2011 Capiaux Chimera Pinot Noir

2011 Capiaux Chimera Pinot Noir

2011 Capiaux Chimera Pinot NoirBright ruby red in the glass with typical cherry and pumpkin spice aromas and a mouthful of ripe cherry flavors – love this style Pinot.

Pairings: Roasted duck, chicken or turkey, mushroom dishes

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Sonoma County, CA, USA

Price: $32

2010 Fulcrum Wines Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

2010 Fulcrum Wines Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

2010 Fulcrum Wines Gap’s Crown Pinot NoirI sampled this delicious Pinot Noir at the New York Wine Expo and think it might just be the best wine I tried there. In the glass, it’s dark and purple-hued. On the nose, it’s fabulous – earthy, mushroomy, black cherry. In the mouth, there are ripe cherry, blackberry, chocolate flavors with a rich, velvety texture. The finish is long with some clove and lightly oaky notes.

Pairings: Duck, roasted mushrooms, pork

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Sonoma Coast, CA, USA

Price: $50

2008 Robert Sinskey Los Carneros Pinot Noir

2008 Robert Sinskey Los Carneros Pinot Noir

Brilliant cherry color in the glass. Big bright nose of ripe red berries. This medium-bodied Carneros Pinot Noir is classic California Pinot. Cherry and red berries explode out of the glass. Earthy, mushroom notes that linger on the finish. Velvety in the mouth. Just a really nice 100% organic Pinot, especially at this price point.

Pairings:  Duck, beef, lamb, roast chicken.

Style: Red

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Carneros, California, USA

Price: $40

2010 Hahn Winery Pinot Noir Monterey

2010 Hahn Winery Pinot Noir Monterey

I sampled this wine with rare duck breast a few weeks back and really enjoyed it.

The 2010 Hahn Winery Pinot Noir Monterey offers a big noseful of ripe raspberries and cherries that I enjoy, a lot. In the mouth, it is rich with raspberry preserves jammy with undertones of pumpkin pie spice. The finish is medium in length with oaky notes.

Pairings:  Grilled chicken. Pan-seared salmon or duck. Wild mushroom risotto.

Style: Red

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Monterey, California, USA

Price: $14

This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.

2010 Garnet Carneros Pinot Noir

2010 Garnet Carneros Pinot Noir

This North Coast Pinot Noir is ruby in the glass with intense floral and strawberry aromas with earthy/mushroomy notes. Reminds me of grandma’s homemade wild strawberry jam on freshly toasted bread. On the palette, the 2010 Garnet Carneros Pinot Noir offers bright cherry flavors with slightly woodsy undertones. I love this wine’s silkiness, great balance and long flavorful finish.

Winemaker Alison Crowe does a super job with this wine, which is quite possibly the best Carneros Pinot Noir I have had in recent memory.

Pairings:  Grilled chicken or pork chops. I cannot think of many foods that would not be a good match to this wine.

Style: Red

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Carneros, California, USA

Price: $19.99

This wine was provided to me for sampling and I’m adding to my repertoire as it’s truly enjoyable.

2006 Tantara Bien Nacido Adobe Pinot Noir

2006 Tantara Bien Nacido Adobe Pinot Noir

I simply love this wine.  It’s not easy to come by in New Jersey, where I live, but when I’ve been able to secure a few bottles, I’ve enjoyed it tremendously.

The 2006 Tantara Bien Nacido Adobe Pinot Noir is dark ruby in the glass and pretty full-bodied for a California pinot noir.  On the nose, there’s a ton of dark raspberries with notes of nutmeg and clove.  On the palate, it’s all about ripe cherries with lots of earthiness, cherry cola, allspice and notes of mocha.  The finish is long and silky/velvety.  Just a perfect wine paired with roast chicken, wild mushroom risotto or grilled salmon.

Tantara Winery is a smaller producer and only about 200 cases of this little gem were produced, so get your hands on a bottle and enjoy.  Read about my love of Tantara here.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Central Coast, CA

Around $50

2007 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2007 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

I have had the opportunity to visit Merry Edwards’ beautiful vineyard and tasting room and can say she makes some of my favorite pinot noirs.  At a recent dinner party, I served the 2007 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir to the pleasure of my guests.

This wine is dark ruby in the glass.  On the nose, it’s pure Russian River pinot noir – ripe, dark berries with layers of earthiness and peppery notes.   On the palate, it’s rich, velvety with tons of juicy cherries.  The finish is long, elegant and silky.

If you don’t want to splurge on one of Merry’s single vineyard wines, this is an amazing wine at this price point.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Russian River Valley / Sonoma, CA

Around $45

2008 Mark West Pinot Noir

2008 Mark West Pinot Noir

Bought this Pinot Noir as my 3rd bottle at a recent dinner party and was relatively pleased with it, especially at this price point.

It’s lighter than most California Pinots in the glass and offers a light nose of strawberries and under-ripe cherries.  In the mouth, this wine is also light with some mouth-puckering, a little spice and a longish finish.

Overall, this is a decent wine that I don’t need a special occasion to enjoy and that has enough presence to be served beyond a Tuesday night.

Around $10.

2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir

2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir

'07 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir

Enjoyed a bottle of this wine at lovely Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA and thought it was a well-balanced example of coastal Sonoma Pinot Noir.

Saying a Pinot Noir tastes like cherries is like saying a cab goes well with a steak – obvious.  In this case though, the cherries are succulent and very ripe with dark berry and chocolate undertones.  There’s a nice level of tannins in this above-par wine and the spicy finish lingers on and on.

This wine reminded me of some of the refined Burgundies I’ve enjoyed over the years.  Great example of California Pinot that is a must-try, even at a higher price point.

Around $65.

2004 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir

2004 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir

'04 Gundlach Bundschu PN

'04 Gundlach Bundschu PN

Was given this wine as a birthday present and really enjoyed it.  This wine is a gorgeous, dark ruby color in the glass.  It’s simply pure velvety silkiness with tons of ripe cherries and a hint of vanilla.  Good wine on its own, but especially great with food.  Served this with roast chicken and it was stellar.

Around $32.