David Bruce - Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 2002

On the nose: This wine has red berry, floral and faint earthy scents.

On the palate: This is a complex, medium to full-bodied pinot noir. In addition to the forward red berry flavor, you can taste notes of vanilla and mineral. On the finish, an unexpected and exciting hot pepperiness emerges and lingers long on the tongue. Very bold.

On the wallet: The PLCB charges $30.99. The complexity of this wine makes it worth the price, although a quick Internet search revealed that this wine can be found for as much as $3.00 less in New Jersey. The PLCB offers this as a specialty wine, which means that the wine has a limited availability and usually can be found only in the PLCB’s Premium Collection Stores. You may have a rough time finding this wine—I just bought the last two bottles at the Wine and Spirits Store on Chestnut Street, and according to the PLCB’s Product Catalog database, there are no stores in Philadelphia County that have any bottles left.

On the table: This pinot noir is elegant enough to be paired with pork and veal. Given this wine’s intensity, however, I’d also feel comfortable drinking this along side red meat.

N.B.: This is NOT David Bruce’s Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Bottled 2002, which Wine Spectator rated 92 and listed in its January 2006 Ultimate Buying Guide issue. The PLCB, apparently, does not carry the “Estate Bottled” version. This illustrates how important it is to pay attention to the label.