Rochioli’s Sauvignon Blanc is often outstanding, but the 2009 is merely good. A crisp, naked style of Sauvignon, it offers up hints of lemon zest, caramelized grapefruit and figs in a medium-bodied, refreshingly fruity, zesty style. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years. Tom Rochioli is about as reliable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. One can quibble over whether or not he makes too many cuvees of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but no one doubts that this is a fabulous estate. The wines all come from separate blocks and they offer an education in how different clones perform in sites with different expositions and micro-climates. Rochioli told me that he had no difficulty achieving full ripeness with his 2009 Pinot Noirs. The wines combine freshness and elegance with substantial flavor authority. That is evident across the board with his generic Pinot as well as the five single vineyard offerings. All these Pinots tend to be made primarily from the newer Dijon clones.Tel. (707) 433-2305; Fax (707) 433-2358

From one of the Russian River’s premier Sauvignon Blanc producers, although recent vintages have slipped in quality. The ’09 is a good wine, dry and crisp, with citrus, gooseberry and spice flavors. But it’s missing the richness of earlier vintages.——S.H.(9/1/2010)—— 87