Californian Pinot Noir: 38 wines tasted and rated
California is one of the most exciting destinations globally for Pinot Noir. But it’s only a subset of the state’s regions that are able to produce great Pinot Noir, and these tend to be those with the coolest climates. And then it takes a skilled hand in the vineyard and winery to capture the qualities that make Pinot Noir so good. Here I tried through 38 different wines at a range of price points, and found quite a bit to like. The wines are ordered in ascending price order, and here we come across one of the challenges: good Californian Pinot Noir is expensive. But this aside, I’m a big fan.
SeaGlass Pinot Noir 2019 Santa Barbara County
(£16.99) 13.5% alcohol. From Trinchero. Juicy, bright and tart with sweet cherries and raspberry as well as some spice. 88/100
Baileyana Firepeak Pinot Noir 2020 Edna Valley
(£16.99) 14% alcohol. Supple with juicy cherries and berries. Made in a ripe style but with nice fruit and good balance. 89/100
Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 2019 California
(£17.00) 14.5% alcohol. Juicy and ripe with sweet cherries and berries and spicy notes. Has a hint of tar and clove, and lively acidity. 87/100
Hahn Family Wines Pinot Noir 2019 Monterey, California
(£22) 14.5% alcohol. Rounded and ripe with sweet cherries, some raspberry and then some savoury cedar and clove notes. 87/100
Nielson Vineyards Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£24) 13.5% alcohol. Textured with sweet redcurrant fruit and a touch of raspberry. Nice weight: fruity and lively with cherries and plums and good balance. 89/100
Buena Vista Winery North Coast Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£24.50) 13.5% alcohol. Ripe and juicy in a fruit-forward style with nice density. Has sweet cherry fruit with spicy overtones. Stylish stuff. 90/100
La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2019 California
(£25.99) 13.5% alcohol. Supple and fresh; juicy and bright. Light red cherry and plum fruit with good acidity. Shows freshness and poise, and a tapering finish, with a hint of pepper and cedar. 90/100
DeLoach Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir 2019 California
(£26.99) 14% alcohol. Juicy with sweet cherries and plums, showing nice balance with sweet fruit and a fine-grained finish. 89/100
Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 Santa Maria Valley, California
(£27.99) 14% alcohol. Sappy and bright with red cherries and redcurrants, as well as some appealing spicy hints. This has some savouriness. Juicy and expressive with good focus. 91/100
Valravn Pinot Noir 2020 Sonoma County, California
(£24.95) Concentrated and fresh with lovely red fruit. Ripe, but still pure and expressive. 90/100
Truchard Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018 Napa Valley, California
(£32) 14% alcohol. Vivid and sweetly fruited, made in a ripe style with good concentration, some freshness and a stony finish. 91/100
Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2018 Santa Lucia Highlands, California
(£35.35) Sweetly fruited and supple with balanced red cherry fruit. Shows generosity but also balance. 91/100
Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£35.49) 14.5% alcohol. Juicy and bright with lovely red cherry and plum fruit, as well as nice acidity. Ripe red cherries with some spice. 93/100
The Joy Fantastic Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£35.50) 13.5% alcohol. A mix of California heritage clones (Swan and Mt. Eden) as well as French selections (Pommard, 667 and 115). Fermented with 25% whole clusters, 11 months in old French oak. Aromatic, ripe and expressive with sweet cherries and plums. Ripe and supple with lovely balance and prettiness. 94/100
Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Pinot Noir 2018 Sonoma, California
(£38.99 Alliance Wine, Virgin Wines, The Wine Reserve). Hand picked at night with a 13 day total maceration in open top tanks. Fermented with stems and native yeasts. 10 months aging in French oak barrels, unfiltered and unfined. Juicy, lively and fresh with very bright red cherry and plum fruit, but it’s quite overblown. 87/100
Hahn Family Wines SLH Pinot Noir 2019 Santa Lucia Highlands, California
(£39 Tannin & Oak, Tasting House Online, Simply Wines Direct). Spicy and subtle. Juicy cherries and warm plums, with some oak character. 89/100
Dutton-Goldfield Winery Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir 2018 Russian River Valley, California
(£39 Humble Grape) 13.50% alcohol. Supple and juicy with sweet cherry and strawberry fruit. Nice expressive style with prettiness and poise. 92/100
Sanford Pinot Noir 2019 Sta. Rita Hills, California
(£40 Handford Wines). 13.50% alcohol. Ripe and balanced with fine-grained structure under the cherry and berry fruits. Nicely poised. 93/100
Rhys Vineyards Alesia Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£41.68 Justerinis). 13% alcohol. Juicy and bright with nice concentration of cherries and plums with some spicy structure and woody hints. Quite ambitious. 93/100
Hirsch The Bohan-Dillon Pinot Noir 2019 Sonoma Coast, California
(£44.00 www.stannarywine.com) 13.1% alcohol. Fine and fresh, made in an elegant style with red cherries, plums and nice redcurrant notes. Textured and really fine. 95/100
Marimar Estate La Masia Pinot Noir 2017 Russian River Valley, California
(£44.99 Harvey Nichols). 14.5% alcohol. Sweetly aromatic with some subtle oxidative notes, as well as apples, cherries and plums. Refined, smooth palate has a savoury twist. 91/100
Talbott Vineyards Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 Santa Lucia Highlands, California
(£45 Vineyard Cellars, Winerack). 14% alcohol. Ripe, juicy and supple with nice cherry and berry fruit with lovely weight. Has juicy red fruits with nice drinkability. 92/100
Whitcraft Winery Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2019 California
(£46.50 Sourcing Table, Lechavalier, Hedonism, Iron and Rose). 12.5% alcohol. Grapes are lightly trodden and there’s partial carbonic maceration for a few days before punching down. Lighter-coloured Pinot that’s really elegant in style with open, sweet red cherries, wild strawberries and some plums. Expressive and ethereal. 95/100
Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Noir Los Carneros 2016 California
(£46.99 GP Brands, Blanco & Gomez Wine Merchants Ltd). 14% alcohol. Fresh and supple in a lighter style. Elegant with a spicy framing to the fruit. Nice freshness here with some cherry and plum fruit. Vibrant. 94/100
Domaine de la Côte Estate Pinot Noir 2020 Sta. Rita Hills, California
(£52 Roberson). Juicy, fine, silky and elegant with lovely sweet cherry and plum fruit. Shows great balance as well as depth. Wonderful stuff. 96/100
Paul Hobbs Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£54.99 Hennings Wine Merchants, The Vineking). 15% alcohol. Juicy and bright with sweet red fruits and elevated acidity. Expressive, inviting, fruity and bright. 92/100
Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2018 Anderson Valley, California
(£55.99 Oxford Wine Company, Cambridge Wine Merchants, 9 Elms Wines, Hedley Wright Wine, Saxtys). 14.5% alcohol. Great concentration here. Supple and ripe, showing some elegance. Sweetly fruited with some red cherry notes. Very fine. 94/100
Dutton-Goldfield Winery Emerald Ridge Pinot Noir 2017 Russian River Valley, California
(£56 Humble Grape). 13.5% alcohol. Supple fresh and juicy with nice red cherries and some plums. Lively with bright cherry and raspberry fruit. 93/100
Dutton-Goldfield Winery Freestone Hill Pinot Noir 2018 Russian River Valley, California
(£58.75 Humble Grape). 13.5% alcohol. Nice concentration here. Pure and elegant with cherry and plum fruit. Silky and well balanced. 94/100
L’Usine Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£65 www.vineyardcellars.com). 14.1% alcohol. Sweetly fruited and rounded with nice concentration. Expansive, in a rich style, showing some oak. Generous. 93/100
Kutch Wines McDougall Ranch Pinot Noir 2019 Sonoma Coast, California
(£66 Roberson) Ripe, fine and sleek with expressive, silky cherry and plum fruit. Lovely elegance here. Fine red and black cherry fruit with almost perfect balance. 96/100
Racines Pinot Noir 2019 Sta. Rita Hills, California
(£67.99 Liberty Wines). 12.8% alcohol. Supple and quite elegant with good concentration. Fine red cherries and plums with nice structure. Real poise here. 95/100
Merry Edwards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£69.99 The Wine Reserve, Petersham Cellar, Vinvm, Constantine Stores, The Vineyard Dorking, Wholefoods Kensington). 14.3% alcohol. Clones UCD37; 667; 777; 115; Swan; Martini Pommard. 100% destemmed, 44% new French oak. Great concentration here. Fresh and supple with sweet cherries and plums, showing nice structure and silky fruit. Has great depth and balance. 95/100
Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 California
(£72.99 The Wine Reserve, Petersham Cellar, Vinvm, Harvey Nichols). 14.5% alcohol. Clones used were UCD37; 667; 777; 115; Swan; Martini; Pommard and Windsor Gardens Field Selection. 100% destemmed, aged for 9 months in 52% new French oak. Some tar, meat and spice on the nose. This has a substantial, structured palate that shows deep, ripe black fruits. The structure gives this potential for ageing. 94/100
Chanin Wine Company Bien Nacido Pinot Noir 2012 Santa Maria Valley, California
(£76 www.stannarywine.com, Vinum Ltd, Bordeaux Index). Five-day cold-soak with 1-3 punch downs by hand daily. 15 months ageing in French oak (15% new). Lighter style but lots of flavour, with bright red fruits and some elegance. Fresh redcurrant notes, too. Very fine. 95/100
L’Usine Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 Central Coast, California
(£105) 14.3% alcohol. Sweet, supple and rounded. Ripe and textural with richness allied to smoothness and elegance. Very refined. 95/100
Donelan Family Wines Tripp’s Block Perli Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 Mendocino Ridge
(£108) 14.4% alcohol. Supple, open and quite elegant with refined cherruy fruit and some fine herbal hints. Dried herbs, a touch of undergrowth. 94/100
L’Usine Annapolis Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 Sonoma, California
(£124) 15.4% alcohol. Ripe, sweet, spicy and exotic with lovely notes of cinnamon and pepper, as well as lush fruit. Very distinctive. 94/100
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