.

Grown on a ridge-top west of Occidental, this wine develops into a beauty with long exposure to air. At first, new oak masks the fruit, and then clean flavors of fresh strawberry build their fragrance into a midpalate punch of brightness. It grows increasingly generous, the red fruit lasting into a finish that contrasts saline tannins with the chocolate richness of oak. The impression is cool, clean and luxurious, the wine needing three to six years' more bottle age to reach optimal maturity.

Exhibits cola, raspberry, strawberry, and floral notes along with great ripeness, medium body, tremendous purity, and wonderful fruit presence.

Smoky, plum, black raspberry, sandalwood, celery salt, barnyard, compost aromas. Rich, round, supple and intense with good acidity and balance. Ripe cherry, vanilla, licorice, orange pekoe, and cardamom flavours. Long, warm and intense with great fruit.

Plummy and rich with deep, complex fruit flavors and a long, ripe finish; intense and dark.

At only 300 cases, this will be hard to locate, but worth the search. It's tightly wound, with citrus, herb and grilled-nut aromatics, rich buttered pearflavors and a silky, velvety mouthfeel that's to die for.

An intensely fragrant floral, ginger, peach, lemon-lime and orange-spice bouquet ushers in this smooth, well-structured wine. The palate shows intricately meshed orange, butterscotch and toasted nut flavors, offset by angular, racy mineral accent. Finishes long and crisp, wirh real refinement in it's pineapple, citrus and stony flavors. Enjoyable now but still tight, this should offer even more in two years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is bright, focused and nicely lifted. Gracious and light on it its feet, the 2016 has a good deal of vibrancy. Lemon confit, white flowers and persistent saline notes bring energy and focus.