Wine of the Week: Inman, 2012 OGV Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Kathleen Inman is mad about pinot noir. She’s an unabashed fanatic.

“I appreciate pinot noir in all of its guises - from rich, fruity and luscious to lean, savory and elegant,” Inman explained. “I love it when it’s made into sparkling wine. I love it as a rosé.”

The winemaker of Santa Rosa’s Inman Family Wines is behind our wine-of-the-week winner - the Inman, 2012 OGV Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir at $68. This complex pinot is absolutely gorgeous, well worth the splurge. What makes it a standout is that within its layered flavors, it holds a lingering Bing cherry note. This pinot is balanced and rides on crisp acidity.

Inman said she isn’t shooting for a house style but rather a house philosophy.

“I’m trying to make honest wines that reflect the vintage and the place they are grown,” Inman explained. “Naturally bright acidity, ideally with moderate alcohol, but not always; rich texture and perfumed aromatics are what I hope to achieve.”

Inman doesn’t worry consumers will stray from pinot noir to try less mainstream wines. “Pinot noir is classic,” she said. “Like Chanel or Valentino, it never goes out of style,” she said. “Ripeness levels and alcohol may rise or fall just like hemlines, but there will always be demand for high quality classics... There are always new designers making a splash, some are short-lived in their fame; others go on to become new classics.”

Inman’s first job was at Napa Creek Winery in St Helena in 1982, but she never aspired to be a winemaker. “Wine was an interest - a fascination, but not something I thought was open to a woman,” Inman said. “Even as I visited other wineries that summer, I saw women as tour guides or in the tasting rooms, but not in the cellar.”

Then Inman was bewitched by Burgundy. “After my first visit to Burgundy in 1986, my passion for pinot was elevated,” Inman said. “My husband’s family friends in Nuit St. Georges have a number of premiere Cru vineyards there and as I learned more about the unique terroirs and the wines I was hooked.”

Inman’s passion for the finicky grape has only grown over time. “I remember hearing people joke at the launch of my business in 2002 that it usually takes 10 years to become an overnight success in the wine industry,” Inman said. “The 2012 OGV Estate Pinot Noir is from my 10th vintage.”

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This week’s blind tasting: High-end Pinot Noir

TOP PICK

Inman Family, 2012 OGV Estate, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 13.6% alcohol, $68. ????

1/2: This pinot is crazy good. Its best quality is its lingering effect -- Bing cherry that can hold a note longer than an opera singer, or so it seems. It’s complex with a melding of herbs, mineral and white pepper. Balanced and buoyed by bright acidity, the Inman is an absolute standout.

TASTY ALTERNATIVES

Truchard, 2013 Carneros, Napa Valley Pinot Noir, 14.1%, $35. ????

: This pinot is crisp and clean with bright, high-toned fruit and crisp acid. Aromas and flavors of cherry, herbs and spice. Nice length. Lovely.

CrossBarn 2013 Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 14.1%, $35. ????

: This earthy incarnation of pinot is striking. Notes of cherry, mushroom, herbs and spice. Great structure. Clean finish. An impressive pinot with depth.

On Point, 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 14%, $36. ???

1/2: This pinot is a touch earthy, with notes of cherry, mineral and spice. Generous fruit. Great structure. Bright acid. Well-crafted.

Handley, 2012 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 14.2%, $32. ???

: This pinot has some tasty red fruit and layered notes of herbs and spice. While it’s solid, it’s a bit less focused than usual from such a distinguished brand. Just not up to par.