One of the more earthy releases in the lineup, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 2A offers notions of pepper, underbrush and fresh earth to go with a vibrant core of black cherry fruit. Beautifully balanced, focused and elegant, this striking Pinot Noir was completely destemmed and spent 10 months in 100% new French oak, of which there’s no trace. Give it another year and drink bottles through 2020.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is utterly beguiling. An exotic bouquet laced with hints of orange peel, quinine, spice, mint and dried flowers melds into dark-hued fruit. All the elements fall into place gracefully. Constantly changing in the glass, the Clone 23 is the most mysterious and nuanced of these Pinots. In 2012, the Clone 23 is striking.

Plums, dark cherries, tar, licorice and some all wrap around the palate in the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 4. A big, succulent wine, the Clone 4 is the most structured, powerful and intense of these single-clone Pinots. Accordingly it could use another year or two in the cellar to come together more fully. The future appears to be very bright.

Brilliant ruby-red. High-pitched red berry and floral scents are complicated by notes of star anise, cinnamon and vanilla. Silky, sweet and penetrating, offering vibrant raspberry and cherry-cola flavors and a bracing touch of blood orange. Finishes with excellent persistence and clarity, leaving hints of spicecake and red fruit preserves on the aftertaste.

More spice and underbrush-driven, with plenty of rose petal, strawberry and forest floor, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 4 is beautiful on the palate with a finesse-driven, elegant palate weight that builds in richness through the finish. As with the other releases, it has solid texture and grip, yet is overall classy and elegant. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years. Drink now-2021.

Brilliant ruby-red. High-pitched red berry and potpourri scents, along with suggestions of blood orange and star anise. Silky, sweet and penetrating, offering juicy black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors and a hint of candied rose. Silky tannins give shape to a finish that clings with excellent tenacity and appealing spiciness.

Brilliant ruby-red. A heady bouquet displays scents of candied raspberry, rose and sandalwood, with bright mineral and Asian spice nuances gaining strength with aeration. Sappy, focused and appealingly sweet, offering vibrant red fruit and floral pastille flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. Smooth and energetic on the finish, shaped by fine-grained, fully absorbed tannins. Drinking very well right now, but I'd bet on this fruit-driven pinot to be even better in a few years.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Barbara’s Clone 667 (barrel-fermented and aged in 100% new French oak) is a beautiful 2011 that shows the cooler nature of the vintage with its spice, crushed flowers, underbrush and cool black cherry and black raspberry-styled fruit. Turning slightly sappy and grippy with time in the glass, it stays finesse-oriented and has fabulous purity of fruit. Enjoy this medium-bodied, balanced and energetic Pinot Noir over the coming 5-7 years.

This is another fine Pinot from Cambria, showing the winery’s great price-quality ratio. Words like opulent and elegant come to mind to describe intense flavors of black cherries, licorice, cola, herb tea and Indian spices. It’s bone dry, and also quite tannic, but you can enjoy it now with big, rich lamb and beef dishes, or a wild mushroom risotto. Otherwise, it will continue to improve for at least eight years.

Dark red cherries, menthol, cinnamon, licorice, plums and sweet spices all flesh out in the 2011 Pinot Noir Bench Break. Translucent and weightless, yet full of flavor, the 2011 is an exceptional wine loaded with class and pedigree. A racy, ripe finish supported by vibrant saline notes leaves a lasting impression.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 115 caresses the palate with seemingly endless layers of fruit. Silky tannins provide the backdrop for this impeccable, gracious wine. The Clone 115 isn't a huge Pinot, but rather a wine that impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony. The Clone 115 was fermented and aged in 100% new French oak barrels, and subsequently bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Dark cherries, plums, flowers and spices flesh out in all directions as the 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 2A opens up in the glass. This is an especially rich, round Pinot endowed with gorgeous depth and fleshiness from start to finish. Cambria fermented and aged the 2A in 100% new French oak barrels, and subsequently bottled unfined and unfiltered.

A bigger wine, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is also first rate. Textured, rich and focused, with creamy raspberry, black cherry, toasted spice, underbrush and hints of meatiness, it is a full, structured and layered effort that dishes out loads of fruit without seeming heavy or cumbersome. Rounded and supple, yet with solid mid-palate depth and ripe tannin, it, too, will have upwards of a decade or more of ultimate longevity. Drink now-2021.

Denise Shurtleff makes this wine from an estate block planted on rocky, well-drained benchland soil in the mid-1990's. Exuberantly ripe and framed by plenty of new oak, this manages to strike a deft and opulent balance. It seems big-boned and primary at first, but reveals plenty of complexity, its dark fruit charged with scents of violets, hawthorn and bay leaf. Lavish oak (all new) contributes a textural chewiness without being overly intrusive, and ample acidity drives it forward. Give it another year or two in the cellar, then serve it with grilled squab.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Bench Break is a big, bold wine packed with dark red fruit. Sweet floral and spice notes are woven throughout. The round, inviting finish is harmonious and very nicely articulated. The Bench Break was fermented in oak barrels and aged on its lees with bâtonnage for ten months.

Another lovely Julia's Pinot from Cambria, at a fair price. With its light tannins and transparency, it's definitely Pinot Noir, and the acidity testifies to a cool climate. You might even pick out the Santa Maria Valley from the crushed Indian spices. Subtle but intriguing cherry, cola and plum flavors round out the picture.

Cherry-berry festival for your mouth. Lively, medium- to full-bodied and silky.

Bright red. Highly perfumed, exotic aromas of strawberry and raspberry preserves, Asian spices, candied rose and incense. The most vibrant of this set of pinots, offering juicy red berry flavors and strong suggestions of candied rose, star anise and cinnamon. Very pure wine, with impressive finishing cut, precision and persistence.

One of the Year's Best Pinot Noir's - Cambria produces a small collection of pinot noirs from individual clonal selections, including 115, the clone proprietor Barbara Banke considers a top performer at the estate. This contrasts bright, strawberry-red fruit with subtle, earthy darkness. The flavors are transparent, the tannins smooth and pleasingly sweet. Tightly built, this will benefit from a year or two in bottle as well as decanting for roast quail.

Shows the acidity and firm tannins of this fine vineyard, and also the incredibility ripe fruit of the 2007 vintage. The combination of the two makes for a wine to cellar. It's dry and full-bodied, with masses of blackberries, black cherries, cola, licorice and sandalwood. Good now, with decanting, with roast lamb, but should begin to develop bottle complexity after 2012.

Shows the ripe, California character of a fine Pinot Noir, with masses of black cherries, red currants and cola, and also the dusty spices of Santa Maria Valley. Tastes a bit direct and primary now, but elegant and dry. Nice with a perfectly grilled steak.

Juicy and fresh; lovely red fruit; generous and ripe; lush and tangy.

The alcohol is pretty high, but the wine is nice and dry, and shows impressively ripe flavors of red cherry pie filling, red licorice, beef jerky, Dr. Pepper cola and smoky cedar. The texture is pure silk and satin. Best now with lamb, steak, even a super burger.

Bring on the grilled salmon, ahi tuna, pork chops and smoked country ham. This gorgeous Pinot will let them shine in a supportive way, not overwhelm them. Dry, crisp and elegantly silky, it shows complex flavors of cherries, cola, rhubarb, licorice and beef jerky that finish in a swirl of dusty spice. Best now and through 2010.