Tasting Notes:Red berry fruits abound over a structure of earthy mushrooms that is typical of the Bishop Creek terroir.Winemaking Notes:For the first time, we included some 667 clone pinot noir in with our regular mix of own-rooted Pommard, Wadensvil and 777. We believe this added some young fruit characteristics to a wine that continued using 25% whole clusters as the backbone of our primary fermentation regime. The fruit was ripened perfectly as it came into the winery between 23.5 and 24.5 brix. Native yeasts powered the ferment which lasted 10-14 days in open top fermenters. We elected to use no new wood, feeling that the fruit was better presented without an overbearing oak influence. We did use about 30% 1 year old French oak barrels, with the rest neutral. Malo-lactic fermentation proceeded quickly, finishing by mid-January. The wine was not racked until just prior to bottling in early September. 193 cases were produced.Vintage Notes:2009 marked a return to the slightly warmer vintages of 2002 and 2006, compared to 07-08. The summer was hot, leading to early sugar spikes in some sites. It was tempting to pick early in order to avoid bringing in fruit that was overripe. But a rain event over Labor Day weekend, following by another drying trend, made for perfect picking conditions, and allowed the grapes more hang time than they had seen in many years. Lush, fruit forward wines with plenty of structure rewarded our patience. Everything was in the winery by October 11th.Reviews:"The 2009 Pinot Noir Valois Reserve is a selection of the best barrels in the cellar encompassing all of the clones in the vineyard. It was fermented with native yeasts using 30% whole clusters with ML in barrel followed by 10 months aging in second use French oak. Fragrant cherry and spice notes inform the nose of a sweetly-fruited, velvety-textured, elegant offering that has the balance to evolve for 1-2 years. It will provide optimum drinking through 2019 if not longer.Bishop Creek Cellars began planting in 1988 but did not produce their first vintage until 1999. They continue to sell grapes while producing about 1000 cases annually under their own label." - 90 points, Jay Miller