33rd Annual Best of The Best:
California Pinot Noirs
QRW Tasting Team
Pinot Noir—a quirky, difficult-to-manage grape variety—is always a tricky proposition. But when everything comes together in the vineyard and the winery, Pinot Noir can produce magnificent wines Here are nine currently available California Pinots for which “magnificent” is an appropriate adjective.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Five-Star Wines ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Wines of extraordinary character and quality —
in a class by themselves.
2013 WALT Pinot Noir Blue Jay (Anderson Valley), $40.
Lush, silky, beautifully balanced, chocolate, cherry and toasty oak flavors. BEST OF SHOW
2013 Davies Vineyards, Ferrington Vineyards, Anderson Valley, $55. Raspberry, blackcherry, with mocha notes, oak spice, with rich engaging finish.
2013 Dutton Goldfield, Freestone Hill Vineyard (Russian River Valley), $72. Red berry and blackberry aromas, soft oak and nutmeg; rich concentration, elegant, with lots of style and finish.
2012 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Klopp Ranch (Russian River Valley), $68. Plump, suave, lush, thoroughly entrancing, black cherry and smoky oak flavors.
2012 J Lohr Pinot Noir Fog’s Reach (Monterey/Arroyo Secco), $35.
Ripe, round, plump, utterly delicious, chocolate-cherry flavors.
BEST VALUE.
2013 Marimar Pinot Noir Don Miguel Vineyard “La Masia” (Russian River Valley), $55. Rich, round, elegantly knit, plum, cherry, spice and mocha flavors.
2013 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast), $52. Well-knit, finely tuned, elegantly textured, plum, cherry, spice and mocha flavors.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Four-Star Wines ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Wines of outstanding character and quality —
benchmarks of their type.
2013 Cakebread Pinot Noir Two Creeks Vineyard (Anderson Valley), $42. Taut, tight, elegantly knit, black cherry, mocha and nutty oak flavors.
2013 WALT Pinot Noir Brown Ranch (Napa Valley/Carneros), $75. Rich, ripe, mouth-filling, black cherry and nutty oak flavors buoyed by fine focusing acidity.
2013 WALT Pinot Noir Gap‘s Crown Vineyard (Sonoma County), $75. Taut, intense, well-structured, black cherry, spice and smoky oak flavors.
2013 WALT Pinot Noir La Brisa (Sonoma County), $40. Ripe, plump, utterly fetching, black cherry and toasty oak flavors.
Related articles:
• 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
