As I mentioned Yesterday, I tasted 51 American Pinot Noirs earlier this month. The design was to taste through the wines blind, which means that I did not know which wine was ever in my glass (well, my four glasses, as I tasted that many at a time).

Tasting wines blind is always a good exercise as knowing what a wine is can always introduce bias when it comes to evaluation. Blind tasting also can produce a few surprises, as was certainly the case this time around. There is also a downside to blind tasting as the bigger, fruitier wines tend to stand out more.

All 51, ready to be popped and then poured.

Here is the second set of 12 wines, in the order we tasted them:

2022 Siduri Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $75. Responsible Bottle. Fruity and floral on the nose with more cranberry than cherry. Fruity and full on the palate with crunchy fruit and a lovely zing. Another fantastic wine. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Saffron Fields Vineyard Pinot Noir Spectrum, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65? Another great nose, what can I say? This is a stellar lineup for sure. Subtle, certainly, but there is cherry and rhubarb after a touch of time. The palate is fruity, balanced, and pretty darned fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $75. A bit darker in color, perhaps, than the others in this lineup, but still translucent. Lovely nose of dark cherry and a bit of clove. The palate is transformative with lovely fruit, an intense but unifying tartness, and very lengthy finish, really magnificent. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2023 Chehalem Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $30. Screw Cap. Bright, tart fruit on the nose, with some black pepper, really lovely. The palate is a bit demure but loaded with tannins, surprisingly. The fruit is there, but this could use a bit of time or a healthy decant. Still? This is pretty fantastic. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Exprimere Pinot Noir Persey Peake Ranch Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $100. Classic American pinot nose with sweet cherry fruit on the nose and it translates over to the palate; the wine is really rich and sweet there as well, stopping just short of too much. Really really rich and decadent. Retail $100. Classic American pinot nose with sweet cherry fruit on the nose and it translates over to the palate; the wine is really rich and sweet there as well, stopping just short of too much. Really really rich and decadent. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Vineyard Eleven, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $80. Heavy Bottle (627g; 22.0 oz). Another nose that is quite inviting where the fruit is shy and the earth is subtle. Great balance and just a fantastic mouthfeel. Fruit, acidity, harmony, and length. Really has it all. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2021 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir River West Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $35. Screw Cap. A bit of a different nose here, with not much fruit, and a bit of a menthol feel. Rich, even really rich and a bit flabby initially on the palate, but the acidity comes through just before the finish. Very Good. 89 Points.

One year, with over a hundred wines, I thought the table might give out….

2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Crannell Eola – Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $60. Responsible Bottle (598g; 21.0oz). A darker, magenta color here with a shy nose. Eventually, some darker berry fruit and cherry cola come through, which carries through onto the palate. A wonderfully balanced wine, really nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

2022 Cambria Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, CA: Retail $25. Darker with a more rustic feel, maybe a little hot. The palate is fine, even close to excellent, but lacking a “wow” factor. Very Good. 89 Points.

2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $75. Plenty of dark fruit on the nose (black cherry and blackberry) with an ounce or two of verve, and a slight herbal, menthol note on the nose. Fruity and lovely on the palate. This is what most people have in mind when they think “California Pinot”. Outstanding. 93 Points. 

2021 Freeman Pinot Noir Yu-ki Estate, West Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $74. Quite dark in both color and aromas with blackberry really the predominate player. Really tart with some nice salinity on the palate, a darker, yet earthier style here. Very Good. 89 Points.

2022 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Reserve, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $60. Rather non-descript on the nose, with some dark fruit coming through eventually. The palate is much more expressive and fantastic. Good fruit, great tartness, wonderful balance. Best of this flight. Outstanding. 93 Points.