Tight, concentrated aromas of black fig and dark chocolate meet beefy, earthy and ripe berry flavors in this high-powered, concentrated wine. It has a full body and firm tannins that give it a powerful structure, with nice depth and a lingering chocolate and cherry finish.

The best thing about this wine is the scent, as if you’d stuck your nose in a spring rose. The fruit lives up to that scent, hinting at rose gelée and salty umeboshi plum, along with zesty, nori-scented tannins. It’s a little soft and creamy in the end, but the overall impression remains delicate, fragrant and pretty.

Somewhat reserved for a vineyard that often shows unbound power, this bottling begins with rounded red-cherry and boiled pomegranate aromas on the nose. The palate offers cooked cranberry, oregano and earth, wrapped in balanced acidity and tannins.

Both gamy and sweet aromas show on the nose of this bottling, with cranberry, pomegranate and candied strawberry touches offset by meaty funk. The palate is lightly bodied, with long simmering acidity and herbal touches enhancing the dark strawberry core.

This has intriguing notes of tart plum and peach pit before it heads into warm oak spice. It finishes round, smoky and smooth, with a touch of bitterness in the tannins. Those tannins will meld with roast quail.

This is a pretty pinot with layered notes of cherry, raspberry and plum. Balanced, with refreshing acidity. Supple texture. Nice length. Well crafted. 4 stars.

Of course, we can’t forget mom. Barbara Banke has her own section of the Cambria estate dedicated to Pinot Noir as well. Given the fact that the Santa Maria Valley is one of California’s coolest appellations and boasts one of the longest-growing seasons in the state, it’s no surprise that the cool nights and warm days produce Pinot Noir grapes with balance and elegance. The 2015 Cambria Estate Winery Barbara’s Signature Collection Clone 667 Pinot Noir offers aromas of roasted spices, red raspberries, lilacs and earth. Textured flavors of red berry fruit, cocoa nibs, black cherry and vanilla flows over the tongue. The finish is rich and silky, with supple acidity.

Taking it one step further in Julia’s vineyard, the 2015 Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Signature Collection Pinot Noir is definitely a collectible wine. Using a combination of two clones, 23 and 4, Jackson describes this wine as “the cabernet sauvignon wine lover’s pinot noir.” It has a lovely perfumed nose of ripe red raspberries, red plums and earthy aromas. The palate reveals a very straightforward arsenal of dark fruits, including blackberry and ripe plums. Toasty oak and hints of mocha are prominent on the persistent yet supple finish. Check out the cool etched bottle, designed by Jackson and featuring an ancient seashell, which can be found throughout the vineyard.

Wine of the Week: Thanksgiving wine recommendations Of course, no decent Thanksgiving dinner would be well dressed without a versatile pinot noir. The elegant and charming 2015 Cambria “Julia’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir hails from the Santa Maria Valley, located in the Central Coast region of California. This classic Pinot has it all: a nose bursting with aromas of baked raspberries and pomegranate fruit and a richly textured mouthfeel that offers up plenty of gorgeous red strawberries, ripe blueberry and hints of cranberry and clove on the elegant finish. Pretty and refined, the polished tannins and fresh acidity provide a long, generous finish.

Julia’s eponymous vineyard parcel was created in 1988 and shares similar a similar soil composition with her older sister’s plot, including limestone, shale and sandy soil terroir. However, Julia’s vineyard is dedicated to growing Pinot Noir. The 2015 Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir starts off with a lovely bouquet of lavender with hints of wild strawberry and boysenberry. The palate is rewarded with well-defined flavors of red berry fruit and cloves are buoyed by vibrant acidity that leads to a silky finish.

10 wines worth sharing for Thanksgiving Based in the Santa Maria Valley, this chardonnay and pinot moir specialist makes fruitful, appealing wines sustainably farmed and estate grown. Named after the founding Jackson family’s daughters: 2015 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard and 2015 Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard.

Smackdown Pinot Noir: Santa Maria Valley -v- Santa Lucia Highlands There is an earthiness and richness to this wine, showing a strong mid palate acidity. There is the red raspberry, strawberry, plum and with back notes of wild flowers and fresh herbs, licorice and blackberries.

Katherine’s Vineyard, named for Jess and Barbara’s daughter Katherine in 1986, consists of ancient soils comprising fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand. Vines planted on this parcel thrive in the cool, maritime influenced climate. The 2015 Cambria Estate Winery Katherine’s Vineyard chardonnay is vibrant and lively, with scents of green apple, lemon/lime citrus, and a touch of buttered toast on the nose. Flavors of grapefruit, orange blossom and tropical fruit are bright and lively on the crisp palate. It has a lovely, textured finish featuring tart nectarines and wet stone minerallity.

10 wines worth sharing for Thanksgiving Based in the Santa Maria Valley, this chardonnay and pinot moir specialist makes fruitful, appealing wines sustainably farmed and estate grown. Named after the founding Jackson family’s daughters: 2015 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard and 2015 Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard.

Thanksgiving wine on the mind The 2015 Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is blended from three sites and stuns throughout with fresh strawberry, slate, pepper and anise cookies on the nose, while in the mouth its palate is bright with tart cherries, ripe cranberries and pomegranate. The confident feel leads to an enduring finish of juniper berry, pine and menthol. Couldn’t sound more Thanksgiving-like.

This blend includes no Italian grapes. It’s 72 percent merlot, 20 percent cabernet franc and bits of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot – a Bordeaux wine made in Tuscany. Earthy, tobacco aromas. Nicely balanced with a long finish. Very good.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Black cherry, black berry, blueberry, abundance of spice, cocoa, no green notes; elegant on palate, crushed velvet mouth-feel, long finish.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Fresh picked violets, black cherry, black berry, plum, baking spice, dusty cocoa; fresh palate, light with nice lift, round, elegant, feminine.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Name derived from Spanish word “vino” with an added “g” of Carignan; an appellation concept wine made of 65-year old dry farmed Carignan vines; intense red fruit, dried savory herbs, baking spice, red flowers, olive tapenade, dusty earth; complex, layered, elegant, restrained, dazzling.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Bravura means “courage;” a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Petite Verdot; rich notes of ripe dark fruit, spice, olive tapenade, dried savory herbs, worn leather, black pepper, trailing vanilla; complex, layered wine that delivers across the palate, long finish, pure expression of terroir.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands A blend of fruit from San Francisco Vineyard and El Principal Vineyard; rich dark fruit, baking spice, dried savory herbs and roses, cassis, and leather; full-bodied, round and velvety, long ripe finish.

Apple and tropical fruit, butterscotch, hint of coconut and vanilla. Good plus.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Notes of citrus, tropical fruit, vein of minerality; crème brulee on the palate, lean with focused acidity, food-friendly.

Pinot Noir an ideal red wine for Thanksgiving When Jackson Family Wines acquired one of the North Willamette Valley’s gems in 2013, it signaled the California giant’s first land purchase beyond the Golden State. It’s no coincidence that trailblazing winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash pulled from Zena Crown for some of her top Pinot Noirs. (Jackson Family Wines bought Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in 2016). The Sum is one of four examples of Pinot Noir that JFW winemaker Shane Moore produces in McMinnville under the Zena Crown brand. Baking spice from the 18 months in 59 percent new barrels melds with cherries and a bit of raspberry in the aromas. Dark cherry and a bit of pomegranate lead its flavors. It finishes with spot-on acidity that extends its depth of fruit.

Pinot selections for Thanksgiving Rich fruit and full body are expressed on the attack, followed by softly rounded tannins, fine balance and excellent complexity that lead to a lengthy, full-flavored finish.