The 2017 Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard is the darkest and most powerful of these wines. Readers will want to give the Silver Eagle at least a few years in barrel, but truth be told, it is magnificent, even in the early going. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and licorice all build as this virile, super-expressive Rivers-Marie Pinot shows all it's got.

Coming all from the Calera and Swan clones from a warmer site on the Sonoma Coast, the 2017 Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard has a supple, rounded, medium-bodied style as well as lots of ripe red fruits (strawberries, cherries), flowers, and hints of tobacco. It’s not the longest or deepest wine in the lineup, but it’s beautifully balanced, has no hard edges, and is just loaded with charm and upfront appeal.