Black Kite, Anderson Valley (Mendocino County) Pinot Noir 2009

 Black Kite is a truly superb wine estate in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley that routinely yields some of the finest Pinot Noir California has to offer. The property is carved up into distinct vineyard blocks with their own unique terroirs, and the Angel Hawk bottling is considered the estate’s reserve wine, blending hand-picked barrels from three blocks: Redwoods’ Edge, Stony Terrace and River Turn. The ’09 is quintessential New World Pinot, with plush, supple red-fruit aromas on the palate, a heady sun-kissed sweetness, and balancing acidity that is strong feature of the cool Anderson Valley. It’s a bit pricey, but only 109 cases were made, so the price is somewhat driven by rarity as well as quality.