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Thumbprint Cellars

36 North St., Healdsburg (Sonoma County), California; Tel. 707.433.2393

Run by a local couple who started the wine business out of their garage, wife Erica Lindstrom-Dake works the tasting room most days, and is happy to chat about the wines, the business or pretty much whatever else is going on. The bottlings at this artisanal winery are exceptionally small, with 300 or fewer cases of most of their varietals, so if you like something, stock up. If you're the first customer of the day, she'll open whatever wines you're pining for. Which makes drinking at 11am all the more fun.

Calling its output "micro-wines," Thumbprint Cellars has a lock on Pinot Noirs, garnering a Best Pinot Noir accolade for its 2001 Russian River Pinot ($32) from readers of the North Bay Bohemian newspaper and a gold medal at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair for its 2002 Russian River Pinot ($36) this year. Start out with the '02, a bright, briary smack of a wine. Still young, the fruit kicks out most of the notes, but don't let the nose drive you away. Despite a little funky barnyard smell (normal in many Pinots), the taste is pure cherry and raspberry. The '01 Russian River Pinot ($36) is a more Burgundian-style wine with more earth and tannin. The oak has had time to mellow more, giving it a smokier, more mature stature. The '02 Sonoma County Cabernet Franc ($35) was a surprise favorite with a lovely fruit nose and layers of cocoa and fruit with plenty of high notes on the finish.

Unlike many other wineries, Thumbprint isn't afraid of fruit. All of Thumbprint's wines are brazenly fruit-forward with only a nod to oak. This leads to better aging, with the fruit mellowing gracefully into a ripe wine. The '02 Ladi's Vineyard Cabernet ($27) from the new Bennett Valley appellation has the depth and complexity of a good Cab with the easy drinkability of their signature fruit-forward flavors.

Owners Erica and Scott Lindstrom-Dake are vegetarians, which is why you'll find most of their wine pairing suggestions with things like "nut loaf" and tofu. At last, a great wine to pair with Tofurky! The thumbprint you'll find on the bottles belongs to Scott, who accidentally smeared his finger on an early bottle after writing in gold ink and liked the results. He still marks each bottle individually. -- Heather Irwin

Thumbprint Cellars Tasting Lounge. 36 North St., Healdsburg, California; Tel. 707.433.2393. No tasting fee. Open daily, 11am to 6pm.