Wishful Drinking: The Spectacular 2021 Pinot Noir All-Americans
It is my annual tradition since 2004 to name the best Pinot Noir performers of the year as “All-Americans.” The
All-Americans are a testimony to the cadre of passionate winegrowers and winemakers who have successfully
corralled the temperamental nature of Pinot Noir.
The All-Americans are selected for their description-defying sensuality, their uniqueness, and for the emotion
they illicit. The All-Americans are judged on merit independent of price, style, vintage, or region of origin. Only
finished, bottled wines that are formally tasted in 2021 in controlled, and therefore comparable circumstances
are eligible for All-American consideration.
The All-American Pinot Noir wines are special because the winners include trophy and cult Pinot Noir wines
that are infrequently reviewed by major wine publications or wine competition panels. Some wineries choose
not to submit their wines for review so I frequently purchase these wines and review them anyway.
I tend to focus on current drinkability rather than age-ability since most consumers prefer to drink domestic
Pinot Noir when it is relatively young. I often re-taste wines later the same day with food at dinner to replicate
the consumers drinking experience, or the next day or two from an opened and re-corked (but not gassed)
bottle. This gives me insight into the quality, balance and age-ability of the wine.
I have no monetary arrangement with any winegrower, winery, winemaker, retailer or wholesaler and accept no
advertising. I do not charge wineries for inclusion of the reviews or label images that appear in the PinotFile.
I am convinced that arriving at an apropos description of a wine is not only more challenging than awarding a
score, but it is the fairest way to evaluate a wine. That said, the All-Americans are chosen when given scores of
94 or above rather than subjective opinions, and designate wines of exceptional merit.
To seek out any of the All-American Pinot Noir wines, contact the winery first, then the retail marketplace
through any of the popular search engines such as wine-searcher.com.
Since early 2020, I have decreased the number of Pinot Noir wines reviewed and no longer review
Chardonnay. I primarily taste Pinot Noir wines submitted by invitation. and the overwhelming majority of these
fall into the premium and ultra-premium categories and are priced appropriately.
In the section of this to follow, I will list the wineries whose wines most often appeared in my All-American honor
roll in the PinotFile during the past 17 years.
2021 California Pinot Noir All-Americans
2021 California First Team Pinot Noir All-Americans
2016 Joseph Swan Vineyards Trenton Estate Vineyard Pentagon Russian River
Valley Pinot Noir 99
2016 Kutch McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 98
2018 Bohème English Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 97
2018 Davis Family Vineyards Soul Patch Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 97
2019 Drew Wendling Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 97
2018 Dutton-Goldfield McDougall Ranch Fort Ross-Seaview Pinot Noir 97
2017 Gary Farrell Terra de Promisio Vineyard Swan Clone 97Petaluma Gap Pinot
Noir 97
2018 Maggy Hawk Jolie Maggy Hawk Estate Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
97
2017 Mount Eden Vineyards The Tanaka Project Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
97
2012 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 97
2018 Williams Selyem Ferrington Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 97
2021 California Second Team Pinot Noir All-Americans
2018 Bohème Taylor Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2019 Cattleya Belly of the Whale Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2017 Cobb Diane Cobb Coastlands Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2016 Fulcrum Gap’s Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2019 J. Rochioli Little Hill Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 96
2019 Kutch McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2019 Littorai One Acre Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 96
2018 Pisoni Pisoni Estate XX Anniversary Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 96
2016 Soliste Renaissance Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2019 Testarossa Brousseau Vineyard Chalone AVA Pinot Noir 96
2019 Testarossa Sierra Mar Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 96
2019 Three Sticks Durell Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 96
2019 Williams Selyem Weir Vineyard Yorkville Highlands Pinot Noir 96
2021 California Honorable Mention Pinot Noir All-Americans
2018 Ancien Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 95
2018 Bohème Stuller Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Bohème Occidental Hills Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Calera Jensen Vineyard Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir 95
2018 Dutton Estate Manzana Vineyard Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 95
2018 Hirsch Vineyards Reserve Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Holdredge Rochioli Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 95
2019 J. Rochioli Sweetwater Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 95
2018 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Pastorale Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2019 Kutch Falstaff Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2019 Kutch McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Morgan Double L Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 95
2019 Morgan Double L Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 95
2018 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 95
2018 Sanford Founders’ Vines Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 95
2017 Sea Smoke Southing Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 95
2013 Soliste Solitaire Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95
2018 Talley Vineyards Rosemary’s Vineyard Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir 95
2019 Testarossa La Rinconada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 95
2019 Testarossa rosemary’s Vineyard Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir 95
2019 Three Sticks Walala Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 95