Senior editor James Molesworth is wrapping up his annual report on California Pinot Noir. On the heels of the classic 2021 vintage, many of the wines in the forthcoming report will be from 2022. While not quite of the same caliber as the previous vintage, many of these reds are exceptional, as this lineup of recently reviewed wines demonstrates. (All have scored at least 90 points on our 100-point scale!)
Among the top-scoring wines is a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Vivier. Founder and winemaker Stéphane Vivier was born and raised in Burgundy (where Pinot Noir originates), but he has been based in Napa Valley since 2002. His red, below, blends grapes from various coastal locales, including notable vineyards such as Gaps Crown. The result is a racy wine with rooibos tea, bitter cherry and blood orange notes, as well as a savory finish.
This lineup also includes J. Wilkes' Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2021, a pretty red with tea, damson plum and raspberry notes. Read on to get our score and full tasting note for this California Pinot Noir and seven others!
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