34th Annual Best of The Best:
California Pinot Noirs
QRW Tasting Team
In 2004, when the Pinot-centric movie “Sideways” debuted, the California wine industry crushed 70,000 tons of Pinot Noir grapes. Since then, the annual Pinot crush has grown dramatically, to around 250,000 tons, while wine quality has risen just as significantly. And today, California Pinot Noir is better than ever—as the nine gems listed below clearly attest.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Five-Star Wines ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Wines of extraordinary character and quality —
in a class by themselves.
2014 Lazy Creek Estate Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley), $58. Deftly focused, elegantly knit and lushly concentrated black cherry and toasty oak flavors.
2014 WALT Pinot Noir “Clos Pepe” (Sta. Rita Hills), $75. Rich, smoky, well-structured, incredibly long, black cherry and toasty oak flavors. BEST OF SHOW
2014 WALT Pinot Noir “Gap’s Crown” (Sonoma County), $75. Big, rich, almost prepossessing, black fruit and toasty oak flavors.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Four-Star Wines ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Wines of outstanding character and quality —
benchmarks of their type.
2014 Cakebread Cellars Pinot Noir Two Creeks Vineyards (Anderson Valley), $42. Finely wrought, well-knit, somewhat smoky, raspberry and toasty oak flavors.
2013 Merry Edwards Winery Pinot Noir Klopp Ranch (Russian River Valley), $63. Taut, firm, elegantly turned, black fruit and toasty oak flavors.
2013 Merry Edwards Winery Pinot Noir Meredith Estate (Russian River Valley), $60. Plump, silky, elegantly wrought, black fruit and cocoa flavors.
2012 WALT Pinot Noir “Sierra Mar” (Santa Lucia Highlands), $75. Round, succulent, well-knit, black cherry and nutty oak flavors.
2013 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard (Anderson Valley), $95. Lush, silky, well-integrated, black fruit and smoky oak flavors.
2013 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard (Sonoma Coast), $95. Plump, stylish, well-knit, black cherry and nutty oak flavors.
Related articles:
• 33rd Annual Best of The Best: California Pinot Noir
• 32nd Annual Best of The Best: California Pinot Noir
• 30th Annual Best of The Best: California Pinot Noir
• 29th Annual Best of The Best: California Chardonnay
• 29th Annual Best of The Best: Champagne Tasting
• 29th Annual Best of The Best: California Pinot Noir
• 29th Annual Best of The Best: California Zinfandel
