2018 California Value Priced Pinot Noir All-Americans

Most of the wines submitted for review to the PinotFile are in the ultra premium or premium category and cost more than $40. As a result, I do not have the opportunity to review large numbers of value priced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Nevertheless, here are some recommended wines I did find in 2018. The value priced wines category includes wines priced $40 or less with a score of at least 89. I have not included Pinot Noir Rosé wines as they always represent good value.

Some of these wines are only available through the producer’s website. The wines of larger production wineries such as Etude, La Crema and Migration are widely distributed.

First Team Wines

2016 Kitson Wines Black Knight Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 93 $36

2016 Big Basin Dune & Mountain Monterey County Pinot Noir 92 $36

2016 Kitson Wines Haynes Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley Pinot Noir 92 $92

2014 Aether Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 91 $36

2016 Fallon Place Herbitage Vineyard Los Carneros Pinot Noir 91 $38

2015 J. Wilkes Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 91 $30

2016 J. Wilkes Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 91 $30

2016 Kendric Vineyards Petaluma Gap Marin County Pinot Noir 91 $38

2014 KORI KW Ranch Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 91 $38

2016 On Point (Fulcrum) Christianna’s Cuvée North Coast Pinot Noir 91 $38

2015 Peake Ranch Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 91 $40

****Special recognition for wines deemed All-Americans and Value Priced All-Americans

2016 Masút Estate Vineyard Eagle Peak Mendocino county Pinot Noir 96 $40

2015 Ellen Redding Marin County Pinot Noir 95 $36

Second Team Wines

2016 Etude Grace Benoist Ranch Carneros Pinot Noir 90 $36

2015 Karah Estate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 $30

2013 KORI KW Ranch Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 90 $30

2015 La Crema Panorama Vineyard Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir 90 $40

2016 Lichen Estate Moonglow Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 90 $35

2016 Migration Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 $40

2016 Sante Arcangeli Integrato Barrel Selection Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 90 $39

2016 Sarah’s Vineyard Santa Clara Valley Pinot Noir 90 $25

2016 Siduri Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 90 $35

2016 Sojourn Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 $39

2016 Sonoma-Loeb Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 $34

2016 Ten Acre Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 90 $35

2016 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Lot #79 Carneros Pinot Noir 90 $14.99

2015 Wait Cellars Devoto Garden Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 90 $35

Honorable Mention Wines

2015 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 89 $25

2016 Frank Family Carneros Pinot Noir 89 $38

2016 Joseph Jewell Ryan Vineyard Humboldt County Pinot Noir 89 $39

2016 Kitson Wines North Coast Pinot Noir 89 $32

2015 La Crema Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 89 $40

2016 La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 89 $23

2015 Mignanelli Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 89 $36

2016 Morgan Twelve Clones Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 89 $35

2016 On Point (Fulcrum) Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 89 $38

2015 Waits-Mast Mendocino County Pinot Noir 89 $35

2016 Windy Oaks Estate Terra Narro Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 89 $29

2014 Windrun Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 89 $32

2015 Yamakiri Filigreen Farm Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 89 $33