2012 Sandhi Pinot Noir Amrita Wenzlau

Bottled without sulfur and seeing some carbonic maceration, the juicy, lively and bistro-styled 2012 Pinot Noir Amrita offers bright berry fruit, pepper, herbs and hints of vanilla to go with a medium-bodied, clean and fresh palate feel. I don’t think it will make old bones, but it’s a rock-solid effort that will dish out plenty of pleasure over the coming couple of years. As always, these no-SO2 wines need to be treated with care, and my recommendation is to drink up. Looking at the Pinot Noirs, all of the 2012s shows beautiful purity and integrated acidity, with a big slant toward the lighter textured, elegant end of the spectrum. Tel. (805) 686-3086; www.sandhiwines.com