Assorted California Pinot Noir Tasting Lot

“Vivid red. Sexy, highly perfumed scents of fresh raspberry, smoky minerals and candied rose. Sweet and silky on the palate, offering energetic red berry and floral flavors, tangy mineral lift and a suggestion of cola. Velvety tannins shape the clinging finish, which features lingering floral and mineral qualities. (JR)” (07/2015)

“This memorable wine is delightfully heady in fresh aromas of strawberry, raspberry and exotic spices. The palate feels complete, with nice weight and texture. A lift of earth adds intrigue and length to the finish. (VB)” (06/2018)

“Holds back a little in a positive way, making for a finely balanced effort, with spice, red berry, dusty earth and light cedary oak notes. (JL)” (05/2018)

“Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Tilton Hill has a nose of chocolate-covered cherries, black raspberries and mulberries with touches of dried bay leaves, stewed tea and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied with a solid backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and a lively acid backbone, it finishes long with an herbal lift. (93+) (LPB)” (04/2018)

“Full-bodied, with a robust mix of rich, deep dark berry fruits, with the wild blackberry presence the dominant theme. Long and persistent. (JL)” (04/2018)

“A very succulent, concentrated pinot with a strong (40%) whole-cluster influence, delivering sappy, fresh and aromatic lift to the blueberry and ripe-cherry aromas. The palate has such succulent and assertive tannin drive, yet the textural interface remains silky and fluid. It has depth and volume and a very commanding finish. Give this some time. Try from 2024. (JS)” (01/2020)

“A fervent Pinot, powerfully framed and deeply structured, with brooding black raspberry and current flavors laced with cardamom and other dark spices, building toward medium-grained tannins. Hands off for now. (TF)” (02/2021)

“The 2018 Estate Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf is gorgeous! The nose offers intoxicating scents of ripe cranberries, rhubarb and tangerine peel with accents of floral potpourri, dusty earth, exotic spices and rose petals. The medium-bodied palate is very finely grained, super fresh and bursting with spicy fruits, finishing very long and layered. (EB) 95+” (08/2020)

“Another gorgeous wine in this range, the 2018 Pinot Noir Estate Scallop Shelf is laced with pretty floral and mineral notes that work nicely with the wine's taut, mid-weight frame. Bright, focused and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. I very much like the wine's sense of energy, but it needs time to be at its best. (AG)” (04/2020)

“This precise version is filled with mineral-inflected red berry and green plum flavors that are supported by fresh acidity. The finish is balanced and fine-textured, showing dried fennel hints and flinty accents. (KM)” (09/2021)

“This is really contrasty with hibiscus, lemon peel and al dente fruit. Peaches. It’s medium-bodied, racy and bright with fantastic length and tangy fruit. Vibrant. Better in a year but already such presence and freshness. Crunchy is the word. Drink or hold.” (12/2023)

“The 2021 Pinot Noir (West Sonoma Coast) is superb. Dark and enveloping, the appellation Pinot is lights out. Dark cherry, menthol, licorice, sage and chocolate fill out the layers in an expansive, deep Pinot. Drought and stress seem to have amplified the fruit in this decidedly heady, exotic Pinot from Red Car. The 2021 is a blend from the Heaven and Earth and the Estate vineyards, both of which are planted to Calera and Pommard clones. Readers who want to explore the Red Car wines will want to check this out. Superb. (AG)” (08/2023)