California Pinot Noir

One of the longest-running high-quality “value” Pinots we know of. As Robert Parker said of the 2013 edition: An authentic tasting Pinot Noir that sells for a song. Aromas of sweet red and black cherry fruit intermixed... Read More

Pinot from Carneros, at the southern end of Napa/Sonoma, gives a distinctive blend of freshness (from the cold bay nearby) and heft (from the clay-rich soils). This is a great example, serving up bold black cherry and blackberry... Read More

Brick & Mortar is really a California sparkling house, meaning they grow a lot of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. When Pinot gets a bit too ripe for fizz, it’s perfect for elegant, pure, juicy still wines like this... Read More

A welcoming, generous and fully-fruited California Pinot Noir from this old-vine site just outside the town of Sonoma. Fully destemmed and aged in French oak (a little new), it’s bursting with dark black cherry and raspberry... Read More

Critic Antinio Galloni drank this at dinner in July 2024; his 96 point review: Foxen is one of my favorite producers in Santa Barbara. Their 2019 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block 8 is stellar. What a wine. Deep and wonderfully... Read More

If you were teaching a class on what really good Russian River Pinot Noir tastes like, you'd pour this. As Jeb Dunnuck says in his 93 point write-up: ripe and layered in the glass, with a generous, inviting, pure perfume of... Read More

Where Russian River Pinot is all about the fruit, move out to the Sonoma Coast (here just 4 miles from the Ocean) and things turn more savory and spiced. As Jeb Dunnuck says in the 93 point review, this offers a riper feel, with... Read More

This wine is stupid good. The blend of ripeness, finesse, purity and flavor intensity would be expected in a great $50 Pinot Noir. For less than half that, the value here is nuts. As Vinous says in their 90 point write-up, this... Read More

The combination of cool growing reagion and outstanding growing season delivers a stellar Sonoma Coast Pinot here, deliciously ripe and silky smooth with lovely tension and minerality. Highly recommended.

From one of the Central Coast’s very first Pinot Noir vineyards, Mission Ranch in the Salinas Valley planted in 1961. Fifty-five years later, mature vines in a great vintage gave a crop of beautifully ripe Pinot Noir loaded... Read More

Tolosa makes world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from California's cool-climate Edna Valley. The Pinots normally sell for $70-$150, fairly priced for the hard work they take, the small production, and the huge amounts of... Read More