2010 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir Laguna

The 2010 Pinot Noir Laguna is one of the more easygoing wines in this lineup. Dark red berries, spices and crushed flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in this open, accessible Pinot. The Laguna is an excellent choice for drinking over the next handful of years. Proprietor Eric Sussman aged the Laguna in used oak barrels for 11 months.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Laguna is one of the more easygoing wines in this lineup. Dark red berries, spices and crushed flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in this open, accessible Pinot. The Laguna is an excellent choice for drinking over the next handful of years. Proprietor Eric Sussman aged the Laguna in used oak barrels for 11 months. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. I was only able to taste a handful of wines from Radio-Coteau, but I will be addressing that oversight in the near future. These are some of the most compelling wines being made in California. Proprietor Eric Sussman pursues organic and biodynamic farming with a focus on cooler, marginal growing sites. In the cellar the wines are made with ambient yeasts and natural malolactic fermentations. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered with the exception of the Chardonnay, which is lightly fined. Yields were down dramatically in 2010, mostly because of the lower crop set. The Pinots saw 5 days of cold soak followed by 15-17 days of fermentation. The Syrahs are potentially even more interesting, but I wasn’t able to taste a fully representative set of wines. Tel. (707) 823-2578; www.radiocoteau.com