Accolades for ROAR Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir:

2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
92 Points - A blend of the Pisoni, Rosella, and Garys’ vineyards, the 2005 Pinot Noir (1,000 cases) offers complex aromas of forest floor, underbrush, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries. The flamboyant aromatics are followed by a wine with fabulous sweet black fruits, a meaty earthiness, a full-bodied, mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a long finish admirably supported by good acidity. This cuvee should drink well for 5-8 years. This brilliant Pinot Noir is among the finest produced in California.

2005 Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
TWO AND A HALF STARS - The Burgundy-like aromas were wrapped around cherry, bramble fruit and fresh porcini. A sip delivered exactly what the nose promised, and ended buoyantly with blackberries and tannins. Fruit came from all three of the signature Roar vineyards - Garys', Rosella's and Pisoni - and spent 11 months in French oak.

2004 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
92 Points - Medium ruby color; deep, earthy, stewed cherry and herbal notes; ripe, stewed cherry, herbal notes, some sweet oak; good structure and balance; long finish. A ripe and deep Pinot that will work well with many dishes.

2004 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
90 points - Wow! I was blown away by these Pinot Noirs from Roar. They all reveal unbelievable complexity, richness, and the extraordinary potential that exists in the Santa Lucia Highlands for this varietal. The deceptively light ruby-colored 2004 Pinot Noir exhibits sweet aromas of strawberries, black cherries, loamy soil, and spice. The seductive perfume is followed by a velvety-textured, lush wine with medium to full body, and a gorgeous integration of spice, tannin, and wood. This lovely Cote de Beaune-like Pinot Noir should drink well for 4-5 years.
Drink 2006-2011

2004 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
91 points - Tight and distinctive for its sour-cherry candy edge, but it fans out on the palate, offering a mix of cola, herb, plum and spice box flavors. Excellent structure, depth and length. Drink now through 2010. - JL

THE CHRONICLE'S WINE SELECTIONS:
Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
2003 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Body: Medium-full, Dryness: Dry
Comments: Primary aromas of smoke and toast with mushroom and black cherry; black cherry and spice flavors; soft, supple. Strong barnyard character.

Panelists: Lynne Bennett, staff writer/wine coordinator, The Chronicle; Linda Murphy, wine editor, The Chronicle.

2003 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
90 points - The 2003 Pinot Noir combines California's sweet fruit with a Volnay-like elegance. Strawberry and cherry notes along with notions of oak, underbrush, flowers, and mint emerge from this medium-bodied, vibrant, elegant, fruity Pinot. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years.

2003 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
94 Points - Medium-deep ruby purple color; deep, earthy, black cherry and plum aromas with a definite smoky note; rich, lots of plum and black cherry, sweet oak, deep silky flavors with a smoky note; great structure and balance; long finish. Beautifully rich and ripe Pinot with all beautiful fruit and smoky notes you expect in a Santa Lucia Pinot with the silkiness I've come to expect from Roar.

2002 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
90 points -"Fully ripened; with juicy black cherry and blackberry
flavors that fold into raspberry and strawberry jam
notes. The texture is silky smooth and the tannins
are ripe and integrated, finishing with a touch of
cedar and herb. Drink now through 2008." — J.L.

2002 "Best California Pinot Vintage Ever"
"Adding thrill to the Pinot hunt is that many of the hottest wines come from newcomers - Loring, Melville, Kosta Browne, ROAR, McPhail and Sea Smoke." - James Laube, The Wine Spectator

"The debut releases from Roar in particular offered uncommon richness and depth of flavor, but you'll have to move fast on these"
2001 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
92 Points - Dark color, bold, rich, dense
and mouthcoating, with layers of ripe plum, black
cherry, earth, anise, toasty oak and finishing with a
rich, flavorful aftertaste and firm, ripe tannins. Drink
now through 2009.

from Top 12 Pinot Noirs of the Year
2002 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Deep ruby purple color; rich black cherry and plum aromas, sweet spice notes on nose; big, full, lots of reduced black cherry and plum flavors, silky, complex, light smoked meat or bacony notes, beautiful structure and balance, long finish. WOW! Beautiful, silky, complex, deep and just plain delicious! This regional Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot is shaping up to be my favorite next to the Roar Garys' Vineyard bottling and no wonder—it’s a blend of the Garys', Rosella's and Pisoni vineyards.
170 cases made     $31     Score: 94

2001 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
91 Points - Deep ruby color; deep, complex, lots of layers; big, rich, sweet
black cherry fruit, good structure; long, rich finish. WOW - richness,
nuance, and great flavor make this a very interesting Pinot.

2001 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
90 Points - A big, ripe, outsized wine stuffed with flavor.