California’s North Coast - Wine & Spirits Magazine

California’s North Coast


93             Wentworth     $114     Wentworth 2021 Mendocino Ridge Wentworth Vineyard Pinot Noir
Since buying his ridgetop property in 2014, near Elk, less than four miles from the Pacific and more than 1,200 feet above it, Mark Wentworth has planted six acres, mostly to pinot noir, including one acre on its own roots. He farms a mix of a dozen clones, working organically, growing a savory pinot noir with crunchy fruit and the scent of spruce tips, as if capturing the coastal forest in the stems and skins of the grapes. It’s a wine with energy, pomegranate red, the juice above, the tannins in earthen layers underneath. —J.G. (170 cases) 

89             Drew     $120     Drew 2020 Mendocino Ridge Faîte de Mer Farm Cote Foret Pinot Noir
From Jason Drew’s estate vineyard in Elk, this wine is closed off for now, a simple sour cherry fruit component and tannins that bring to mind pine needles and black tea. It’s clean and long, needing bottle age to grow more expressive. —J.G. (48 cases) 

88             Drew     $80     Drew 2020 Mendocino Ridge Faîte de Mer Farm Field Selections Pinot Noir
With scents of fennel and meat, along with pine bark tannins, this wine has some stamina, but it’s forced back into woody oak tannins in the end. It may emerge from those tannins with time. —J.G. (100 cases) 

86             Castle Rock     $13     Castle Rock 2021 Mendocino County Pinot Noir
Light, red-fruited, soft and easy, this wine may not have much structure, but it delivers clean fruit, ready to for a burger. —J.G. 

ANDERSON VALLEY

94             Domaine Anderson     $70     Domaine Anderson 2019 Anderson Valley Walraven Vineyard Pinot Noir
This estate vineyard in Boonville has a relatively warm exposition, facing southwest, maturing its fruit in 2019 toward graceful tannins. The fruit itself has quiet stamina, providing a lasting sense of purity, a layered impression of forest berry scents. Fragrant and flavorful, this is a roseate pinot, a pleasure to drink now, with its elements aligned for development ahead. —J.G. (50 cases) 

93             Goldeneye     $88     Goldeneye 2019 Anderson Valley Confluence Vineyard Lower Bench Pinot Noir
There’s beautiful rich cherry fruit to this wine, tangy and lively, standing firm against the power and grip of its tannins. The flavors don’t stop, as the texture of those tannins is based on energy rather than mass, like the blade of an ice skate skittering light in its wake. That’s delicious, and it sets expectations for what will come with two or three years of rest in your cellar. —J.G. (352 cases) 

93             Handley     $50     Handley 2019 Anderson Valley Helluva Vineyard Pinot Noir
Randy Schock, working in Handley’s cellars since 2004, makes this wine from a vineyard in Boonville. Though it’s the warmer part of Anderson Valley, this wine still has the cool freshness of the fog, with a rose scent and red plum flavors that last. The tannins have a pleasing amaro bitterness, making the wine more complex than fruity. “Clean, fragrant and earth bound—that’s pretty epic pinot,” said Corey Warren. —J.G. 

92             Domaine Anderson     $53     Domaine Anderson 2019 Anderson Valley Estate Pinot Noir
Two thirds of this pinot noir grows at Dach, the biodynamic-certified vineyard surrounding Roederer Estate’s winery in Philo. Much of the rest comes from Walraven in Boonville, certified organic. Panelist Lisa Granik, MW, found the wine to be dynamic and alive, while Tina Vaughn, of NYC’s The Simone, pointed to its layers of flavor. This is quiet up front, with a pop of pomegranate fruit inhabiting the space between the warm elements and cooler tension in the wine. —J.G. (830 cases) 

92             Dutton-Goldfield     $74     Dutton-Goldfield 2020 Anderson Valley Angel Camp Pinot Noir
Complex and heady, this has the cool air of Anderson Valley’s coastal ridges, with bright persimmon and pomegranate flavors. Opulent with a dried pear and alpine honey note, tarry in its tannins, this is a gentle wine that would benefit from a year or two of age. Dan Goldfield sources this fruit from Brian Zalaznick’s 10-acre vineyard on a hill above the Navarro River west of Philo. —J.G. (304 cases) 

92             Handley     $38     Handley 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
Tense with floral notes of grape skins, this has a pretty scent, like zinnias, and distinctively detailed fruit tannins that make the wine chewy in the middle and long-lasting in the end. A lean, mouthwatering wine for Cantonese roast duck. —J.G. 

91             Copain     $42     Copain 2018 Anderson Valley Les Voisins Pinot Noir
A delicate Anderson Valley pinot, this is light in color, focused on a crisp line of red fruit that lasts. It’s not about complexity, but the wine’s freshness holds well as it continues to open with air. Easy to enjoy with a range of foods. —J.G. (575 cases) 

91             Domaine Anderson     $70     Domaine Anderson 2019 Anderson Valley Pinoli Vineyard Pinot Noir
Pretty and gentle pinot noir, this has plenty of concentration in the middle without giving any sense of weight. It’s broad, rich and red-fruited, a clean and well-integrated wine for a salad of duck confit. —J.G. (60 cases) 

91             Donkey & Goat     $60     Donkey & Goat 2021 Anderson Valley Filigreen Farm Pinot Noir
This grows at a biodynamic vineyard in Boonville, a clean and satisfying pinot with some bitter raspberry seed and green stemmy notes in the tannins, lasting on a cherry-pit finish. —J.G. (CK with Tracey, taste like a sunny, early harvest, tension between under and over ripeness.) (66 cases) 

91             El Pino Club     $60     El Pino Club 2021 Anderson Valley High Haven Pinot Noir
Clean, fresh, bright and tangy, this pinot is touched by notes of orange and vanilla, lasting on a cherry leaf scent. It’s fruit-forward with tannins that melt into the background, leaving the cool feel of Anderson Valley pinot. —J.G. (482 cases) Foley Family Wines, Santa Rosa, CA

91             Goldeneye     $88     Goldeneye 2019 Anderson Valley Split Rail Pinot Noir
Ripe and still zesty, this wine has voluptuous breadth along with a tangy, leafy pinot character with rose and red fruit depths. The cool, cherry-ripe fruit might take you to Central Otago before you settle in Anderson Valley. —J.G. (352 cases) 

91             Siduri     $35     Siduri 2020 Anderson Valley Skycrest Vineyard Pinot Noir
There’s a sweet molasses note upfront then the fruit settles into its acid structure, integrated with the tannins, providing what Lisa Granik, MW, described as a clear frame for the fruit. Skycrest Vineyard tops out at 2,000 feet above sea level, a steep hillside providing the fruit for this pinot. —J.G. (229 cases) 

90             Drew     $50     Drew 2020 Anderson Valley The Fog-Eater Pinot Noir
This is a clean and delicate wine with length, more vegetal and stemmy than fruity, lasting on a foresty scent. The fruit is sweet, but the wine holds to a savory balance. For roast salmon. —J.G. (200 cases) 

90             Goldeneye     $88     Goldeneye 2019 Anderson Valley Confluence Vineyard Pinot Noir
Gentle richness fills this open and airy California redwood wine. It feels clean, fresh and sweetly ripe, its lasting pale red fruit has the pink cast of duck breast. —J.G. (710 cases) 

90             Goldeneye     $130     Goldeneye 2019 Anderson Valley Ten Degrees Pinot Noir
Crisp salmon skin or crisped bacon scents fill this wine with a savory appetite-inducing flavor encouraged by oak aging. There’s some softness to it, tending toward butterscotch and unctuous weight. For a chicken fricasée. —J.G. (850 cases) 

89             Phillips Hill     $55     Phillips Hill 2020 Anderson Valley Day Ranch Pinot Noir
A ripe wine, this has a macerated fruit note of cranberry relish, with foresty undertones giving the fruit presence and stamina. Mineral acidity tightens it up in the end, suggesting it may integrate well with time. —J.G. (120 cases) 

88             Handley     $50     Handley 2019 Anderson Valley Roderick Ranch Pinot Noir
Sour cherry cordial and raspberry tart flavors meet brutish young tannins in this wine, the lasting floral fruit fragrance implying time will bring those tannins in line. —J.G. 

88             Phillips Hill     $50     Phillips Hill 2020 Anderson Valley L'Air De Mer Pinot Noir
Ripe fruit and soft tannins make this an easy by-the-glass pinot. It feels a little creamy, cushioned by the tannins, polished rather than detailed. —J.G. (120 cases) 

88             Siduri     $40     Siduri 2020 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
This is figgy and ripe, concentrated to a creamy texture by its time in oak, yielding dried fruit notes, licorice candy scents and salty bone marrow richness, all held tight and tense. Give it time to integrate and resolve. —J.G. (1,450 cases) 

88             Waits-Mast     $52     Waits-Mast 2019 Anderson Valley Roma's Vineyard Pinot Noir
Stemmy and soft, this is a simple cherry-scented wine for grilled salmon. It keeps to a cool tone, even if the flavors lack some detail. —J.G. (98 cases) 
90             DeLoach     $52     DeLoach 2019 Marin County Pinot Noir
Here’s a wine for those who like a little sea wrack in their pinot noir; this one has oceanic persistence and sweet, high-toned strawberry fruit. You could think of the green herb scents as nori, to complement nigiri sushi. —J.G. 
91             The Vice     $48     The Vice 2019 Carneros Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir
Truchard is organically farmed and this wine has a natty feel to it, Bretty and herbal, the fruit wrestling to sustain its place in the complex mix. It has depth and saturation, and whatever microbes may be at work are busy adding interest. —J.G. (200 cases) 

88             Baldacci     $65     Baldacci 2019 Carneros Pinot Noir
With its sweet density of red cherry flavors, this could stand in a flight of ripe cabernet sauvignon. A big wine for a steakhouse. —J.G. (1,491 cases) 

90             Etude     $95     Etude 2020 Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch Heirloom Pinot Noir
This wanders from rich cola notes to currants to flamed-orange-rind volatility, then it nails the finish with a clean, fresh fruit length. —J.G. (686 cases) 

89             Etude     $90     Etude 2020 Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch Deer Camp Vineyard Pinot Noir
Sumptuous and rich, its meaty texture appealing, though more in the mode of carignane than pinot noir. The flavors last, for a steak. —J.G. (530 cases) 

87             Etude     $90     Etude 2020 Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch Temblor Vineyard Pinot Noir
Black and bold, supple and sweet, this wine’s ripe-to-bruised fruit has some gamey, animal scents against its rocky tannins. Then, the finish is clean and simple. —J.G. (383 cases) 
92             Buena Vista     $52     Buena Vista 2019 Sonoma Mountain Otelia's Selection Pinot Noir
A blend from several vineyards, this includes some pinot meunier in a wine that’s bristling with floral fruit, one that continues to gain freshness over the course of several days. The blueberry and thyme flavors have clarity, bold and perfumed with alcohol, needing age to integrate completely. —J.G. 

92             Fort Ross Vineyard     $64     Fort Ross Vineyard 2019 Fort Ross-Seaview Bicentennial Pinot Noir
Sanguine and salty, this has a delicate sandstone abrasion to its fruit tannins, hovering between the skins of golden cherry tomatoes and black cherries. Firm and juicy in the middle, this ends on notes of dried earth and crushed rock. —J.G. (220 cases) 

91             Fort Ross Vineyard     $80     Fort Ross Vineyard 2019 Fort Ross-Seaview Top of Land Pinot Noir
Reductive and closed in its youth, this is an elegant, long and gentle red. A touch creamy with oak, this isn’t pushed, and though it may not be complex, it is clean and pretty. —J.G. (216 cases) 

88             Fort Ross Vineyard     $80     Fort Ross Vineyard 2019 Fort Ross-Seaview Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir
Vanilla scents sweeten this soft, crowd-pleasing pinot noir. Meaty and rustic in its leathery tannins, this finishes on the warmth of alcohol. —J.G. (220 cases) 

88             Gary Farrell     $75     Gary Farrell 2019 Fort Ross-Seaview Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir
This has an electric, far coast character with notes of nori and star anise. The structure has yet to integrate; cellar it for a year or two. —J.G. (384 cases) 

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

94             Gary Farrell     $85     Gary Farrell 2019 Russian River Valley Rochioli-Allen Vineyards Pinot Noir
Gary Farrell was an early interpreter of Joe Rochioli’s pinot noir vines on a rise above the Russian River. Theresa Heredia makes the wine today, presenting a brisk, clean pinot noir saturated with flavor without excess weight. The fresh red currant scents parallel the transparent ruby color, while the dusty, mineral-inflected tannins have a freshness that mirrors the fruit. A Russian River Valley classic. —J.G. (295 cases) 

94             Williams Selyem     $115     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
John Dyson began planning this vineyard after purchasing 51 acres on Westside Road in 2002, where the Williams Selyem Winery is now based, and 30 acres of vines now rise up the hillside. They produced a layered and complex 2020 with a natural feel (rather than a natty feel). Tart blackcap raspberry flavors and spruce bough scents accent the plush texture, a wine of charm and harmony, sexy and sure of its intentions. —J.G. (928 cases) 

93             Gary Farrell     $60     Gary Farrell 2019 Russian River Valley Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir
This wine’s fresh fruit character brings to mind lingonberries from the north, bright and zesty in their sweet and tart ripeness. The tannins are gamey, iron-rich and tight, providing a formidable structure for the fruit. Youthful, dense and tight, this has a long life ahead. —J.G. (888 cases) 

93             Kosta Browne     $165     Kosta Browne 2020 Russian River Valley Gap?s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir
Lovely coastal cool infuses everything about this wine. Its berry scent and black cherry flavors have a cool and crunchy forest fruit character without being excessively green. Picked at the right moment of ripeness, the fruit lasts with a rose fragrance, open and airy. —J.G. (2,900 cases) 

93             Kosta Browne     $200     Kosta Browne 2019 Russian River Valley Treehouse Vineyard Pinot Noir
With its oak in check, this wine shows off its varied shades of fruit, from pink grapefruit zest to ripe strawberry and darker cherry notes. It’s tart and lean, long and spicy, the tannic extraction handled with delicacy. The acidity is firm enough to place it with roast fish edged with some tomato in the sauce. —J.G. (900 cases) 

92             Gary Farrell     $45     Gary Farrell 2020 Russian River Valley Russian River Selection Pinot Noir
Saturated with dark berry flavors, this wine’s rich oak tannins meld into its initial earthy, pink peppercorn spice. Jordan White of NYC’s *Naro found this “opulent with a wet earth and mushroom savor. The tannins are gentle but persistent.” (3,339 cases) 

91             Davis Bynum     $58     Davis Bynum 2019 Russian River Valley Lindley's Knoll Pinot Noir
Rustic and refreshing, this is a meaty wine that sustains its energy and freshness. It feels playful, and would work well with offal, like yakatori chicken livers. —J.G. 

91             DeLoach     $50     DeLoach 2019 Green Valley Pinot Noir
Bright cherry, tart strawberry and rhubarb notes form the center of this wine, all edged in mineral tannins. The flavors are light and transparent, their delicacy and finesse lasting, along with a heavier note of extract that may merge into the wine with a year in bottle. —J.G. 

91             Raeburn     $25     Raeburn 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
This is a project from Derek Benham, who founded Blackstone and, later, Purple Wine Company. He’s offering an impressive value in a pinot that’s nuanced and brisk. Neither fruit-driven nor oaky, it focused on tannic complexities in a mineral wash under green herbs and sappy rosemary scents. —J.G. 

90             Gary Farrell     $70     Gary Farrell 2019 Russian River Valley McDonald Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir
Ripe, plummy warmth infuses this wine’s briney-sweet black-olive and green-tea tannins. Those tannins are brusque and stemmy, with a pine note and a layered transparency. This needs plenty of time in a decanter to serve with slow-braised meats. —J.G. (604 cases) 

90             Merry Edwards     $65     Merry Edwards 2020 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Heidi von de Mehden has been working with Merry Edwards since 2015, taking over in 2020 as winemaker when Edwards retired. Now part of the Roederer Collection USA, the winery’s style has shifted incrementally, if this 2020 is an indication. Rich rather than sweetly ripe, this has lasting depths of flavor. A wine with stamina and no excess weight, it has a simplicity and naiveté that adds to its appeal. We had often recommended Merry Edwards’ Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, as well as a number of her single vineyard wines, but this is the first time since the 2007 vintage that the Russian River wine has earned an exceptional rating. —J.G. (3,170 cases) 

90             Williams Selyem     $75     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir
Green herb scents last through this fresh, sour cherry scented red. It’s refreshing even if it is weighty, with red cherry sweetness perking up the end. For ribs. —J.G. (902 cases) 

90             Williams Selyem     $100     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard Pinot Noir
Grown at a legendary site along the Russian River, this wine’s flavors of cherry stems and tart blueberries are lasting and fresh. If there is any impact from the challenges of 2020, it’s in the texture, which feels thick, with smoky, wood-scented tannins. But that may also just be the wine’s youth. —J.G. (509 cases) 

89             Atelier     $50     Atelier 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Fresh and floral, this wine’s pretty red fruit comes up against tannins that taste of dark roast coffee. Those tannins take over the focus and direction of the wine, but they don’t diminish its pleasure. —J.G. (1,400 cases) 

89             Buena Vista     $52     Buena Vista 2019 Russian River Valley Bela's Selection Pinot Noir
This has the scent of a classical RRV pinot before its lush red cherry character turns leaner, toward cranberry and bitter tangerine pith in the end. It’s a little vegetal and doesn’t deliver on its promise, but it may well with time. —J.G. 

88             DeLoach     $65     DeLoach 2019 Russian River Valley Sebastopol Hills Pennacchio Vineyard Pinot Noir
Rich and toasty, this is freighted with California fruit tannins but doesn’t feel excessively heavy. A note of tomato leaf marks the persistent acidity in a tough black finish, needing cellar time to mellow. —J.G. 

88             Gary Farrell     $85     Gary Farrell 2019 Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir
Jordan White of Naro found this wine pretty, with “pristine ripe fruit.” I found it a little blunt and heady, with sour cherry and tobacco notes. Easy to enjoy now, this is a wine with a notable provenance and may gain depths with bottle age. —J.G. (426 cases) 

88             Iron Horse     $87     Iron Horse 2020 Green Valley of Russian River Valley Winery Block Pinot Noir
A vintage focused on the weight and spice of tannins, rather than the freshness this Green Valley vineyard often gives, this has notes of dried cranberries, orange zest and South Asian spice. —J.G. (269 cases) 

88             Williams Selyem     $75     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Calegari Vineyard Pinot Noir
A contrast of sweet and savory, this wine layers notes of dried fruits and cooler black cherries, a little zesty, a little thick. It needs a year in bottle to integrate. —J.G. (537 cases) 

87             Balletto     $34     Balletto 2020 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
A clean, crowd-pleasing style, this has simple pinot noir grape flavors edged by sappy spruce and fir scents. For beef tenderloin. —J.G. 

87             Williams Selyem     $70     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Eastside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir
Soft and simple, this has the scent of black grapes, a creamy texture in the middle and an austere finish with some peppercorn heat. —J.G. (1,597 cases) 

87             Williams Selyem     $100     Williams Selyem 2020 Russian River Valley Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir
Warm and ripe, with the sweet scent of raspberry cordial, this is a simple, saturated pinot noir for roast beef. —J.G. (231 cases) 

SONOMA COAST

93             JCB     $80     JCB 2019 Sonoma Coast No. 22 Pinot Noir
Jean-Charles Boisset uses his JCB label as an emotional outlet, working with his team to present lots that trigger a response—like 22, which he selects for “intensity and charm.” In fact, No. 22 pushes more buttons than most. We’ve tasted seven vintages of the wine and five have earned exceptional ratings. This is one of the best: tight and complex, with notes of tarragon and smoke at the edges and clean fruit at its core. It’s a gentle, elegant, savory pinot noir, expanding from herbal and crunchy hints of rose hip greenness to fragrant fresh cherry flavors that last. —J.G. (80 cases) 

92             County Line     $36     County Line 2021 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Eric Sussman makes his County Line wines at more affordable price points than Radio-Coteau using organically farmed fruit, the wines aged in neutral French oak barrels and bottled unfiltered. His 2021 has floral scents of spring honey, then it’s earthy rather than sweet. Light in body, this makes a delicate impression even as the tannins have a meaty richness. Enjoy its coastal drive with grilled game fish. —J.G. 

92             Elizabeth Spencer     $68     Elizabeth Spencer 2019 Sonoma Coast ExS Block 7 Pinot Noir
Sarah Vandendriessche, better known for her Napa Valley cabernets, makes this wine with fruit grown east of Petaluma. It’s firm and solidly built, a spicy pinot with notes of cranberry, orange and leather—a rich and peppery wine with some tension to its structure. —J.G. 

92             Kosta Browne     $115     Kosta Browne 2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Cool and generous, this starts as a tight, floral pinot with some smoke at the edges. Notes of wildflowers and wild herbs along with wild blueberry scents mark its freshness. The cold fruit tannins turn gentler with air, clean and lasting, suggesting this has the stamina to age. —J.G. (4,650 cases) 

92             Merry Edwards     $60     Merry Edwards 2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A wine with a clear shape and direction, this has a mouthwatering acidity that lifts the puff pastry scents of oak and the rich purple berry fruit. Tannins give that fruit restraint and structure, lasting on wild blueberry depths. It softens with air to notes of menthol and persimmon, gentle and giving. —J.G. 

91             Elizabeth Spencer     $38     Elizabeth Spencer 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
This wine’s rich, cherry crush of fruit is in the youthful grip of its tea-like tannins, lasting in notes of cherry skins and the peppery warmth of oak. There’s complexity in the tannins, in scents of tree bark and leaves, and in their grand texture. A steakhouse pour, this will benefit from a year in the cellar. —J.G. 

91             Gary Farrell     $65     Gary Farrell 2019 Sonoma Coast Lancel Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir
Big and burly, this wine’s sweetness and umami tannins combine in an interesting way. There’s a cinnamon note to the oak and a mushroom savor to the fruit tannins, finishing with some elegance—gentle, creamy and soft. —J.G. (438 cases) 

91             Marine Layer     $45     Marine Layer 2020 Sonoma Coast Lyra Pinot Noir
This has a soft, casual feel to its supple tannins and floral length of flavor, a clean wine that keeps your attention as it lasts. The sour cherry fruit has a friendly acidity that brings you around for another sip. The tannins taste like cherry bitters, to serve with roast foraged mushrooms. —J.G. (400 cases) 

90             Etude     $70     Etude 2020 Sonoma Coast Hallberg Pinot Noir
This has a foresty feel to its notes of woody herbs and the mulberry wildness of its fruit. That fruit is red and blue, rich and sweet, then its sweetness is cut by a chinato-like spice—a quinine edge in the finish that lasts with the berry notes. —J.G. (362 cases) 

90             Patz & Hall     Patz & Hall 2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
This is a big wine for a braise, a supple pinot noir with wood spice that lingers along with sweet-ripened fruit. The fruit ranges from red apple to prunes, mostly in the blue and black end of the spectrum, overall pleasant and not pushed. —J.G. 

90             Sean Minor     $65     Sean Minor 2021 Sonoma Coast Invited Series Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Pinot Noir
Purple-fruited with notes of mulberries and blueberries, their wild-fruit bitterness balanced by a tree-sap sweetness. A simple companion for duck with prunes. —J.G. (220 cases) 

88             JCB     $70     JCB 2019 Sonoma Coast No. 11 Pinot Noir
Persimmon red in its baked fruit savor, this is more vegetal than fruity, a character panelist Mariko Kobayashi described as the roasted green tea scent of hojicha. It’s gentle and warm. —J.G. (100 cases) 

88             Migration     $46     Migration 2021 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
With ripe purple fruit edging from plum to prune, this is dense with tannins, broad and rich, demanding beefy sweetness. —J.G. 

88             Three Sticks     $75     Three Sticks 2020 Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir
Warm with toasty char, this shows the challenges of the vintage but delivers pleasure in its velvety texture, supple and creamy. —J.G. (490 cases) 

Joshua Greene is the editor and publisher of Wine & Spirits magazine.

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