I tasted through a dozen Pinot Noir releases from Au Bon Climat, a winery I admire immensely. To put it candidly, eight of the wines were unimpressive. They are correct and generally well-made, but lacking the intensity, complexity, and sumptuous expansiveness one expects from the finest Pinot Noirs. The good news is there are four wines I thought were quite good. The deep ruby-colored 1994 Pinot Noir Isabelle (which comes in one of the heaviest bottles I have ever picked up) displays a sweet, smoky, round, spicy nose, plenty of new oak, as well as sweet cherry fruit, medium body, a velvety texture, some tannin, and an appealing roundness and ripeness. This is an attractive, complex, delicious Pinot for drinking over the next 5-7 years. Tel. (805) 937-9801