As I mentioned Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, I tasted 51 American Pinot Noirs a couple of weekends ago. With the help of three other wine writers here in Houston, I was able 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).

Today, I am also including what I consider to be the top wines from the endeavor, which are included after the last 11 tasting notes, below.

Blind tastings are not all that glamorous at my house–they involve a bunch of brown paper bags.

2022 La Crema Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $28. Very Responsible Bottle (471; 16.6oz). A classic nose of ripe black cherry and a touch of earth, wonderful. The palate does not disappoint either. Rich, voluptuous, silky, smooth. Excellent. 92 Points.

2022 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (606g; 21.3oz). Another gorgeous nose, but a bit more subtle and a little darker. A lovely palate with great fruit, and a balancing tartness, with a lasting finish. Excellent. 92 Points.

2022 Exprimere Pinot Noir Mia Peake Ranch Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, CA: Retail $100. More of an earthy nose here but there is also some lovely fruit. Super rich on the palate with oodles of fruit, stopping short of being over the top, with several layers of depth and some intrigue. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Left Coast Estate Pinot Noir Latitude 45, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (623g; 21.9oz). Super stemmy on the nose, with plenty of earth and black fruit (cassis, blackberry). The palate has more of that black fruit but the earthiness and a savory aspect really define the wine. Excellent. 90 Points.

2021 Freeman Pinot Noir, West Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $48. Subtle, even demure on the nose but this is certainly on the classic side of pinot with red berry fruit and an earthy component. The palate is amazing, fruity, balanced, with length. One of the best wines so far. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2022 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $38. Fruity and dark and a bit funky, but the palate is fruity, yes, but on the dark side with some nice acidity and anise. Very nice. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $36. Another Whoa. Holy cow. A fantastic nose with loads of red fruit. The palate is nothing short of amazing. Checks all the boxes and excels in all of them. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $30. A tad on the dark side again with black cherry fruit and earth. Yum. Luscious fruit and fantastic from start to finish. Whoa. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2022 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, CA: Retail $56. Fantastic nose of rich cherry and earth. The palate is rich, layered, and phenomenal. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2021 Freeman Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $48. More on the savory side with cranberry, rhubarb, and tomato leaf. Rich, fruity, dark, and lovely on the palate. Classic California Pinot. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2022 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir Eastside Estate, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $56. Heavy Bottle (618g; 21.8oz). Cherry cola on the nose, almost to a Jolly Rancher vibe. With a little heat. Big, fruity, and a bit of heat. Really nice fruit, but a tad out of balance. Very Good. 89 Points.

General Observations

• American Pinots appear to be getting darker. This is not based on anything other than perception, but few of the 51 wines I would classify as “light” in color. Is this a result of climate change? Change in customer demand? Winemaker preference?
• There is plenty of value to be found at lower price points. I have long stated that it seems to be very difficult to produce top-quality Pinot below around $30. But once again, producers such as Kendall Jackson (which makes Siduri,  Murphy Goode,, and La Crema in addition to their eponymous label) continue to make great Pinots at or below that $30 threshold.
• Overall, I would also say that the overall quality of American Pinot Noir continues to improve. This is the Seventh Annual Blind Tasting and the quality has continued to go up each year.
• I would imagine that few die-hard Pinot-philes would include Rodney Strong on their list of top American Pinot Noir producers, but every year Rodney Strong (and its other brand, Davis Bynum), consistently finds itself in the top wines of the tasting.

Top Wines 

The task I presented the other writers at the tasting was rather simple: give me a list of the “top wines.” I did not ask for a minimum or a maximum, just the “top wines.” 

Three wines appeared on all lists:

• 2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75)
• 2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Pinot de Ville ($69)
• 2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Avant Garde ($36)

And there were another seven wines that appeared on multiple lists:

• 2021 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir Edna Valley ($38)
• 2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate ($48)
• 2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Vineyard Eleven ($80)
• 2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch ($40)
• 2022 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($60)
• 2022 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($28)
• 2022 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills ($56)

As for my own “top wines”? Whoa. It was really difficult to choose, but here they are:

Tier One (96 Points)

• 2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75)
• 2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Pinot de Ville ($69)
• 2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Avant Garde ($36)
• 2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Vineyard Eleven ($80)

Tier Two (95 Points)

• 2021 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir Edna Valley ($38)
• 2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard ($75)
• 2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate ($48)
• 2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch ($40)
• 2022 Sangiacomo Family Wines Pinot Noir Block 11 ($75)
• 2021 Freeman Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast ($48)
• 2022 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills ($56)

Tier Three (94 Points)

• 2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Cahiers ($60)
• 2022 Siduri Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard ($75)
• 2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir The Sly One ($85)
• 2022 Sangiacomo Wines Pinot Noir Roberts Road Vineyard ($75)
• 2022 Exprimere Pinot Noir Mia Peake Ranch Vineyard ($100)
• 2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($40)

All 51, ready to be popped and then poured.

Many thanks to my partners in crime: Katrina René (the Corkscrew Concierge), and Rebecca Castillo (MyVinoRules) for their help and expertise!

Coming in December: Tasting American Sparkling wines!