Saw article by Loren, really enjoyed it. Well written. What do you guys and gals think?
I love Pinot but mostly drink California pinots. I have tried a few burgundies and enjoyed them but really don’t know much about the various producers, at least not enough to drop some serious $ on a bottle yet.
Way to go Loren!
http://www.intowine.com/top-10-california-pinot-noirs-wineries
Excellent list, but it’s hard to imagine not including Dehlinger in the top 10. There’s something special in the goldridge soil.
Arcadian all day, esp with a little bit of age. Or a lot bit. Any vintage, any vineyard. Just some well-made juice. Of course, this recco is hardly a revelation.
Arcadian and Au Bon Climat??
Nice list but all of this is subjective. Certainly, there are many others making equally good Pinot Noir in California.
I am always a sucker for a good listicle, so I enjoyed this one too. Thanks! For me, the most interesting part was the honorable mention section. I haven’t ever seen a classification of CA Pinots like that (it may exist, I just haven’t come across it yet) and found that alone to be very helpful. I wish there were more resources like that so wine lovers can hone in on the overall styles that they enjoy. Thanks, Loren!
Here is another article. This one is about Au Bon Climat. Look semi-carefully and you will see Paul Lato talking to Jim Adelman. Clendenen opened up 12 yo Chardonnay and 21 yo Pinot, both of which aged v well.
If I were to make a list of top ten pinot noir producers here --meaning my favorite barrel customers—it would be difficult. I’d try to keep it under 75.
I would list only people who have been producing PN for over 20 years. This would eliminate Rhys, for example, even though looking at my stash of those wines in the cellar gives me great pleasure.
Some wineries I did not see:
I have 20 yo Saintsbury Pinot Noirs in my cellar that have aged well.
Occidental…Steve Kistler’s new project, extremely exciting
Dehlinger…cannot remember if I saw them or not
Mt. Eden…some of those wines age extremely well
Gary Farrell, Wayfarer, Flowers, Morgan…
I suppose he did not include Meomi, AS the winery has been sold and they will have a new winemaker.
Hanzell? Mount Eden? Swan? Hirsch?
Pretty sure we’ve had this topic before and this is an older article.
That said only 3 or 4 of his 10 would make my list.
Nice article, totally reasonable, and I really like Loren’s historical point of view. I’m not sure that some of these are making great pinots right now, but they are all good names. If I were making a list I’d be thinking about Ceritas in addition to some others named here.
Actually, this is new. I have done Cabs before and that might be what you are thinking of.
Some good suggestions. Some I considered and left off and others I missed. Obviously, I won’t say who. It always interesting to hear feedback for these things. Thank you.
Interesting list. Some of them I really like. Some of them would go on my list of wineries that produce horrible Pinot Noir. (I bet you can guess which ones.) Littorai would likely top my list. Kutch would make the cut to get a label photo if I were writing the piece.
I was surprised nobody mentioned Sandhi.
It’s way too soon to consider Sandhi.
I agreed with six. That’s pretty amazing overlap for lists that I run into.
David,
I agree with you. I think it is too soon to consider wineries started after 1995.
Why does Gary Pisoni never get enough love, his family provides fruit for a good chunk of the people on these lists. His estate pinot can hold its own in any Cali showdown
Nice to see Melville on the list. One of my favs – notwithstanding the fact that one of their single vineyards is named Carrie. Alas, they are no longer making a Carrie’s or renamed it or some such nonsense. Boo. I liked having a namesake wine.
My daughter got married at my house and her hubby is from SB, so naturally Carrie’s Pinot 2008 and 2009 was the dinner wine.
Kalin make some of the most Burgundian, soil-driven Pinot Noir I’ve tasted from California.
Surely the Williams Selyem wines from their heyday are also worth a mention.
The same might be said of Chalone and Mount Eden. I’m not familiar with recent Mount Eden Pinots so don’t know if there has been a declension.
Well, Melville is my formal first name so I’m happy they made the list!