Pinot Noir Ascendant

Boom. That’s the sound of the mic drop capping the 2023 vintage for California Pinot Noir. Run, don’t walk, to stock up on these wines. They’re that good.

The 2023 Pinots are defined by a wide spectrum of fruit, from red and blue to black and purple, matched by a vivid display of floral and savory aromas. Underneath the flavors runs finely beaded acidity delivering mouthwatering succulence. Although not as densely structured tannin-wise as the 2021s, the ’23s are equal in quality, offering a captivating persona along with range and detail. They also have the potential to age.

“In my 40 years of work here, this one lines up with the best I’ve ever seen in Pinot Noir,” says Mark Aubert, whose quartet of 2023 Pinots all earned classic ratings of 95 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale, led by the Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast CIX 2023 (97 points, $125).

The 2023 CIX perfectly encapsulates the character of the vintage, packing in an admirable amount of bright fruit in the form of raspberry, cherry and mulberry notes, while sparkles of anise, sassafras and rosemary provide savory, juicy lift and cut. There’s a suave gloss of toast, with enough energy and fruit to burn on the youthfully compact but mouthwatering finish. The wine should cellar beautifully for at least a decade.

The slopes of Paul Hobbs Goldrock Estate vineyard lie only 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean in West Sonoma Coast, whose cool climate has proven ideal for Pinot Noir. (Wildly Simple Productions)

The 2023 vintage is especially compelling because it’s the rare year in which classic quality resulted from less-than-ideal conditions. Yet despite the lack of an easygoing growing season, producers found ways to overcome the challenges, relying on their experience and hindsight as well as increasingly conscientious farming practices. The season’s absence of extreme heat was also a factor in their success.

“It wasn’t an easy road, but it never got hot and that favors Pinot Noir,” says vintner Paul Hobbs, whose flagship Pinot Noir Russian River Valley George Menini Estate 2023 (95, $95) earns its place among the 52 classic-rated Pinots in this report. Expressive and well-defined, with crunchy acidity that helps drive its mulberry, black cherry and raspberry fruit along, this vivid red is brimming with energy.

Since my previous report on Pinot Noir (“Feeling the Heat,” Sept. 30, 2024), I have reviewed more than 600 wines representing the range of California’s Pinot growing regions in both the north and south of the state. As with all of our reports, these reviews are based on formal blind tastings where producer and price are not known, conducted by Wine Spectator staff only, without winemakers or owners present.

Nearly one-third of the Pinots under review are from the 2023 vintage. This first wave of releases offers an exemplary introduction to the year’s wines, with 46 of them achieving classic ratings of 95 points or higher. An additional 127 wines earn outstanding scores of 90 to 94 points, meaning that an eye-opening 87 percent of the 2023s I’ve reviewed so far have reached the 90-point threshold. With a significant number of elite producers included in this total, I give the 2023 vintage an overall rating of 96 points, equal to 2021.

Joining Aubert’s CIX bottling at 97 points are the Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Summa Old Vines 2023 (97, $95) and Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley West Block 2023 (97, $120), both of them sourced from old vines. The Summa relies on only about 550 vines, likely Bien Nacido clone, that were planted in 1978, while Rochioli’s West Block encompasses just 1.5 acres of vines planted in 1969. Revealing the complexity and minerality that old vines can impart, these bottlings show why farming for longevity is so critical to making great wine.

Cattleya’s Bibiana González Rave crafts both single-vineyard bottlings and appellation blends from top sites in Sonoma. (Chris Andre)

Just below the top tier, look for highly rated 2023s from Wayfarer, Williams Selyem, Dehlinger, Peter Michael, Bricoleur and DuMol, among others. While more 2023 releases continue to enter the marketplace into early 2026, I’ll publish additional ratings as the wines are submitted for review.

Along with a smattering of other late releases, this report includes a sizable number of 2022s, showcasing a vintage with up-front appeal and a very forward fruit profile, but without the structure or energy to stand among 2023 and 2021, the current benchmark vintages for the category. Having now reviewed nearly 650 wines from 2022 in total—about 60 percent of which rated 90 points or higher—I’ve amended the overall rating for the vintage down to 90 points.

The 2023 vintage started off with a plentiful water table, thanks to atmospheric rivers that soaked the Golden State during the preceding winter. That was key to success for the state’s producers, who now almost routinely face hot, dry conditions during the growing season, resulting in an increased reliance on dry farming.

“But then cool weather persisted through May, and that led to a long, spread-out flowering,” Hobbs says. “June and July were OK, and we’d done our usual heavy thinning,” he adds, referring to the process of pruning developing grape bunches to reduce yields. “We thought that’d be it, but then August was cold and damp. That’s where the real shock came in.”

August’s cool temperatures and moisture resulted in berries sizing up, since the hydration that accompanies more typical summer conditions didn’t occur. Instead of losing 20 percent to 30 percent of bunch weight, berries increased in size by that amount.

“It was a worrisome situation,” says Hobbs, alluding to the potential for dilution. “We basically did a panic thinning over two straight weeks of work in the vineyard in August. Normally we do two passes in the vineyard. In 2023, we did three.”

“We did drop a lot of fruit,” Aubert concurs. “You had to be careful with yields. We knew from the first half of the season that it was going to be a late harvest, and you can’t risk carrying a bumper crop late because the weather can turn. But the most important takeaway was that the temps in August and September were so steady and moderate. The highest temperature in our Park Avenue vineyard through all of September was 88 degrees—and we always get 90s there. Because of that, we were able to push deep into October, when we got four straight days of 90-plus degrees that had a great impact.”

“The key was to wait, especially along the coast,” says Thomas Rivers Brown, owner and winemaker of Rivers-Marie. “By the start of October, things weren’t ripe, and that’s usually when we start picking. Some people were getting antsy. But if you waited, it all came in perfectly.” Of the eight Rivers-Marie Pinot Noirs in this report, five earn classic ratings, led by the Summa Old Vines. The winery’s base level bottling, the Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023 (94, $40), is one of the best deals of the vintage in terms of quality for the price. Brown also makes the wines for a handful of other high-scorers, including Aston, Boars’ View and Senses. (For more on Senses, see the profile here.)

Winemaker Jon Priest turned the late-running 2023 season to his advantage at his Etude winery in Carneros, producing a well-priced Pinot with wide availability. (Courtesy of Etude)

The 2023 vintage wasn’t just late-running: It was very late-running. Etude winemaker Jon Priest says that he picked his Oregon fruit before he harvested in Carneros. Aubert reports picking four weeks later in 2023 than in ’22, a refrain many producers echo. “Definitely patience was a virtue,” says Courtney Wagoner, winemaker for the Martinelli family’s winery operation, which has three classic-rated 2023s in this report: the Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Moonshine Ranch Vineyard 2023 (95, $85), Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sky Ridge Vineyard 2023 (95, $85) and Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Zio Tony Ranch Vineyard 2023 (95, $85).

Vintners whose experience gave them the discipline to wait out the 2023 harvest often point back to 2011 as the vintage they use as a guidepost for cool, late-running seasons. “2023 was the latest harvest we’ve had since the late 1990s,” says Cattleya’s Bibiana González Rave. “But I wasn’t that nervous with 2023. 2011 was more nerve-racking because it had rain throughout the season, but it taught us how to adjust. When you have slow ripening, you adjust in the vineyard to balance the crop and make sure you get phenolic ripeness and maintain aromas. Density of canopy, how many shoots you have per vine, etcetera. It means you might have to go back and make another pass. It’s expensive, and 2023 was the most expensive vintage I’ve ever made, but if you’re paying attention and making those adjustments along the way, you’ll be OK.”

González nailed the vintage with her Cattleya Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast The Goddess 2023 (95, $125), which drips with succulent mulberry and boysenberry preserves laced with anise, violet and iris hints. This is a wine for fans of the high-gloss style, sporting flashy, anise- and fruit cake–accented toast on the finish, but with the fruit driving through undaunted.

While conditions through harvest were beneficial, the vintage doesn’t have the tannic spine of 2021. Skins on the grapes were supple and healthy, but without the thickness that emerges in warm, dry years and leads to more structured wines.

“Careful extraction was key,” Priest says. “Lower temperatures and longer ferments, with no whole cluster so as not to exacerbate any greenness, because there was some slightly less ripe fruit. Less working the cap as well. Twenty years ago, it would’ve been a different approach looking for ‘more.’”

Under their RAEN label, brothers Carlo and Dante Mondavi are making exceptional Sonoma Coast Pinots. (Leigh-Ann Beverley/Bonafide)

“In a reverse way, 2023 reminds me of a warm vintage in the 1970s, when everyone would go ‘Wow,’ because full ripeness back then was less common, as we were in a cooler weather pattern,” says Carlo Mondavi, whose RAEN winery focuses on vineyards in Sonoma’s coastal-influenced growing areas. “Now in 2023, we get a cool vintage in the warmer weather pattern of today. There’s great ripeness, but with perfect acidity.”

The RAEN Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Freestone Occidental Bodega 2023 (96, $160) features a brisk, almost chiseled feel, with a tensile spine of wet chalk and sea breeze that energizes the core of damson plum, bitter cherry and pomegranate fruit, while a hibiscus note reverberates through the floral finish. Showing serious length and pinpoint acidity, this wine should cruise in the cellar.

The area from which the Bodega bottling is sourced—around the towns of Freestone and Occidental—is the focal point for the Golden State’s new wave of high quality Pinot Noirs. Other top examples from the area include highly rated versions from Occidental, Failla, Maxem, Senses and Cobb. (For more on Cobb, see the profile here.)

The 2023 flowering period was another key factor in the success of the vintage, both for its unique persona and its superb quality. A long, drawn-out flowering leads to heterogeneity among grape bunches on a single vine, which then manifests in the form of differing levels of ripeness, with some bunches tilting to savory and herbal accents while others might be fully ripe or even overripe. But the heterogeneity of the bunches in 2023 actually played to Pinot Noir’s strength, on account of the extra hang time combined with the lack of deleterious heat events during the latter part of the growing season.

“Long flowering is extremely beneficial to the complexity of Pinot Noir,” says Sashi Moorman, owner and winemaker for Domaine de la Côte in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA. “In Cabernet you need uniformity, because a long flowering will result in some greenness from the pyrazines. Pinot Noir doesn’t have that. Here we typically have up to six weeks for flowering. When you have a wide range of maturation in your fruit, it’s like a choir with a lot of voices. When set happens too quickly, the wines are more two-dimensional. So we actively embrace a long flowering.”

Moorman’s 2023s mark the first vintage without any press wine in the final blends. He has also upped his percentage of new oak for the élevage in concert with the lack of press wine to bolster the softer tannins of free run–only juice. His Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills La Côte 2023 (96, $155) and Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Sous Le Chêne 2023 (96, $165) are both among the elite bottlings in this report. Along with his subtle shifts in winemaking, Moorman also credits the late season with giving him the ability to work deliberately.

“The window at harvest wasn’t compressed,” he says. “That means you can take things in exactly when you want. You have time to sort. Your fermentations aren’t stacked up. It’s like a restaurant when the maître d’hôtel has all the tables spaced out properly so the kitchen doesn’t get slammed. When a vintage is set up like that, wineries can perform at a really high level.”

“The pace of harvest was great, the numbers were great,” says Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton, another top Sta. Rita Hills producer. “We started Sept. 19 picking Pinot, which is easily two weeks late for us, and we finished Oct. 23. Through that long spread, the pHs held low while we got good ripeness. I agree that when the flowering is drawn out, the ripeness arc is elongated, which allows for layering in the wines. In my 34 years here, ’23 is a top five for sure.”

The Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Carneros, and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs contain some of the top regions for California Pinot Noir. (Lisa Aurigemma)

With a track record as one of the AVA’s top bottlings, the Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Machado 2023 (96, $85) has helped Sta. Rita Hills become for Santa Barbara what West Sonoma Coast is for Northern California: the epicenter for extremely distinctive Pinots that are also setting new heights of quality for the category overall. Sta. Rita Hills bottlings typically showcase a piercing, racy minerality that presents itself in notes of sea foam, oyster shell and wet slate, backed by pinpoint acidity and alluring perfume. They can be as compelling as versions from Sonoma Coast, while leaning more toward the red fruit side of the spectrum (damson plum, morello cherry, blood orange), rather than the Sonoma Coast’s red-black-purple range of fruit (red cherry, blackberry, mulberry). Look for bottlings from Melville, Racines, Sandhi and Nid Tissé if you prefer this style. A handful of other wineries, including Sea Smoke, Siduri and Testarossa, produce bottlings from Sta. Rita Hills in a more fruit-driven style.

The 2023 vintage features other hallmarks of a great year, including excellent bottlings from off-the-radar producers. The Peter Paul Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Mille Frères 2023 (94, $54) is a case in point. Sourced from the Terra de Promissio vineyard, this ripe version offers a lovely beam of boysenberry, mulberry and black cherry puree flavors inlaid with black tea, anise and potpourri. Stock up while you can, since it’s the last vintage for this bottling.

The wines from Emeritus are also worth seeking out, starting with the Pinot Noir Russian River Valley La Combette Hallberg Ranch 2023 (95, $120). Established in 1999 by Sonoma-Cutrer founder Brice Jones with the purchase of the Hallberg Ranch property, the winery is under the guidance of Jones’ daughter, Mari, and winemaker Keith Hammond. It’s been turning out consistently outstanding Pinots since its debut in 2005.

With many Pinot producers favoring single-vineyard or even individual-block selections, the category now offers a sizable number of small-production bottlings. Although prices for these wines are frequently more than $75—often topping $100—there’s still quality Pinot to be found at lower price points and with greater availability, especially when a vintage is as strong and consistent as 2023. The Etude Pinot Noir Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch 2023 (92, $47, 25,500 cases made), Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023 (92, $60, 34,600) and Failla Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023 (93, $36, 9,480) should all be easy to track down. Because Pinot Noir requires smaller fermentation lots to achieve quality, it doesn’t lend itself to large production volumes, which makes the Hahn Pinot Noir California 2023 (87, $16), with 140,000 cases made, a notable value.

California Pinot Noir has never been better. Greater experience among the state’s producers is yielding a wider diversity of styles, from minerally and elegant to lushly fruited. The wines show a strong sense of place, with cooler coastal vineyards contrasting with warmer inland spots, and with the excellent trio of 2023, 2021 and 2019 currently available, there couldn’t be a more opportune time to start building verticals in your cellar. A golden age for Pinot is here. My advice is not to miss out.

Senior editor James Molesworth is Wine Spectator’s lead taster on California Pinot Noir.

Emeritus’ sustainably farmed vineyards in Russian River Valley yielded a lineup of highly rated Pinots in 2023, including one of the year’s classic-scorers. (Courtesy of Emeritus)

James Molesworth’s Recommended California Pinot Noirs

More than 600 wines were tasted for this report. A free alphabetical list is available. WineSpectator.com members can access complete reviews for all wines tasted over the past year—including all 2023 California Pinot Noirs—using the online Wine Ratings search.

Top 2023s: Russian River Valley

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley West Block 2023

Score: 97 | $120

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Big Hill 2023

Score: 96 | $90

Williams Selyem

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Eastside Road Neighbors 2023

Score: 96 | $72

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Altamont 2023

Score: 95 | $65

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Goldridge 2023

Score: 95 | $65

Emeritus

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley La Combette Hallberg Ranch 2023

Score: 95 | $120

Paul Hobbs

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley George Menini Estate 2023

Score: 95 | $95

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Moonshine Ranch Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $85

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sky Ridge Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $85

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Zio Tony Ranch Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $85

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Little Hill 2023

Score: 95 | $90

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley River Block 2023

Score: 95 | $100

Williams Selyem

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Martaella Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $78

Bricoleur

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Founder’s Block 2023

Score: 94 | $60

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Champ de Mars 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Estate 2023

Score: 94 | $50

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley High Plains 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Octagon 2023

Score: 94 | $80

DuMOL

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Wester Reach 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Emeritus

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Wesley’s Reserve Hallberg Ranch 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Paul Hobbs

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Fraenkle Cheshier Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $95

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River Valley Bondi Home Ranch Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $85

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Lolita Ranch Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $62

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sweetwater 2023

Score: 94 | $90

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Three Corner 2023

Score: 94 | $100

Senses

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley MCM88 2023

Score: 94 | $105

Williams Selyem

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Westside Road Neighbors 2023

Score: 94 | $90

Dehlinger

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Garbro Ranch 2023

Score: 93 | $50

Domaine Della

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Earl Stephens Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Domaine Della

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Graham Family Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $85

DuMOL

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Highland Divide 2023

Score: 93 | $80

Failla

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Olivet Ranch 2023

Score: 93 | $58

Paul Hobbs

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023

Score: 93 | $80

Kanzler

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Mes Filles 2023

Score: 93 | $90

Lynmar

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley AMDG 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Lynmar

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Hawk Hill Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $92

Rochioli

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023

Score: 93 | $72

Top 2023s: Sonoma Coast

Aubert

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast CIX 2023

Score: 97 | $125

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Summa Old Vines 2023

Score: 97 | $95

Aubert

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Park Avenue 2023

Score: 96 | $110

Aubert

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV Vineyard 2023

Score: 96 | $105

Aubert

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV-SL Vineyard 2023

Score: 96 | $105

Maxem

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Silver Eagle Vineyard 2023

Score: 96 | $110

RAEN

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Freestone Occidental Bodega 2023

Score: 96 | $160

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Platt Vineyard 2023

Score: 96 | $90

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Silver Eagle Vineyard 2023

Score: 96 | $60

Wayfarer

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Paige’s Ridge 2023

Score: 96 | $125

Wayfarer

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard

Score: Mother Rock 2023 | 96

Wayfarer

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard

Score: The Traveler 2023 | 96

Aston

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Estate 2023

Score: 95 | $75

Cattleya

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast The Goddess 2023

Score: 95 | $125

Maxem

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $110

Occidental

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Freestone-Occidental 2023

Score: 95 | $75

Peter Michael

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Clos du Ciel 2023

Score: 95 | $160

Peter Michael

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Ma Danseuse 2023

Score: 95 | $145

Platt Vineyard

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Estate Reserve 2023

Score: 95 | $145

RAEN

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Sea Field 2023

Score: 95 | $120

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Bodega Thieriot Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $80

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Summa Vineyard 2023

Score: 95 | $75

Wayfarer

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard Golden Mean 2023

Score: 95 | $125

Wayfarer

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard The Estate 2023

Score: 95 | $100

Cattleya

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Belly Of The Whale 2023

Score: 94 | $85

Emeritus

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Pinot Hill West 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Failla

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Lola 2023

Score: 94 | $52

Failla

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Occidental Ridge Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $140

Martinelli

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wild Thyme Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $140

Maxem

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Estate 2023

Score: 94 | $135

Peter Paul

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Mille Frères 2023

Score: 94 | $54

RAEN

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Cuvée 2023

Score: 94 | $80

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 94 | $40

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Joy Road Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $60

Senses

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Bodega Thieriot Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $135

Senses

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Dutton Bodega Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $105

Sojourn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Rodgers Creek Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $59

Stephens Family

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Collateral Silver Eagle Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $68

Williams Selyem

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Terra de Promissio Vineyard 2023

Score: 94 | $78

Aston

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $45

Boars’ View

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview The Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $125

Emeritus

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Pinot Hill Cruz 2023

Score: 93 | $120

Failla

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $36

Lynmar

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Susanna’s Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $78

Merryvale

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $48

Paul Hobbs

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $80

Peter Michael

Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Le Caprice 2023

Score: 93 | $145

Platt Vineyard

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $68

Senses

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Day One 2023

Score: 93 | $135

Sojourn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $48

Sojourn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap’s Crown Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Sojourn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV Lucky Well Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Sojourn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Walala Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $75

Stewart

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Nomad Thornton Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $95

Williams Selyem

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $70

Brewer-Clifton

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 459 2023

Score: 96 | $75

Brewer-Clifton

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Machado 2023

Score: 96 | $85

Domaine de la Côte

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills La Côte 2023

Score: 96 | $155

Domaine de la Côte

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Sous Le Chêne 2023

Score: 96 | $165

Brewer-Clifton

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 3D 2023

Score: 95 | $75

Domaine de la Côte

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Bloom’s Field 2023

Score: 95 | $105

Melville

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Block M 2023

Score: 95 | $78

Melville

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Sandy’s Block 2023

Score: 95 | $74

Brewer-Clifton

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Perilune 2023

Score: 94 | $85

Domaine de la Côte

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Memorious 2023

Score: 94 | $100

Melville

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Anna’s Block 2023

Score: 94 | $74

Melville

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Terraces 2023

Score: 94 | $78

Brewer-Clifton

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Hapgood 2023

Score: 93 | $75

Frequency

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills DiPalermo Radian Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $75

Testarossa

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Rancho La Vinã Single Vineyard Series 2023

Score: 93 | $82

Top 2023s: Other Regions

Hanzell

Pinot Noir Moon Mountain District Hanzell Farm The Sessions Selection 2023

Score: 95 | $78

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Dijon Clone Estate Selection 2023

Score: 94 | $70

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Calera Clone Estate Selection 2023

Score: 93 | $95

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Gee Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $88

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Mt. Eden Clone Estate Selection 2023

Score: 93 | $95

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Pommard Clone Estate Selection 2023

Score: 93 | $70

Bouchaine

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Terraces Estate Selection 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Failla

Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Ferrington Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $58

Failla

Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Savoy Vineyard 2023

Score: 93 | $65

Signal Ridge

Pinot Noir Mendocino Ridge 2023

Score: 93 | $85

Top Late-Release 2022s

Kistler

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Laguna Ridge Vineyard 2022

Score: 95 | $110

Occidental

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth 2022

Score: 95 | $125

Occidental

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Bodega Ridge Vineyard 2022

Score: 95 | $125

Occidental

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine 2022

Score: 95 | $125

Occidental

Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast SWK Vineyard 2022

Score: 95 | $125

Racines

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills La Rinconada Vineyard 2022

Score: 95 | $100

Smart Buys

Rivers-Marie

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 94 | $40

Failla

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 93 | $36

Alma de Cattleya

Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2023

Score: 92 | $35

Crossbarn

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023

Score: 92 | $45

Domaine Eden

Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 2021

Score: 92 | $40

Hahn

Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands SLH 2022

Score: 92 | $24

Hanzell

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Sebella 2023

Score: 92 | $45

Sean Minor

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Signature Series 2023

Score: 92 | $28

LinCourt

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Rancho Santa Rosa 2022

Score: 91 | $45

Morgan

Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Twelve Clones 2023

Score: 91 | $39

Truchard

Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros 2023

Score: 91 | $38

Fess Parker

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2022

Score: 90 | $35

Melville

Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2023

Score: 90 | $44

Patz & Hall

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022

Score: 90 | $45

Acacia

Pinot Noir Carneros 2023

Score: 89 | $20

Roots Run Deep

Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Educated Guess 2023

Score: 89 | $30

The Calling

Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023

Score: 89 | $37

Böen

Pinot Noir Sonoma-Monterey-Santa Barbara Counties 2023

Score: 88 | $25

Enjoy tasting reports? The latest tasting reports, Winery Intels, producer spotlights and more can now be delivered straight to your inbox with our personalized newsletters! Sign up now to receive the Collecting email newsletter, featuring picks for your cellar, scores and tasting notes for your favorite wines and more.