It was not all that long ago that most California Pinot Noir was just pleasant at best, while much of it didn’t even rise to that level. Thankfully, that is no longer true. With producers identifying more appropriate growing sites (mostly cooler climates), there are countless good to outstanding wines now available for consumers.
My biggest concern is that most Pinot Noir is pretty expensive, as you will see. Although I have resigned myself to this problem with Burgundy, these California Pinots are good in their own right and are (often significantly) less expensive. In the column, I’ve categorized my recommendations by the state’s main Pinot Noir regions and highlight the best values in bold.
Mendocino County is best known for fine Zinfandel and Gewurztraminer but in recent years especially the Anderson Valley has taken its place among the top sources of Pinot Noir.
2006 Goldeneye Anderson Valley ($55). This is the tenth vintage from this Duckhorn owned Pinot specialist and it continues a string of quality wines.
2007 Migration Anderson Valley ($34). This is the seventh vintage and a solid effort from the Goldeneye folks in a more immediately drinkable style.
Sonoma County contains arguably the most abundant sources for Pinot Noir in the state. Combined, the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and western part of Carneros account for probably more outstanding Pinot Noir than anywhere else in the state.
Russian River Valley
2007 Pali Bluffs ($19). This young Pinot specialist was formed in 2005 by a group of friends and coworkers. Brian Loring, one of the state’s most respected pinot winemakers, makes the wines.
2006 Freeman ($44). Founded in 2001 by Ken and Akiko Freeman, this winery works with several highly regarded growers to source top quality fruit.
2007 Sequana Dutton Ranch ($40). Sequana is the promising first venture into Pinot Noir for Hess Family Estates (owners of the Hess Collection in Napa Valley).
2007 Sequana Sundawg Ridge Vineyard ($50)
2006 Patz & Hall Chenoweth ($55). This 20 year-old Chardonnay and Pinot Noir specialist sources fruit from around the state to make almost exclusively single-vineyard bottlings.
Sonoma Coast
2007 La Crema ($25). La Crema was founded in 1979 and quickly established a reputation for good value Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is now part of the Jess Jackson empire.
2006 MacRostie Wildcat Mountain ($40). Winemaker Steve MacRostie, who established his own operation in 1987 in Carneros, now is making impressive wines from this new vineyard.
2007 Patz & Hall ($42)
2006 Freeman ($44)
2006 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvee ($54)
Carneros
2007 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County ($20). One of the benchmark wineries of Sonoma County now part of the Fosters/Beringer conglomerate, this wine contains mostly fruit from the Benoist Ranch in Carneros, with some Russian River Valley fruit from the famed Durell Vineyard.
2007 Sebastiani ($28). Founded in 1904, this historic winery is now owned by Robert Foley who also owns such Central Coast wineries as Foley, Curtis and Firestone and Napa Valley’s Kuleto.
2007 Clos du Val ($30). This winery with a distinctively French heritage was founded in the Napa Valley in 1972 with a focus on Bordeaux varietals. It since has established a strong presence in Carneros.
2007 Etude ($42). Another highly regarded producer in the Fosters/Beringer stable.
2007 MacRostie Carneros ($30)
Although large swaths of Monterey County have been given over to large corporate vineyards, certain microclimates have been cultivated successfully by small, quality minded producers. The Santa Lucia Highlands overlooking the Salinas Valley especially has emerged as prime Pinot country.
Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Paraiso ($25). Growers in Monterey since 1978 began bottling their own wines about 20 years ago with notable results.
2007 Pessagno Lucia Highland Vineyard ($28). Steve Pessagno, a longtime winemaker and grower in the area, now is making waves with his eponymous winery.
2007 Sequana Sarmento Vineyard ($32)
Other Monterey recommendations:
2006 Irony Monterey ($16). Originally conceived of as a Napa Valley brand by Delicato Family Vineyards, they found Monterey, where the family owns San Bernabe Vineyard, a more suitable place for Pinot Noir.
2007 Kali Hart Monterey ($19). This is a second label for Talbott Vineyards, one of the stat’s most prestigious Chardonnay producers. Named after the owner’s youngest daughter, this Pinot is made in an approachable style using estate fruit.
Next to Sonoma, Santa Barbara County has emerged in recent years as the state’s premier Pinot Noir region, with two great Pinot Noir AVAs. At the northern end of the county, the Santa Maria Valley is home to the famous Bien Nacido Vineyard and a growing number of impressive vineyards.
From a narrow opening near the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Ynez Valley broadens inland encompassing the vineyards and wineries that inspired the movie “Sideways.” The Santa Rita Hills in the western end of the valley, the home of the celebrated Sanford & Benedict vineyard, has garnered special attention in recent years.
Santa Maria Valley
2007 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard ($21). Cambria is a twenty year-old estate owned by Jackson Family Estates and a reliable source of good values.
2006 Byron Nielson ($28). This was the first vineyard planted to vinifera grapes in Santa Barbara County in 1964. Since then Byron has been in the forefront of winemaking achievement in the area.
2007 Cambria Bench Break Vineyard ($30)
2006 Byron Bien Nacido ($39)
2006 Byron Sierra Madre ($40)
2007 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Santa Barbara ($50). The well-known actor planted a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1989 and now has extensive holdings, as well as an inn and spa. They also source fruit from top vineyards in the county, as in this wine.
2007 Fess Parker Pommard Clone Bien Nacido ($50)
2006 Byron Monument ($60)
Santa Ynez Valley Santa Rita Hills
2007 Sea Smoke Southing ($50). This ten-year-old hillside vineyard has quickly established itself as a producer of some of the area’s best grapes. They focus on bottling different expressions of the site. These two new releases, while different (Southing is more elegant; Ten is more powerful) are both breathtaking.
2007 Sea Smoke Ten ($80)
2007 Fess Parker Ashley’s ($50)
2007 Fess Parker Clone 115 ($50)
Other Santa Barbara County:
2007 Pali Huntington ($19)