For decades in California, pinot noir frustrated even the best winemakers. With Burgundy as the benchmark and Oregon making great strides, in California it became known as the “heartbreak grape.” In recent years, though, California has begun to figure out pinot noir. Producers are employing better clones and winemaking matched to more appropriate sites. Today, there are numerous appellations along a 500-mile stretch from Mendocino to Santa Barbara sourcing fine Pinot Noir.
The best sites are characterized by proximity to the Pacific Ocean and are impacted by the associated cooling breezes (and sometimes fog) leading to long growing seasons that encourage optimum ripeness with powerful, fresh acidity, yet notable elegance. I tasted over 60 wines for this report. Most were good but many did not, in my opinion, deliver a level of quality to justify the increasingly high prices. The ones in this report do.
Remote, rugged and sparsely populated, the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County is an unexpected source of fine Pinot Noir. The wines typically are concentrated, with noticeable tannin structure but deftly balance power and elegance as demonstrated by the 2013 FEL Savoy Vineyard ($70), which also reveals varietal notes of red fruits and forest notes. Nearly as good at half the price, the 2014 Jackson Estate ($32) delivers its abundance with grace and poise. Two other wines worth seeking out are the rich 2013 Goldeneye ($55) and the inviting 2013 La Crema Anderson Valley ($50).
Having supplied the most wines in my tasting, I found many good choices from Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. My favorites were the robust and deep but bright 2013 Patz & Hall Chenoweth Ranch ($60), the pure, complex and expansive 2012 Donum Estate Grown ($72), and the fruitful, luscious 2014 Sonoma-Loeb Dutton Ranch ($39). Not far behind was the savory, luxurious 2013 Davis Bynum Dijon Clone 777 ($55) and the juicy, fresh 2013 Patz & Hall Burnside ($75).
The cool Sonoma Coast is California’s newest “hot” region for Pinot Noir. Disputes about the overly large boundaries aside, producers have found many ideal sites that have garnered high accolades. Patz & Hall dominated my tasting with three fine choices led by the 2014 Jenkins Ranch ($60) – with its concentrated fruit, full body and strong earty, savory notes – followed by the similarly intense 2014 Gap’s Crown Vineyard ($70) and the flavorful, well structured 2014 Sonoma Coast ($48). Not far behind were three wines from MacRostie: 2013 Wildcat Mountain ($50) for its pure fruit and spicy herbs, 2013 Goldrock Ridge ($56) with its supple, savory nature, and 2013 Sonoma Coast ($34) for vibrant fruit and anise tinged character.
Straddling the southern end of Sonoma and Napa counties, Carneros is cooled by winds from the San Pablo Bay. The two wines from Carneros in my tasting both were outstanding. The 2012 Donum Estate Grown ($72) delivered an enticing complex of focused fruit, layered earth, spice and herb notes all riding on a luxurious frame. The 2014 Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard ($75) was deeply fruited, firmly textured, and attractively earthy.
In California’s Central Coast, notably Monterey, San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, as with the North Coast, most of the best sites are characterized by proximity to the Pacific Ocean and are impacted by the associated cooling breezes (and sometimes fog) leading to long growing seasons that encourage optimum ripeness with powerful, fresh acidity, yet notable elegance.
In the northern part of Monterey County, certain microclimates enjoy a balance between the cold winds coming off the Monterey Bay and the heat of the Salinas Valley inland. The south facing slopes of the Santa Lucia Highlands is such a place and the wines here have rocketed to acclaim in the last decade, though they are generally small production. The 2013 Patz & Hall Pisoni Vineyard ($90) was the one such wine in my tasting and it shined with jammy dark fruit, lavish texture and lasting impact.
Being closer to the ocean and those strong, cold winds, there are fewer such prime sites in Monterey’s Carmel Valley. Albatross Ridge has found a really good one with coveted limestone soils only seven miles from the ocean. The extreme conditions, including steep slopes, yield sophisticated expressions of Pinot Noir, such as the 2013 Estate Reserve ($55) with its bright fruit and mineral qualities.
Further south in San Louis Obispo County, cool, damp coastal breezes and heavy fog also benefit the small regions of Edna Valley and the adjacent Arroyo Grande Valley. A handful of small, artisan producers have shown the promise of these relatively small growing areas. The 2014 Talley Stone Corral Vineyard ($58) is a fine representative of Edna Valley, marked by textural lushness and beautiful balance. Talley also provided two outstanding wines from Arroyo Grande in my tasting: the amazingly intense, vibrant, deeply flavored 2014 Rincon Vineyard ($64) and the rich, beautifully pure, complexly layered 2014 Rosemary’s Vineyard ($75).
Finally, a few miles farther south in Santa Barbara County (an hour and a half north of Los Angeles) two regions rival Sonoma as California’s best source of Pinot Noir. Typically, Santa Maria Valley wines, such as the 2013 Presqu’ile ($42) tend toward elegance, bright fruit and precise structure, while the 2013 Presqu’ile Vineyard ($60) is fuller bodied with more spice and earth and a silky texture. Also consider the 2013 Dierberg Vineyard ($44), it’s silky, persistent, mineral tinged and generous.
The Santa Rita Hills sub-appellation within the Santa Ynez Valley is distinctive as it runs in a west-to-east direction that efficiently funnels cooling fog and winds from the Pacific Ocean. From Sanford, the pioneering winery of the region, the 2012 Santa Rita Hills ($42) has nice red fruit with pleasant earthy and smoky notes. More recently, Sea Smoke has emerged as a benchmark winery of the area. Its 2013 Southing ($60) offers loads of fruit and lively structure, yet drinks approachable with intriguing savory notes.