2016 Lyric by Etude Pinot Noir, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

This is a very nice value wine from the Etude Winery. It retails for about $20 (less in some places) and it very good. Light to medium ruby in color. The nose has black cherries with slight saline notes. On the palate, this has juicy cherry fruit. A slight salinity carries thru. Nice finish. It can be easy to dismiss a wine at this price range, but consumed blind among 10 Santa Barbara Pinots, this finished in the middle of the pack. It probably should be consumed over the next three to five years. Nice on its own, it would be a nice match with grilled salmon.

Grade:

B+

Score:

Vintage:

2016

Current Price:

$16.00USD

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

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$50.00USD

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.

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.

2018 Etude Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch, USA, California, Carneros, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$47.00USD

This is a really nice Pinot Noir from Carneros. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice. Earthy with cherries and slight sandalwood. Medium bodied. Light tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, cherries with slight sour cherries over char and earthiness. Long finish with a touch of menthol. Some depth and complexity that will increase with cellar time. This drinks well now and should continue to for the next ten to twelve years. Very nice on it own, this will work well with roasted duck or chicken.

2016 Lyric by Etude Pinot Noir, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

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

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

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

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

2018 Etude Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch, USA, California, Carneros, Wine Review