The wines of Helen Turley are certainly not without controversy, as her extroverted and robust style has all but revolutionized winemaking in CA. I suspect other winemakers would like to fight her in a dark alley for what she has done to wine if given the chance. For this wine however, there can be no denying the rich purple fruit and black cherries that come bursting out of the glass. Chewy, rich, silky smooth and full-throttle, this wine offers gobs of everything: fruit, spice, complexity, depth, etc, etc, etc. You name it- it's in there. Yet the wine is not without a certain graceful charm, as if watching a 200 pound dancer flit through a serious of jumps and spins that you were sure would cause the stage to come crashing down only to be shocked at how the suave, sophisticated and complex dance maneuvers are completed flawlessly over and over again. There are many wine lovers in the world who would KILL for this bottle of wine, and while I readily admit a transparent bottle of Volnay is more my speed, I will also readily admit I really liked this wine and that it is clearly a world-class Pinot.