Top 5 pinot noir wines from California

What would your top 5 pinot noir wines from California be independent of vintage?

In order of what I consider to be the top 5.

  1. Rochioli (West Block)
  2. Kistler
  3. Paul Hobbs Katherine Lindsay Vineyard
  4. Kosta Browne (Kanzler, Koplen)
  5. Sea Smoke (Ten)

I haven’t had Marcassin yet but maybe that would push one off from the list. Aubert didn’t do it for me.

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Littorai, Williams Selyem, and to a slightly lesser extent - Dehlinger. I don’t drink a ton of California pinot though.

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In no particular order:

  1. Rhys
  2. Williams-Selyem
  3. Kutch
  4. Talley
  5. Copain

No particular order and what I enjoy day in/day out:
Littorai
Rivers Marie
Kosta Browne
Rhys
Loring

I don’t have these in any order and could easily add others that could bump 1 or 2 of these off the list. For example, Kutch, Rochioli, Dutton Goldfield and Ojai.

  1. Kosta Browne
  2. Williams-Selyem
  3. Rhys
  4. Kistler
  5. Sea Smoke

The 4 I buy no matter what are: Rhys, Ceritas, Rivers Marie and Kutch.

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In alphabetical order:
Arcadian
Ceritas
Copain
Mount Eden
Rhys

TTT

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Not in order…

  1. Kistler
  2. DuMOL
  3. Littorai
  4. Eric Kent
  5. Ceritas

Ceritas escarpa
Copain Wentzel (or en haut)
Rhys
Arcadian
siduri

Nailed it!!

Also in alphabetical order, the ones that dominate CA pinot stash: Alysian, Hanzell, Inman and Rhys. (I’ve got high expectations for Ceritas, having only recently placed my first order)

in order

Clos Saron
Rhys
Brewer Clifton

Littorai
Kutch
Calera

Peay
Rhys
Littorai
Anthill Farms
Kutch

Masut
Onward
Kensington
Calera
Siduri

Rhys Home
Rhys Skyline
Rhys Horseshoe
Rhys Hillside
Rhys Swan Terrace

Clos Saron
Joseph Swan
Rhys
Mt Eden
Ive only had a few LIOCO but I was quite impressed
Its been a while sense Ive tried Porter Creek but that always was a favorite

Never tried Kutch’s wine

Independent of vintage to me would imply that they’ve done it over many vintages, so while I don’t think I could come up with any specific 5, I’d definitely start with the people who have made Pinot Noir well from a single site over a large number of years…so folks like Rochioli, Dehlinger, Mt. Eden, Sanford, etc.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

Of course, the other possibility is that I am old and am appreciating more highly those that have been doing it longer than I.

Bearwallow #6? Family Farm #7? You’re holding out #8 for the new vinyard Kevin purchased near Windy Oaks?

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