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"Eight Pinot Blockbusters "

by Fred McMillin Once or twice a year in our blind tastings we hit a Pinot Noir that stops the show...humongous intensity yet smooth as silk. Who made 'em? To find out, I checked the last five years' results and found eight blockbusters. From over 100 wineries, the winners were Roche, Elkhorn Peak, David Bruce, David Bruce...'er...David Bruce. Suddenly it dawned. This was the David Bruce Show, as you can see. (All wines were tasted when they were 2½ to 3 years old.) The Eight Dazzlers 8th  -  Roche Carneros, '91, $16 7th - David Bruce Reserve, Santa Cruz Mtns., '92, $30 6th - David Bruce Reserve, Santa Cruz Mtns., '91, $30 5th - Elkhorn Peak, Fagan Creek Vnyd., Napa Vly., '93, $21 4th - David Bruce, Estate Reserve, Santa Cruz Mtns., '93, $35 3rd  -  Quatro, Sonoma County, '94, $17 2nd  -  David Bruce, Chalone, Monterey County, '95, $31 Winner - David Bruce 30th Anniversary Pinot Noir, '92, $100   Note—For more about that Bruce Chalone, see the January 20, 1998 WineDay article titled A Prodigious Pinot. Postscript We also reviewed the Best Buys for the same period. Only two wineries had two top bargains, Oregon's Duck Pond and California's Mirassou, all at $7 at that time. The best buy of all was a '93, $8 California Pinot Noir by Napa Ridge. For more about Napa Ridge, see the May 26, 1998 WineDay titled A Central Coast Boast.

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