Loring - He can make them SO RIGHT and then (unapologetically) go so horribly WRONG!
Hirsch
Lioco - Haven’t tasted the most recent wines
Kutch - Definitely on the rise after my encounter with the 2011 McDougall
Failla - Another one on the rise
Inman - So much potential…please, please dial back the oak
Joseph Swan - Ripest edge of my tolerance
Rhys - Love their story…but the Pinots don’t usually float my boat and I’ve had well over a dozen since their 2004s with about that many more in the cellar.
RT
The only ones I still buy regularly:
Kutch
Peay
Rhys
Windy Oaks
Foxen
ABC
Pisoni
Sojourn
WS
Kosta Browne
Aston
Lucia
Navarro
Williams-Selyem
Rochioli, Dehlinger, Kosta Browne, Williams Selyem and Rivers Marie in no particular order.
Tom
Rhys, Mount Eden, Arcadian, Calera Windy Oaks.
Top 5 in my cellar, doesn’t necessarily mean top 5 in CA, since I neither try nor buy all I can:
Rhys
Copain
Rivers-Marie
Ladd Cellars
Ceritas
August West
Freeman
Holdredge
Sojourn
Ojai
Copain
Littorai
Arcadian
Au Bon Climat
Copain
Rivers-Marie
Rhys
Kutch
Pisoni
Clos Pepe
I took a mulligan with 6.
If I base the list by what I have the most of in my cellar it would go like this:
Holdredge
Rivers-Marie
Williams Selyem
Gary Farrell
Copain
In no particular order.
Marcassin
Rochioli
Rhys
Copain
Kosta Browne
For me Littorai is in a class by themselves. After that I really enjoy Mt Eden and Rhys.
Really like Arcadian and Ceritas but haven’t tried enough yet to make a meaningful determination.
This, except:
Rhys Skyline
Rhys Swan Terrace
Mt. Eden Estate
Rhys Horseshoe
Rhys Alpine (Hillside)
In no particular order:
Mt. Eden
Littorai
Arcadian
Rivers-Marie
Rhys
In order of preference:
Williams Selyem 97 and older Au Bon Climat Talley Williams Selyem 98 and younger
Brogan Cellars
In no particular order:
Windy Oaks
Bruliam
Zepaltas (Suacci)
Arcadian
Rhys
For me . . .
Rhys
Pisoni
Kosta Browne
Williams-Selyem
And then, tied for 5th, Kutch, Radio Coteau, AP Vin, Ceritas, Mount Eden, Rivers Marie, Kistler, Littorai, and Hirsch.
Honorable mention to Poe, Anthill and Capiaux.
I think these cut a fairly wide path of styles of pinot noir from California.
By writing up this list, I am reminded why the wine budget is often exceeded.
The first three I think of are Copain, Littorai and Rhys, but there are many more I like (Rochioli, Windy Oaks, Big Basin, Dehlinger, Mount Eden, Rivers Marie and Williams Selyem to name a few).