2016 Fess Parker Pinot Noir Pommard Clone, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wile Review

In a recent blind tasting of 10 Santa Barbara Pinots, this was the groups favorite and my #2. A very impressive showing. Medium ruby in color. The nose has black cherries and sour cherries. On the palate, this is big a fruity but with some depth. Cherries and sour cherries come thru with a touch of mint. Lovely texture. Long finish. This drinks easy on it own but will also work well with salmon or fowl. Drink over the next ten to twelve years.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2016

Current Price:

$50.00USD

Top California Pinot Noir: Which California Wine Producers Make the Best Pinot Noir?

California has actually been making outstanding wines from the Pinot Noir grape for a long time. Sure, not long in the Burgundian sense but going back at least to the middle of the last century there were good bottles of Pinot Noir being produced in California. Not many to be sure, but there were some. Starting slowly, in the 1990’s, and then exploding when the movie Sideways came out, there are now more and more offerings of good to excellent Pinot Noir being produced in California.

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Sonoma's Must Try Pinot Noirs - 2015 Best of Sonoma

For the 2015 Best of Sonoma Lists we surveyed hundreds of local vintners asking for their inside perspective of the best wines, tasting rooms, and restaurants in Sonoma. Sonoma offers a wide range of pinot noir options—but some are simply too outstanding to miss. To help develop a list of the top of the top, we asked over a hundred of the top vintners in Sonoma for their own personal choice for the top Pinot Noir under $100 in the area, and the list is to die for.

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2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$50.00USD

Very impressive showing in a recent tasting. The kind of Pinot that pleased everyone. Deep ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, macerated cherries, slight brine. On the palate, the cherries and black cherries come out. This is big and bold. A bit of sour cherries on the finish. This is drinking well now and should continue for the next five to seven years. It works well on its own and will work well with roasted fowl.

2012 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Happiness Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

Vintage:

2012

Score:

Grade:

A-

Deep ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has black cherries and slight menthol. Medium to full bodied. Very smooth drinking. The black cherries come thru to the palate. Very tasty. Nice finish. This is on the lusher style of Pinots. It should be consumed in the next five to ten years. A nice match for roasted duck.

2017 Walt Pinot Noir Clos Pepe, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$75.00USD

Walt is the name that Hall, a Napa producer, releases a line of Pinot Noir. This was my first time trying one that I recall. It is a big fruit forward styled Pinot. Deep ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, sour cherries and spice. Also a slight bit of dark chocolate. On the palate, there is a lot of fruit. Noticeable alcohol but not hot. Sweet black cherries. Deep if still tight. It seems to need about five to seven more years of cellaring an then should have 8 to 12 years after that. There is certainly some upside potential in the score. This will work well with Roasted

2016 Fess Parker Pinot Noir Pommard Clone, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wile Review

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Top California Pinot Noir: Which California Wine Producers Make the Best Pinot Noir?

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2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

2012 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Happiness Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

2017 Walt Pinot Noir Clos Pepe, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review