As I mentioned Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, I tasted 40 American Pinot Noirs a little over a week 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 8 tasting notes, below.

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

2023 Chehalem Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $50. Dark and rich in the glass with dark berry fruit, a touch of violet, and a hint of tartness on the nose. Wonderful. The palate is big, juicy, and tart, with nice body and balance. The finish is lengthy with some noticeable, but silky tannins. Very nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

2023 Siduri Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. Under screw cap. Lovely nose, dark color, rich and tart with cherry and a touch of raspberry. Yum. Rich, big, and on the verge of bold with great fruit and tartness, a bit tannic on the finish. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2022 Illahe Pinot Noir Bon Sauvage, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. Earthy and a bit flinty with some nice cherry. Rich and a bit earthy on the palate as well, this is tasty for sure, a bit stemmy, sure, but I like that in a Pinot. Long finish. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Illahe Pinot Noir 1899, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $85. The story of how this wine is made and transported is remarkable (and uses a bicycle at several stages) and worthy of a read. Dark and earthy, but with nice dark cherry and even darker fruit (blueberry?). The palate is dark and fruity, yes, but nicely balanced. The finish is lengthy with hints of tannin, suggesting some cellaring potential. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2022 Decoy Pinot Noir, California: Retail $30. Dark cherry with a meaty aspect, really close to a classic Pinot nose. Yum. Rich, fruity with wonderful mouthfeel and plenty of verve here. If someone doesn’t like Pinot, this might be a good place to send them. If they don’t like this? There might be no hope. Excellent. 92 Points.

2023 La Crema Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $28. Medium to dark in color and closer to raspberry than cherry on the nose, with some meaty notes as well. The palate is rich and welcoming. A bigger style, for sure, but this works. Excellent. 91 Points.

2023 La Crema Pinot Noir, Monterey, CA: Retail $23. Medium color and another lovely nose. The palate is even better. Holy cow. Rich yet demure, balanced, tart, layered, fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2023 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $60(?). Darker in color and aromas with black cherry and earth, and a touch of spice. Yum. Rich and balanced and another fantastic wine. Outstanding. 95 Points.

General Observations

• American Pinots appear to be getting darker. This is not based on anything other than perception, but few of the 40 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, and La Crema) and Decoy 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 Eighth 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.”

One wine appeared on all lists:

• 2023 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Clone 667 Bacigalupi Frost Ranch ($70)

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

• 2023 Sangiacomo Family Wines Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Petaluma Gap ($75)
• 2023 Decoy Pinot Noir Limited Sonoma Coast ($30)
• 2023 Chehalem Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyard ($50)
• 2023 Siduri Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($40)
• 2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard ($75)
• 2023 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($28)

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

Tier One (97 Points)

• 2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Pinot de Ville ($70)

Tier Two (96 Points)

• 2023 Sangiacomo Family Wines Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Petaluma Gap ($75)

Tier Three (94-95 Points)

• 2023 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir The Famous Gate ($95)
• 2021 Illahe Pinot Noir Percheron Block Estate ($50)
• 2022 Illahe Pinot Noir 1899 ($85)
• 2023 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard ($60)
• 2023 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Clone 667 Bacigalupi Frost Ranch ($70)
• 2023 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir Diana’s Vineyard ($60)
• 2023 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Le Ciel Serein ($60)
• 2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Lakeview Vineyard ($65)
• 2023 Sangiacomo Family Wines Pinot Noir Block 11 ($75)
• 2023 Sangiacomo Wines Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap ($65)

Many thanks to my partners in crime: Tim McDonald (Wine is Spoken Here), and Sandra Cittendon. for their help and expertise!

Coming in December: Tasting American Sparkling wines!