During the winter of 2006 after the wines had been resting in barrel for a few months, Guy tasted some things out of barrel and explained to us that even though it was a wet year and that many people would have a difficult vintage, that his meticulous care and hands-on approach with the non-irrigation strategy produced very focused complex flavors and concentrated layers without any need for heavy handed winemaking. He then took us on a taste tour to show -off his new babies...and he was right. Some of you may have tasted the other great 2006 wines from us as proof - the 2006 Syrah that got 94 points from Robert Parker, the 2006 Zinfandel which was, and still is, I think, our best Zin ever, and the 2006 Pinot that has been on every restaurant wine list here in Wine Country and San Francisco for the past 12 months.

Well, that day he showed us 3 particular barrels from his vineyard - from 3 different places on the slope, 2 from the section which is planted to the Pommard Clone and one that is planted to the 777 clone right at the top of the hill - and I am not kidding you when I say they were out of this world, even better than the other gems we had been tasting in the cellar that day. He said he tasted us on those last because for whatever reason these had surfaced as being very "alluring", as he put it that day. He said it was really serious for California Pinot and it reminded him more than any other wine he had ever made of the young wines he had tasted in the cellars in Burgundy when he was working over there.

Two years later he brought us to taste again and at the end of the tasting he said, "Remember those 3 barrels we tasted at the very end of the tasting when I was grading out the cellar before Christmas in 2006? Well, taste this!" He had kept them separate the entire time; he blended the three barrels and then returned them to barrel to stay married in the barrel 6 months after the rest of the 2006 was bottled.

Now it is officially released; our first official "reserve" wine. 70 cases of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from our estate vineyard, Guy's favorite 3 barrels and it is bears the designation "PinnaCole". A play on pinnacle, meaning the peak, the summit, and a nod to Cole his oldest son, our cellarmaster, assistant winemaker and all around do everything Guy can not catch-up with.

This wine is off the charts! The complexity and balance are unbelievable - it will cellar for many years to come because of its structure, but because of the extended barrel and bottle age it is gorgeous right now. The variety of red fruits from cherries and cranberry and pomegranate that move darker into cassis and boysenberry as it opens in the glass is really fun. It has the earthen and leather notes that Guy called Burgundian that first day we had it from barrel three years ago. I get a rose petal thing in the nose too - the texture has the mouth-watering acidity but the mouth-coating silky richness too.

If you are a fan of French Burgundy you will flip, if you are a fan of Russian River Pinot, you will flip - it is that perfect meld of each character in one bottle of wine. We will not make a PinnaCole every year, we will only do it when something special presents itself but, as you will see, in 2006 it has. Charlie Rose and his wife Mindy, two of our long time fans and friends were here and Guy showed them this wine at lunch. Needless to say some is already sold but the rest is still available.

Rusty the “Prince of Pinot” says, “Complex aromatic profile showing aromas of Bing cherries, dark chocolate, spice, wine cave and oak toast. Marvelous tasting core of chocolate-covered cherries with hints of cola, macaroon and earth robed in ripe tannins and bright acidity. Very smooth on the palate with a lasting cherry-filled finish. A dead ringer for a Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Burgundy.”

Davis Family Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir “PinnaCole”, only 70 cases made: $60 per bottle.