Woodenhead, Russian River Valley (California) Pinot Noir 2009

 No surprise, really, that this is such a superb wine given that Woodenhead’s owner, Nikolai Stez, began his career making wine at Williams Selyem, the much-esteemed Pinot house.  Add to this the fact that Buena Terra is one of the region’s oldest and best vineyard sites and one gets an inkling as to why this Pinot, with its subtle floral notes and lean, elegant, savory character, is so transcendent.