Showing beautifully, with a Côte de Nuit-like nose of darker cherries, strawberries, sappy herbs, baking spices, and flowers, the 2018 Pinot Noir Memorialis is medium to full-bodied and has a gorgeously textured, layered mouthfeel, present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity. It would give many a Grand Cru Red Burgundy a run for its money in a blind tasting.

This is the fourth vintage for this Pinot Noir project from Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander. It's a single-vineyard cuvée (vineyard unidentified) with lush and inviting aromas of ripe raspberries and a whiff of chocolate. It's a pretty wine, lightly spicy (aged 17 months in one-third new French oak) and more fruit-centric than expressive of a particular terroir. What's most impressive is the elegant way it captures the ephemeral majesty of the grape. PAUL GREGUTT

Bright cherry-red. Subdued but pure scents of red cherry, raspberry, flowers, forest floor, sandalwood and herbs. Silky, supple and bright on entry, then suave and laid-back in the middle palate, showing a restrained sweetness and enticing spicy/floral lift to the cherry, raspberry and white pepper flavors. Surprising savory vinosity accentuated by an element of white pepper. The firm but refined tannins won't get in the way of early drinking but should enable this wine to evolve for another three to five years. Still a bit youthfully tight, this nicely aromatic Pinot Noir finishes with sneaky persistence. This is the project of Todd Alexander, who moved to Washington from California (he worked at Bryant Family Vineyards from 2010 to 2014 and was responsible for vinifying the 2012 and 2013 wines) to take over winemaking at Force Majeure and launched his own project to make Pinot Noir from Oregon fruit. (aged in 20% new oak for 16 months) -- Stephen Tanzer