2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Emeritus

Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

Emeritus Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir doesn’t tiptoe into the room; it announces itself without apology. This is a Pinot built on grand presence, yet it never loses its balance. That tension is the magic of Hallberg Ranch in Green Valley: dry-farmed vines digging deep into Goldridge soils, yielding fruit with both volume and shape.

Green Valley doesn’t dilute richness; it sculpts it. Cool coastal influence slows ripening enough to preserve definition, even as the fruit reaches full phenolic maturity. In the 2021 Pinot Noir, that balance is unmistakable: a deep, expressive core framed by freshness and natural tension, allowing generosity without tipping into heaviness.

Guiding that expression is Keith Hammond, whose familiarity with the Russian River landscape has shaped Emeritus since 2007. His approach favors continuity over reinvention, allowing the vineyard’s character to come through with confidence and clarity. The result is a wine that rewards attention and is a vivid reminder of what can be achieved when vineyard, vintage, and vision align without compromise.

Emeritus
Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley
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“Classic Russian River character from a dry-farmed vineyard is on display here, with a nose full of cherry, raspberry and cola spice aromas. The palate has a charming balance between crushed raspberry, mint and floral flavors and the grip of some ageworthy tannin. Drink 2028–2040.”

93 Points

2022 Flanagan the beauty of three Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2022 Flanagan the beauty of three Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

Flanagan

the beauty of three
Pinot Noir 2022
Sonoma Coast

2022 Flanagan the beauty of three Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

The beauty of truly exceptional Pinot Noir is found not in what is added or altered, but in what is allowed to remain. With the beauty of three, Flanagan embraces that philosophy fully, crafting a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that feels guided rather than imposed. Drawn from the Gap’s View and River Road Grape Farm vineyards, the wine reflects meticulous farming and a thoughtful, measured approach in the cellar, allowing purity of fruit, texture, and site to take precedence.

This approach carries seamlessly into the winemaking. Aging in once-used and neutral barrels ensures that oak never obscures the wine’s voice. Instead, the vineyards and the vintage’s character come through with vibrant composure.

At its core, the beauty of three is a quiet statement of Flanagan’s guiding philosophy: wines shaped by integrity, grounded in their vineyards, and respectful of the season that formed them. Every decision, from farming to élevage, serves the wine’s sense of harmony. The result is a Pinot Noir that feels authentic, expressive, and memorable without excess.

Flanagan
the beauty of three
Pinot Noir 2022
Sonoma Coast
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“This rich and textured Pinot gives aromas of Bing cherry, cedar and shiitake on the nose, while the palate delivers a punch of raspberry, orange peel and cinnamon flavors with smooth tannin and juicy acidity. Pair this with roasted pork shoulder or ribs.”

91 points

2023 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

260114 2023 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

Luli

Pinot Noir 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands

2023 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Luli’s 2023 Pinot Noir exceeds expectations, delivering remarkable pedigree at a price that feels almost improbable. It offers a level of clarity, balance, and authenticity that many costlier bottles struggle to match. This is not value born of compromise, but value earned through intention, precision, and an unwavering respect for place.

Set along the windswept slopes of the Santa Lucia Highlands, the wine draws its character from a cool, coastal climate shaped by fog-laced mornings, steady ocean breezes, and extended growing seasons. These conditions naturally favor freshness and structure, allowing the fruit to emerge with definition and lift. The result is a Pinot Noir that feels vibrant and composed, carrying depth with ease rather than weight.

That sense of composure is reinforced by a hands-on approach in both vineyard and cellar. Low yields, meticulous sorting, and native fermentations allow the fruit to speak clearly, while small-lot vinification preserves nuance and texture. By forgoing fining and filtration, the wine retains its natural energy, resulting in a Pinot Noir that is pure, expressive, and unmistakably authentic.

Luli
Pinot Noir 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands

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“Candied cherry and raspberry compote aromas are very fresh and accessible on the nose of this bottling, which also shows earthier hints of soil and bark. The palate is zippy with acidity that shines through the black cherry, star anise and turned loam flavors.”

94 Points

2023 Admire by Dan Kosta Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2023 Admire by Dan Kosta Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaPinot NoirSonoma CoastUSA

Admire

by Dan Kosta
Pinot Noir 2023
Sonoma Coast

2023 Admire by Dan Kosta Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

When Dan Kosta turns his attention to Pinot Noir, it’s never casual. The 2023 Admire distills decades of insight into a focused wine with purpose, where coastal freshness meets California generosity. This is not a departure from the past, but a measured evolution, shaped by experience and guided by a balanced, measured approach.

With Admire, the intent drives what matters most. Launched in 2019, Dan’s new family of brands represents a deliberate return to the essentials of Pinot Noir, favoring balance, site expression, and natural energy. It is a label built on deep respect for the grape, informed by a lifetime spent understanding how precision, patience, and place converge in the glass.

Sourced from cool, ocean-influenced vineyards, the 2023 vintage is vibrant and lifted, driven by natural acidity and a sense of immediacy that defines the Sonoma Coast. Nine months of maturation in French oak (30% new) adds subtle structure and polish, lending depth without obscuring purity. Expressive from the first pour yet capable of evolving gracefully over three to five years, this Pinot Noir delivers pleasure now while rewarding those willing to wait.

Admire
by Dan Kosta
Pinot Noir 2023
Sonoma Coast

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“The Admire Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023 is a brilliant expression of the region’s character. Its nose is a fragrant bouquet of red cherries, baking spices, daisy petals, and tangerine zest, while the palate delivers a lively dance of bright red plums, tart cherries, and a touch of cola. The wine’s classic Sonoma Coast minerality and fresh acidity create a beautifully balanced profile that lingers on the finish. While it shares the same 94-point rating I gave its riper 2022 counterpart, this vintage offers a distinct charm with its brighter, fresher fruit and enduring concentration.”

94 Points

2023 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

2023 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSA

Domaine Drouhin

Laurène Pinot Noir 
Dundee Hills 2023

2023 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

The 2023 Laurène Pinot Noir arrives with the unmistakable grace of a wine shaped by generations of heritage. Every detail reflects a lineage of precision, from the volcanic soils of the Dundee Hills to the Burgundian hand that guides it, creating a Pinot Noir that feels both deeply rooted and endlessly expressive.

This harmony begins with Véronique Boss-Drouhin, who has spent decades refining the Drouhin family’s signature of elegance on both sides of the Atlantic. In Oregon, she channels that philosophy into Laurène with breathtaking focus, crafting a wine that carries Burgundy’s soul while speaking fluently in the language of the Dundee Hills.

Through meticulous sorting, gentle fermentations, and a discriminating approach to élevage, Laurène becomes a benchmark of purity and finesse. The 2023 vintage, already earning national acclaim, unfolds with depth, tension, and restrained power, promising decades of graceful evolution and reaffirming its place among the most compelling Pinot Noirs made in America.

Domaine Drouhin
Laurène Pinot Noir 
Dundee Hills 2023
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“Rich, powerful and gorgeous, drenched in fruity, savory, mushroomy flavors on a full body and super-smooth tannins. It is deep in black cherry, blackcurrant, cedar and pine character that expands on the palate and lingers in the finish. Drink or hold.”

97 Points, #11 Top 100 US Wines 2025

2023 Gainey Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2023 Gainey Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

Gainey

Pinot Noir
Sta. Rita Hills 2023

2023 Gainey Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

Every so often, vineyard and vintage fall into perfect rhythm. That’s exactly what happened for Gainey in 2023, when the cool, drawn-out growing season of the Santa Rita Hills gave their estate Pinot Noir the time it needed to develop exceptional aromatic detail and purity. The result was the revelation of our recent tasting: a wine that unfolded with understated confidence and left me wanting to revisit it the moment the glass was empty.

That vibrance is amplified by the diversity of clones planted across Gainey’s two estate ranches, each offering its own nuance of aroma and structure. Some bring lifted red fruit, others a darker, savory edge, and together they create a Pinot Noir whose layers reveal themselves gradually and with intention. This is fruit shaped by a landscape of varied soils and exposures, infused into a wine of uncommon balance.

All of this culminates in a Pinot Noir that speaks fluently of its origin—one of California’s most expressive cool-climate regions. The 2023 release doesn’t attempt to reinterpret Sta. Rita Hills; it embodies it, showing what’s possible when patience, precision, and pristine fruit converge. It’s a wine that reminds you why this appellation stands as one of the pinnacles of West Coast Pinot Noir.

Gainey
Pinot Noir
Sta. Rita Hills 2023
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“The 2023 Gainey Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir delivers a pure, cool-climate expression of the appellation. The nose opens with vivid strawberry-rhubarb pie, fresh raspberries, warm baking spices, root beer, and a touch of sandalwood. On the palate, it is mid-bodied and energetic, showing bright, fresh strawberry fruit, mandarin peel, and black tea notes, carried by vibrant mouth-watering acidity and a distinct liquid-mineral character that drives the finish. Seamless, focused, and refreshingly energetic, this is a textbook Sta. Rita Hills Pinot that drinks beautifully now yet possesses the balance and structure to evolve gracefully over the next 5–7 years.”

94 points

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

Three Sticks

Pinot Noir 2023
Price Family Estates
Sonoma Coast

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

Among the countless Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, few capture the imagination like the 2023 Three Sticks Price Family Estates. The wine seamlessly weaves some of Sonoma Coast’s most distinguished voices, drawing from estate jewels such as Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala. Each vineyard contributes its character, culminating in a Pinot Noir that speaks eloquently.

Three Sticks has long been admired for crafting Pinot Noir of purity and grace, and the 2023 Price Family Estates bottling marks a thrilling new chapter. Guided by the foundation laid by Bob Cabral and carried forward by Ryan Prichard, it reflects not just winemaking skill but the seamless passing of a torch, ensuring continuity while unlocking new dimensions of expression.

 

The hallmark of the 2023 vintage is its ability to deliver depth without heaviness. Every detail of this wine reflects an estate committed to elevating Pinot Noir to its highest expression. Bright, aromatic, and texturally seamless, it delivers a complete expression of Sonoma’s coastal beauty, standing as a reminder that Pinot Noir, in the right hands, can be both delicate and profound. 

Three Sticks
Pinot Noir 2023
Price Family Estates
Sonoma Coast
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“From one of the latest harvests in the Sonoma Coast history, development of flavor had an advantage and this wine is proof. This wine is a blend of the estate’s six vineyards including the Heritage Vineyards of the Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala. The wine is delicate and feathery, with clear cut acid structure that illuminates cherries, pomegranate, and orange peel. Its dimension is notable, a down pillow of creamy blueberry, hibiscus, and mint chocolate chip with a dash of black pepper on the finish.”

97 Points

2022 Aston Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2022 Aston Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPinot NoirSonoma CoastUSA

Aston

Pinot Noir 
Sonoma Coast 2022

2022 Aston Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Perched on the remote ridgelines of Annapolis, where redwoods meet ocean fog, Aston Estate has long stood as one of the Sonoma Coast’s wild frontiers. Two decades after its founding, Aston Estate feels reborn. Once a collaboration between three of Napa’s most revered figures, it now thrives under the singular vision of Thomas Rivers Brown. His 2022 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir channels the wisdom of maturity and the freshness of rediscovery. 

Drawn entirely from the estate’s 12-acre vineyard in the far western reaches of Sonoma, the 2022 vintage captures the essence of Annapolis itself: cool air, fractured soils, and relentless wind. Here, vines root deep into ancient marine sediment, yielding fruit of uncommon purity and tension. 

What emerges in 2022 is not merely a reflection of the site but of stewardship. Brown’s approach favors patience over intervention, allowing the wine to unfold in graceful precision. Each element from fruit, spice, and structure moves in balance, revealing a Pinot Noir that feels as timeless as the land it comes from. 

Aston
Pinot Noir 
Sonoma Coast 2022

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“A nearly opaque red color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is flush with aromas of black cherries, a bit of plum, eucalyptus, sweet tobacco, and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, it has more structure but is light on its feet for the vintage, with a ripe, sunny feel and a long finish. Drink 2026-2046.”

96 Points

2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Synthesis

Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley

2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Born from Martin Ray’s estate vineyard along Laguna Road, the 2023 Synthesis Russian River Valley Pinot Noir captures the essence of its origin with striking clarity. The site sits in the heart of the valley’s cool corridor, where morning fog shapes firm but bright fruit. In the cellar, thoughtful intention takes the lead, resulting in a Pinot Noir that balances power and poise, each element reflecting the vineyard’s coastal charm.

The 2023 season unfolded slowly, each stage measured and guided. Yields were modest, canopies were managed for balance, and harvest came only when acidity and aromatics aligned perfectly. The result is a wine that feels sculpted and alive with detail, yet effortlessly composed.

Aged twelve months in French oak, the 2023 release finds its balance in texture and tone. On the palate, it’s silken yet vibrant. Fine-grained tannins guiding a line of vivid acidity through a finish that lingers with quiet confidence. This is Russian River Pinot Noir that’s expressive, graceful, and beautifully composed.

Synthesis
Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley
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“A crisp and clean pinot with dried strawberries, cherries and hints of sandalwood on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a juicy finish. It has all you need. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

2023 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap

2023 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPetaluma GapPinot NoirUSA

Vaughn Duffy

Pinot Noir
Petaluma Gap 2023

2023 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap

Vaughn Duffy’s 2023 Pinot Noir captures the elemental drama of the Petaluma Gap, bringing its origins to life with clarity and focus. Produced from just six barrels, it’s an intimate, terroir-driven expression of one of California’s most distinctive coastal appellations, revealed through Matt Duffy’s singular focus on crafting Pinot Noir that speaks eloquently of its place. 

Here the Petaluma Gap’s daily wind and fog take center stage, slowing ripening and etching natural acidity into the fruit. The 2023 season ran cool and late, which allowed full flavor development at modest sugars. The result is a Pinot Noir that feels vivid and finely tuned, with energy that carries from first aroma to final sip. 

This wine’s brilliance lies in its balance: intensity without weight, elegance without fragility. After 10 months in French oak, the wine emerges with depth and polish, its supple tannins framing a core of crystalline fruit and savory complexity. It’s a testament to the power of place and the precision of thoughtful winemaking, bottled in its purest form.

Vaughn Duffy
Pinot Noir
Petaluma Gap 2023
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“Focused aromas of dusty cherry, cinnamon and sage waft from the glass on the nose of this Pinot. The palate delivers a bright pop of orange peel acidity, with flavors of crushed raspberry, black tea and cinnamon, with extremely supple tannin along the finish.”

94 Points