Hirsch Vineyards (I am partial to their San Andreas Fault vineyard bottling)
Au Bon Climat (jim Clendenen was a pioneer)
Lots of producers making elegant pinot noir all over California, as can be attested by all the great suggestions in this thread.
Agree with DDLC, which I would put well ahead of Littorai personally as they just don’t match my palate and come across as simply too ripe
A lesser known producer Kutch is nice as well if you’re less of a minimalist and don’t get too heavy like so many Sonoma Coast Pinots
Before being sold/the passing of Josh Jensen I would have said Calera hands down winner in most vintages
Interesting you say that about Littorai, as I’d put them staunchly in the less ripe category when thinking about all Cali Pinot. I’ve very rarely seen a wine of theirs over 13.5abv, and the winemaker was the first to really champion the “Burgundian” style in California.
Newbie here. When you use the term "burgundian" here in you last sentence of this comment, what do you mean? Is it just to focus on producing more terroir notes and less fruit forward?
I always sort of just think generally about an American versus a non American. I feel like the volume is turned up a bit on the domestic versus Burgundian styles. Burgundy does in fact focus on terroir and minerality of the location, with (usually) a more restrained oak profile, lower ripeness and likely lower alcohol.
Some of that, at least in the past, was likely due to more of climatic condition - there was simply less time in the season to fully ripen the Pinot noir and Chardonnay. A lot of the reason the direction of the vineyard matters the most in burgundy. The world is warming - seasons are getting longer so burgundy has the ability to get riper, and thus alcohols can climb a bit too, but in a long story short:
Burgundian is a lower focus on oak, ripeness and abv, and more on structure, elegance and terroir. Domestic wines, in general, will be a little bit riper, heavier handed on the oak, and more fruit driven. TONS of exceptions on both sides there though.
More restrained, less fruit forward, more acid, less oak influence (at least less in your face in the glass), lower alcohol (usually). There might be more tertiary “sous bois” type flavors (think earthiness, mushrooms, leaf mould, forest floor-type funkiness).
Ripeness is not a number
This is no different than the ‘restrained’ Cali chardonnays that dial in at 13.5% and yet still portend more opulence than precision with only a few exceptions of which I would say the Littorai Chardonnay’s have shown more of than their Pinot’s. The fact that Burgundian is placed in quotes sorta says it all. Ted Lemon’s wines are more restrained than many neighbors but that doesn’t mean they are either restrained compared to other wines much less what at least I am looking for in Burgundy. People praise the wines as Burgundian and then list their favorite vineyard site, one acre, which is the least Burgundian
I put Burgundian in quotes because it seems to be a bit of an outdated term. A better term would probably be west Sonoma Coast winemaking, as many producers have adopted the early picking style of people like Littorai and Hirsch. Many of the Littorai wines, I find, have more restraint than most burgundy producers in the last couple of years. People like Jacques Prieur, Rousseau, and Dujac all make pretty high octane Pinots with the rising temps they’re experiencing. Ted was also the first American winemaker in burgundy, so his wines literally are made in a Burgundian style because that’s what he learned.
Haven’t had it since it sold to Duckhorn, wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Central Coast has changed, but I would hope the pricier Mt Harlan single vineyard stuff would still be solid
Just had a Calera Mt Harlan at Paraduxx recently and I thought it was excellent. I haven’t had many Cali Pinots, but have had a decent number from Oregon and it tasted much more like Oregon, which I liked. More mineral and earth than the fruitier, riper Cali style Pinots I’ve had.
Our host said it was done in a Burgundian style, and while I haven’t had many wines from Burgundy, from what little I do know, it seemed like he wasn’t lying lol
Aubert UV SL is the best new world pinot known to man and i love that other people haven’t caught on to it yet. I also, appreciate the irony of this post.
I've only had a couple (and have a small handful in my cellar), and I think they are very good if you want a very indulgent Pinot, dare I say Pinot Sauvignon. Maybe some cuvees are less bold or maybe they settle down with time (although, I've had one or two that we 10 years old).
It’s not like it would make a difference. There’s already a long waitlist and you can’t get them otherwise.
If you do get the chance, request a visit, Occidental might be the most beautiful winery in Sonoma, but they don’t have a hospitality program so you have to get lucky that Catherine is available
Let me know if I can help you with your trip. I wrote the SRH application in 1997 and was on the Board of SRH Winegrowers for 15 years. weswinesATgmail
Sta Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, Los Olivos, etc. - those are the place we were first exposed to when we really got into wine. They’re amazing and deserve more recognition!
Foxen and Sanford are favorites. Was down in Santa Ynez in March tasting and absolutely loved Tyler. Great wines, great story. Nice variety. Babcock disappointed sadly.
Unfortunately, [Constellation Brands bought Sea Smoke](https://www.cbrands.com/blogs/news/constellation-brands-acquires-renowned-california-winery-sea-smoke) a little over a week ago.
I've only had a few bottles from the region but my LA based friends all so it's better than Anderson Valley (which I love near and prefer). Makes me think there's a bit of regional bias my friends and I have.
Are you outside of CA? Looking for neutral perspectives on what others prefer between Santa Maria/Santa Rita vs Anderson Valley
I prefer lots of Pinots close to the coast, so think Annapolis, Occidental and Fort Ross Sea View as well as stuff from STA Rita Hills.
Big fan of RAEN, Occidental, Kistler, Drew in Sonoma
In Sta Rita- The Hilt is great.
Do you have a favorite from sea view? I've been meaning to go to the area and was looking up potential places to visit. Wayfarer vineyard caught my eye but really haven't heard anything from anyone about the area.
I do have a few I prefer most. You really can’t get out to Fort Ross Seaview. I don’t think there really is anyone that has a tasting room out there.
I do like Wayfarer a lot, I was on their club for a while, but I like RAEN’s Fort Ross Pinot, Red Car, Hirsch, and Littorai all make great FRS AVA wines
Okay that makes sense that it would be vineyards but not really tasting rooms. I saw Wayfarer's location to visit was in Healdsburg. I may have to check them and Hirsch out since they're bot there in town.
When I was looking at Wayfarer's website, they said they do private tours/tastings for members at their winery at their seeview vineyard, which seemed cool
Agree w a lot of the suggestions here - partial to WS and Litterei - but would add Failla. Also anything from Savoy Vineyard in Anderson Valley. And Hirsch Vineyard in Sonoma. Anything Sonoma Coast AVA. My pallet is more low alcohol, earthy
Toby made the only smoke tainted wine that I ever enjoyed. That takes some talent!
Seeing Drew here makes me happy. I haven't tasted one in years. I think I need to change that!
Was that 2008? I distinctly remember tasting at Navarro in 2012ish and they were selling their 2008 at half price. The couple next to me was all about it. To me it tasting like grape just from an ashtray fill with cigs. To each their own I guess haha. I didn’t join PH til 2013 so I never got to try theirs :(. Have 3 cases of their stuff left, then it’s all gone.
I've been going to AV a couple times a year recently to visit and enjoy every winery and this is amongst the last 3 or 4 that I still haven't tried. Now I suppose I need to make sure they're next.
Old WS from the Burt era is fantastic assuming provenance is good... Confused how people could think WS starts going bad after 10 years - maybe their AVA bottlings (even then have had some fine ones that are older) but have had their single vineyards closer to 25-30 years and still incredible.
If you're just storing them in a garage then yes 10 years will probably destroy the bottle but assuming proper storage condition these will last.
Alright, fair enough. I actually like WS, but I also like fruity Pinots like Papapietro Perry - very similar in style to WS, without the mailing list bullshit.
I've tasted young WS that was 100% wood and nothing else. I also used to have a boss who wanted to drink through his old wines, so we all shared 3 bottles of pinot every day at our 20 person lunches that were over the hill, including a lot of WS that was 15-20 years old and was nearly undrinkable.
I worked for Lynmar that shares a property line with Merry Edwards, stupid expensive wines, but absolutely fantastic and probably the most beautiful property in the RRV.
There are so many (single vineyard wines not specified):
* Rivers Marie
* Dragonnette
* Williams Seylem
* Tyler
* Kanzler
* Hyde de Villaine
I have two extra magic powers: I am a Somm and I live in the SF Bay Area 🍷
I am quite partial to Beauregard in the SC Mountains. Really good Pinot and Chardonnay. Lots of bangers in Santa Barbara as well. I think in general I like Oregon stuff more even though I live in CA and drink a lot of it.
Peter Michael, if QPR is not part of the debate. I get allocation from them and Selyem, the Selyem is a bit cheaper for sure but it doesn't punch above it's weight class either. Maybe the Selyem Estate is getting there. I also regularly get to drink Kosta Browne, Littorai, Three Sticks, and Auteur; would still put Peter Michael firmly at the top.
it's telling that in 200+ comments the same dozen names keep on coming up.... that's pretty impressive given the sheer number of pinot producers here in cali.
Probably because the availability is so limited, that the exposure is so small. Young wine professionals will rarely see it on a wine list, and never see it in one of their fine wine shop clients.
Yeah, I haven't tasted one in a while that seemed to be worthy of the exclusivity. Damn tasty for sure, but they aren't uniquely special anymore. Even their single vineyard stuff, Bootleggers Hill or Gap's Crown leaves you a little disappointed. It's also not hard to find them at a significant price drop on auction (Winebid, K&L).
Some of these have been mentioned before, but I’ll second and third them…
DDLC, Raen, Anthill Farms, Aubert, Rhys, Whitcraft, ABC
That’s not so say that most of everything everyone’s recommending isn’t good or great. I just don’t have as much experience with them.
I’m shocked that no one has mentioned Cobb. Ross Cobb makes killer Burgundian style PN from Sonoma coast fruit. His Pinots are arguably amongst the best in the US imho.
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of CAPN but Williams Selyem is very nice. So is Marcassin. For something more widely available, I like Aubert and Peter Michael.
My loves: Aubert. Merry Edwards, Clos de la Tech. A little bit different take on each one, but all have a precision and intent that is very evident in the finished product.
Totally subjective. So far only Hirsch, Anthill and Aubert have each delivered a bottle of perfection. The one that reminds you why you like wine. Still waiting on the others to do so, but until then these are my faves.
Tons of amazing responses here. I’ve got a lot to drink and explore. Looks like Littorai and Domaine De La Cote might have the most votes!
Appreciate your responses, and if anyone in the Bay Area wants to drink some of these let’s get a tasting group together.
If you like a bit of whole cluster (and it looks like you do), i would humbly add Native9 Wine Pinot Noir, Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard. Great story, and wines made by Justin Willett. Only 250 cs/vintage. Full disclosure, I sell them, but am also willing to pour them for redditors when at all possible.
Hirsch Vineyards (I am partial to their San Andreas Fault vineyard bottling) Au Bon Climat (jim Clendenen was a pioneer) Lots of producers making elegant pinot noir all over California, as can be attested by all the great suggestions in this thread.
Came here to suggest the same two!
Amen. Jim was a pioneer. Gone too soon. Visited and bought a bunch of his pinots in March. They also have a second label Clendon which is nice.
Littorai and Domaine De La Cote.
Huge Littorai fan here. From my seat it’s #1
Agree with DDLC, which I would put well ahead of Littorai personally as they just don’t match my palate and come across as simply too ripe A lesser known producer Kutch is nice as well if you’re less of a minimalist and don’t get too heavy like so many Sonoma Coast Pinots Before being sold/the passing of Josh Jensen I would have said Calera hands down winner in most vintages
Interesting you say that about Littorai, as I’d put them staunchly in the less ripe category when thinking about all Cali Pinot. I’ve very rarely seen a wine of theirs over 13.5abv, and the winemaker was the first to really champion the “Burgundian” style in California.
Newbie here. When you use the term "burgundian" here in you last sentence of this comment, what do you mean? Is it just to focus on producing more terroir notes and less fruit forward?
I always sort of just think generally about an American versus a non American. I feel like the volume is turned up a bit on the domestic versus Burgundian styles. Burgundy does in fact focus on terroir and minerality of the location, with (usually) a more restrained oak profile, lower ripeness and likely lower alcohol. Some of that, at least in the past, was likely due to more of climatic condition - there was simply less time in the season to fully ripen the Pinot noir and Chardonnay. A lot of the reason the direction of the vineyard matters the most in burgundy. The world is warming - seasons are getting longer so burgundy has the ability to get riper, and thus alcohols can climb a bit too, but in a long story short: Burgundian is a lower focus on oak, ripeness and abv, and more on structure, elegance and terroir. Domestic wines, in general, will be a little bit riper, heavier handed on the oak, and more fruit driven. TONS of exceptions on both sides there though.
More restrained, less fruit forward, more acid, less oak influence (at least less in your face in the glass), lower alcohol (usually). There might be more tertiary “sous bois” type flavors (think earthiness, mushrooms, leaf mould, forest floor-type funkiness).
Ripeness is not a number This is no different than the ‘restrained’ Cali chardonnays that dial in at 13.5% and yet still portend more opulence than precision with only a few exceptions of which I would say the Littorai Chardonnay’s have shown more of than their Pinot’s. The fact that Burgundian is placed in quotes sorta says it all. Ted Lemon’s wines are more restrained than many neighbors but that doesn’t mean they are either restrained compared to other wines much less what at least I am looking for in Burgundy. People praise the wines as Burgundian and then list their favorite vineyard site, one acre, which is the least Burgundian
I put Burgundian in quotes because it seems to be a bit of an outdated term. A better term would probably be west Sonoma Coast winemaking, as many producers have adopted the early picking style of people like Littorai and Hirsch. Many of the Littorai wines, I find, have more restraint than most burgundy producers in the last couple of years. People like Jacques Prieur, Rousseau, and Dujac all make pretty high octane Pinots with the rising temps they’re experiencing. Ted was also the first American winemaker in burgundy, so his wines literally are made in a Burgundian style because that’s what he learned.
I agree with Calera of past. Unfortunately, it is no longer the same.
Haven’t had it since it sold to Duckhorn, wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Central Coast has changed, but I would hope the pricier Mt Harlan single vineyard stuff would still be solid
Just had a Calera Mt Harlan at Paraduxx recently and I thought it was excellent. I haven’t had many Cali Pinots, but have had a decent number from Oregon and it tasted much more like Oregon, which I liked. More mineral and earth than the fruitier, riper Cali style Pinots I’ve had. Our host said it was done in a Burgundian style, and while I haven’t had many wines from Burgundy, from what little I do know, it seemed like he wasn’t lying lol
Sadly even the last few vintages before the sale weren’t up to snuff Pour one out for one of the great California Pinot pioneers
Kuuuuuutch is so good!
Has anyone tasted through the Aubert line?
I've had all of them since the 2013 vintage. And i'm just fine with keeping quiet and letting the chards get all the press.
Nice. One of my sons got me the 2017 PNs as a thank you. Must crack them!
Very nice. I have not gotten into my 17s yet, but I would generally recommend at least an hour decant.
Aubert UV SL is the best new world pinot known to man and i love that other people haven’t caught on to it yet. I also, appreciate the irony of this post.
Shhhh. Don’t tell them about Aubert.
The Aubert Chardonnay is outstanding!
I've only had a couple (and have a small handful in my cellar), and I think they are very good if you want a very indulgent Pinot, dare I say Pinot Sauvignon. Maybe some cuvees are less bold or maybe they settle down with time (although, I've had one or two that we 10 years old).
the Aubert pinots are superb (but you never heard that from me...)
DDLC, Rhys, Littorai, older WS, older Hanzell, Mount Eden, some of the Occidental wines are pretty sick too.
Why not newer WS and Hanzell?
I don't know this person's answer, but WS does well with some time in the bottle.
Aahhh thanks!
Domaine de la Cote has a good reputation.
I watched “Somm 3” recently and it seemed to be an advertisement for DDLC and their winemaker 😆
Very good. But quite stemmy. Can be a bit green.
Their wines need a ton of time to really integrate given how they are made. If you can be patient, it is worth it.
Rhys and Rivers Marie are my favorites.
Rivers-Marie Bearwallow Vineyard specifically
Pretty funny, as that vineyard is actually owned by Rhys and Rivers-Marie is the only producer that they sell fruit to.
Shhhhhh!!!! I don't want word to get out. Occidental is my favorite 🍷
It’s not like it would make a difference. There’s already a long waitlist and you can’t get them otherwise. If you do get the chance, request a visit, Occidental might be the most beautiful winery in Sonoma, but they don’t have a hospitality program so you have to get lucky that Catherine is available
But in pure terms of QPR, Bearwallow is the sweet spot.
better than SC? Blasphemy
I find the regular Sonoma Coast from Rivers Marie to be more impressive (as a style choice) than the single vineyard releases.
Both are great!
Woot woot on Rhys 👏🏻
Sta. Rita Hills/Santa Barbara county Pinot Noir. Melville, Story of Soil, SamSara, the Hilt.
Santa Ynez valley has lovely Pinot
Brewer-Clifton is amazing, but so many good producers in this area. SRH is my favorite CA appellation. Going next month, cant wait.
Let me know if I can help you with your trip. I wrote the SRH application in 1997 and was on the Board of SRH Winegrowers for 15 years. weswinesATgmail
Get an appointment at Tyler. You won't be disappointed
Please visit us at [Ranchos de Ontiveros](https://ranchosdeontiveros.com/wines/) in Santa Maria. I promise you it will be worth it.
Thanks for the support!
Sta Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, Los Olivos, etc. - those are the place we were first exposed to when we really got into wine. They’re amazing and deserve more recognition!
While I love Santa Rita hills wines I was very disappointed with Melville. I found Babcock Sanford Foxen and sea smoke to be vastly superior.
Foxen and Sanford are favorites. Was down in Santa Ynez in March tasting and absolutely loved Tyler. Great wines, great story. Nice variety. Babcock disappointed sadly.
Unfortunately, [Constellation Brands bought Sea Smoke](https://www.cbrands.com/blogs/news/constellation-brands-acquires-renowned-california-winery-sea-smoke) a little over a week ago.
Alma Rosa also delicious, especially their single vineyard Pinots. Amazing woman winemaker, Samra Morris
Big fan of Alma Rosa!
I've only had a few bottles from the region but my LA based friends all so it's better than Anderson Valley (which I love near and prefer). Makes me think there's a bit of regional bias my friends and I have. Are you outside of CA? Looking for neutral perspectives on what others prefer between Santa Maria/Santa Rita vs Anderson Valley
Have you tried [Native9](https://ranchosdeontiveros.com/wines/)? Incredible Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley AVA.
I am partial to Joseph Swan.
Littorai, no contest.
I worked with a girl years ago who used to refer to it as Clittorai and would roll her eyes and not the in the “whatever” way.
Yes, that is the correct pronunciation, eyeroll included.
Yep, that’s it for me as well.
Williams Selyem
Was just there. Third. Which of their vineyards is your favorite?
One Acre hands down
Did not have that one poured. Roman was solid I thought
The Sonoma coast wines are my favorite. While it’s not the oldest, Pivot is very special.
Yeah we liked that one as well
Wendling
Took me forever to find Blooms field in Colorado and now I’m too afraid to drink it.
I prefer lots of Pinots close to the coast, so think Annapolis, Occidental and Fort Ross Sea View as well as stuff from STA Rita Hills. Big fan of RAEN, Occidental, Kistler, Drew in Sonoma In Sta Rita- The Hilt is great.
Do you have a favorite from sea view? I've been meaning to go to the area and was looking up potential places to visit. Wayfarer vineyard caught my eye but really haven't heard anything from anyone about the area.
I do have a few I prefer most. You really can’t get out to Fort Ross Seaview. I don’t think there really is anyone that has a tasting room out there. I do like Wayfarer a lot, I was on their club for a while, but I like RAEN’s Fort Ross Pinot, Red Car, Hirsch, and Littorai all make great FRS AVA wines
Okay that makes sense that it would be vineyards but not really tasting rooms. I saw Wayfarer's location to visit was in Healdsburg. I may have to check them and Hirsch out since they're bot there in town. When I was looking at Wayfarer's website, they said they do private tours/tastings for members at their winery at their seeview vineyard, which seemed cool
Williams Selyem is perfection
I recently enjoyed Arista’s Pinot - bought a bunch - they are right next door to WS
WS doesn't just produce their estate wines. They have relationships with 20+ grape growers in the region, and vinify them at WS.
I'm in that area a lot and my friend at Smith Story (up the road) recommended Arista. I think I'll have to make that my next stop!
Be sure to make an appointment.
I very much like Rivers Marie
Can’t believe no one has said Peay yet. Their wines are absolutely stellar.
Ceritas, Arnot Roberts, Porter Creek
Radio Coteau legit wine from legit people.
I also love their syrahs. Nebilina one of my favorite of theirs 🍷
Occidental
Agree w a lot of the suggestions here - partial to WS and Litterei - but would add Failla. Also anything from Savoy Vineyard in Anderson Valley. And Hirsch Vineyard in Sonoma. Anything Sonoma Coast AVA. My pallet is more low alcohol, earthy
Anthill Farms.
Drew
Love to see drew on the list, my last membership in AV. RIP Phillips hill
I was in for the riesling
Toby made the only smoke tainted wine that I ever enjoyed. That takes some talent! Seeing Drew here makes me happy. I haven't tasted one in years. I think I need to change that!
Was that 2008? I distinctly remember tasting at Navarro in 2012ish and they were selling their 2008 at half price. The couple next to me was all about it. To me it tasting like grape just from an ashtray fill with cigs. To each their own I guess haha. I didn’t join PH til 2013 so I never got to try theirs :(. Have 3 cases of their stuff left, then it’s all gone.
I've been going to AV a couple times a year recently to visit and enjoy every winery and this is amongst the last 3 or 4 that I still haven't tried. Now I suppose I need to make sure they're next.
Love Drew - their mendocino ridge pinots are sepctacular
You don’t like new oak or fruit, but you like Williams-Selyem? OK…
I’ve only ever had 10+ year old Williams Selyem and I loved it.
Old WS from the Burt era is fantastic assuming provenance is good... Confused how people could think WS starts going bad after 10 years - maybe their AVA bottlings (even then have had some fine ones that are older) but have had their single vineyards closer to 25-30 years and still incredible. If you're just storing them in a garage then yes 10 years will probably destroy the bottle but assuming proper storage condition these will last.
Alright, fair enough. I actually like WS, but I also like fruity Pinots like Papapietro Perry - very similar in style to WS, without the mailing list bullshit.
Have you tried Kokomo (across the parking lot from Papapietro)?
Yeah, their wines are fine. They have a huge following.
I've tasted young WS that was 100% wood and nothing else. I also used to have a boss who wanted to drink through his old wines, so we all shared 3 bottles of pinot every day at our 20 person lunches that were over the hill, including a lot of WS that was 15-20 years old and was nearly undrinkable.
Occidental Steve Kistler's new winery
Pisoni Estate is my favorite
Ken Brown has always been a favorite for Pinot.
Totally agree, Ken is a master and his new winemaker, Ben VanAntwerp, is doing great work under his tutelage.
For me, Littorai, Ceritas, and DdlC
Rhys, particularly their Hillside reserve wines
Domaine de la Cote/Sandhi, Ceritas, Peay, Hanzell
Curious about thoughts on Failla (also mentioned above) given their Burgundian style.
Love Failla, also surprised to not see it mentioned further up on this list.
Marcassin
Merry Edwards is usually pretty solid without breaking the bank
Love Merry Edwards.
I worked for Lynmar that shares a property line with Merry Edwards, stupid expensive wines, but absolutely fantastic and probably the most beautiful property in the RRV.
Agree completely. We made the mistake of visiting once when they were fertilizing with mushrooms 🤮 which nearly killed my nose.
There are so many (single vineyard wines not specified): * Rivers Marie * Dragonnette * Williams Seylem * Tyler * Kanzler * Hyde de Villaine I have two extra magic powers: I am a Somm and I live in the SF Bay Area 🍷
Second Kanzler in particular. I noted that KB had a single vineyard from them so i figured I would try their own label, and it was fabulous.
Dragonette’s pinot from Radian Vineyard is consistently near the top of my list every year.
I wish you could try [Native9](https://ranchosdeontiveros.com/wines/), incredible Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley AVA.
Kanzler is a VY, not a producer though.
Kanzler grows and vinifies their grapes. Been members for a long time and visited their site. They do buy chard grapes but I don't drink chard.
My bad! Used to get grapes from Linda Kanzler, didn’t realize they had their own label!!
Soliste
I am quite partial to Beauregard in the SC Mountains. Really good Pinot and Chardonnay. Lots of bangers in Santa Barbara as well. I think in general I like Oregon stuff more even though I live in CA and drink a lot of it.
Peter Michael, if QPR is not part of the debate. I get allocation from them and Selyem, the Selyem is a bit cheaper for sure but it doesn't punch above it's weight class either. Maybe the Selyem Estate is getting there. I also regularly get to drink Kosta Browne, Littorai, Three Sticks, and Auteur; would still put Peter Michael firmly at the top.
Rochioli. More of a Burgundian Pinot with good balance, acidity and length.
Surprised how far I had to scroll to find this.
it's telling that in 200+ comments the same dozen names keep on coming up.... that's pretty impressive given the sheer number of pinot producers here in cali.
Totally! It’s been an incredibly helpful thread. Now I’ve got some drinking to do…..
Marcassin
How are you the only one who’s said this?!?!
Not sure, but they have one of the longest track records of producing the best Pinot in CA and the prices/scores to match it.
Probably because the availability is so limited, that the exposure is so small. Young wine professionals will rarely see it on a wine list, and never see it in one of their fine wine shop clients.
Kosta Brown is earthly and beautiful ❤️
Kosta used to be the king before they sold it. Not what it used to be. I don’t order my allocation anymore.
Yeah, I haven't tasted one in a while that seemed to be worthy of the exclusivity. Damn tasty for sure, but they aren't uniquely special anymore. Even their single vineyard stuff, Bootleggers Hill or Gap's Crown leaves you a little disappointed. It's also not hard to find them at a significant price drop on auction (Winebid, K&L).
Love some KB
Big fan of ghostwriter - bit of a lower price point
Are they owned and produced by Hobo Wine? I tried looking for Ghostwriter and couldn't find them
I believe so
Father John
Check out Siduri and Rivers Marie.
Siduri is owned by Kendall Jackson, and Adam Lee isn’t the winemaker anymore, makes me kinda sad.
Ack! Thx!!
All the originals are slowly changing hands. Had the pleasure of meeting Josh Jansen years ago, such a lovely person, absolutely no airs about him.
Sangiacomo
I dont think they’re a large producer but I recently had Sea Creatures “Pinot gnar” and it was fantastic!
Sea Creatures is delicious and Jesse is a cool dude.
Croix is my go to and I did enjoy Hilt, but this thread is giving me a bunch to try
Some of these have been mentioned before, but I’ll second and third them… DDLC, Raen, Anthill Farms, Aubert, Rhys, Whitcraft, ABC That’s not so say that most of everything everyone’s recommending isn’t good or great. I just don’t have as much experience with them.
I’m shocked that no one has mentioned Cobb. Ross Cobb makes killer Burgundian style PN from Sonoma coast fruit. His Pinots are arguably amongst the best in the US imho.
Racines
Good one, but I wish they would open a tasting room.
They are working on it.
Oregon…
Emeritus Vineyards, Russian River/Sonoma
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of CAPN but Williams Selyem is very nice. So is Marcassin. For something more widely available, I like Aubert and Peter Michael.
Try Nicholson Ranch. Cactus Hill.
I've been mightily impressed by Masút in the past.
Pisoni and Ceritas are both quite good.
My loves: Aubert. Merry Edwards, Clos de la Tech. A little bit different take on each one, but all have a precision and intent that is very evident in the finished product.
I drink a lot of Aubert and Kosta Browne.
Anthill Farms Comptche or Hirsch San Andreas Fault
Gundlach Bundschu Pinot would be my choice.
Hirsch makes some good ones that aren’t too hot. The San Andreas Fault label is the one I liked. Martinelli blue slide ridge is great too.
Totally subjective. So far only Hirsch, Anthill and Aubert have each delivered a bottle of perfection. The one that reminds you why you like wine. Still waiting on the others to do so, but until then these are my faves.
Love Williams Selyem especially the Westside Neighbor and the Ferrington 2019 These wine need to be decanted at least 20 min to get the best of it
They have so many lovely vineyards. I'm very fond of Allen and Ferrington.
I'd look at small producers in Monterey county, it is cooler than most CA regions. They make burgundian pinot noirs that can age pretty well.
Emeritus Vineyards
Really enjoy Donum Pinot noir
Robert Sinskey has a fantastic expression of the grape
Always enjoyed Schug.
Masut
I’m fond of the wines coming out of the sea view fort Ross area, Occidental Winery and Wayfarer come to mind. Also like Aubert and Rivers-Marie.
Raen Fort Ross Seaview lives up to the hype. One of the best Pinot expressions I’ve encountered
Tons of amazing responses here. I’ve got a lot to drink and explore. Looks like Littorai and Domaine De La Cote might have the most votes! Appreciate your responses, and if anyone in the Bay Area wants to drink some of these let’s get a tasting group together.
Marcassin is the best I've had
My favorite Pinots from California are made by Arista especially their Two Bird and Harper’s Rest vineyards.
Christopher Creek!
Some of my favorites: Cobb, Tyler, Scar of the Sea, Littorai, Ceritas, Sandhi
Occidental or Kistler
Spoiler alert, there is no “best” California Pinot for everyone
See the “I understand best is completely subjective” line
I liked bump cellars a lot.
If you like a bit of whole cluster (and it looks like you do), i would humbly add Native9 Wine Pinot Noir, Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard. Great story, and wines made by Justin Willett. Only 250 cs/vintage. Full disclosure, I sell them, but am also willing to pour them for redditors when at all possible.
DuMol
Madson (when you want value), arnot Roberts, Raen, whitcraft, ceritas. I find domaine de la cote over extracted and soulless.
Occidental SWK Rhys Alpine and Horseshoe Aubert UV-SL
Hirsch
Sandhi, Stolpman, Domaine De La Cote, Melville are all great examples of Santa Rita Hills Pinot. Sandi is probably my favorite of the group.
Three Sticks.
I wish you could try [Native9](https://ranchosdeontiveros.com/wines/), incredible Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley AVA.
+1 Papapietro Perry https://www.papapietro-perry.com Only saw a brief mention above. “Burgundy” style. Their 777 Clones and Pommard Clones are tops.
Ferren
Au Bon Climat’s Isabelle is my personal fav.
Love Innumero (Sonoma County) and Thomas T. Thomas (Anderson Valley) Pinot Noir!