($60): Richard Ward, one of the owners of Saintsbury, believes this is their ‘best estate vineyard.’  As good as their multi-vineyard Carneros blend is (also reviewed this week), the Brown Ranch bottling just has more of everything while maintaining impeccable balance.  The vines were planted 16 years ago, and while not ‘old,’ they have sufficient age, which helps explain the fabulous complexity of the wine.  The alluring bouquet is followed by a glorious mixture of delicate red and black fruit flavors intermingled with leafy–almost mushroomy notes.  The finish is seemingly endless.  A wonderfully harmonious wine, it shows the depth and breath of flavors of Pinot Noir without a trace of heaviness. A delight to drink now, I suspect it will evolve even further because of its wonderful balance. 95 Michael Apstein Dec 16, 2008