2009 was a great Pinot Noir vintage - ask anyone who makes Pinot and they'll trip over their tongue trying to describe the greatness of the vintage for that particular variety. One of those Pinot specialists is Malivoire, who turned their base-model Pinot into a gentle, easy-spiced-black-cherry-with-a-hint-of-cranberry number. There's also some nice vanilla and spicy tannins on the finish ... while the acidity cleans the whole thing up nicely. Price: $29.95 - Rating: ****