Bybee Vineyards and Habitat Russian River Pinot Noir, 2005

Oh, what a wine! It's been three hours since my last sip, and it's still engraved on my memory.

Garnet/ruby. A bit murky but that's because, as the label points out, the wine has not been fined or filtered. That non-action may have helped preserve the enthralling smells and flavors. The kind of wine I could sniff all night, even if it slows down the tasting. Runs toward the strawberry/rhubarb spectrum, ripe but with cherry pits and Russian River spice to counter. Served with Atlantic salmon and tomatoes grilled with olive oil, garlic and balsamic, and the wine seemed to pick up all the nuances of the food. The finish is a bit riper than most RR Pinots I have had recently, but that's no problem at all. Silky texture and come hither acidity.

Habitat, by the way, is the English word for terroir. And this Pinot clearly comes from a very special habitat.