Wines of the Week: Classic Cali Pinot Noir – Under 20, 90 Points Lots of plum, strawberry, and raspberry aromas come up front, with hints of clove, vanilla, and floral earth backing them up. A vibrant acidity lifts flavors of strawberries, dark raspberries, and pomegranates that flow into expressions of vanilla, earth, and all-spice. Lively and well suited for food, roast chicken or even duck would match up nicely.

Cambria's 2014 Pinot Noir Clone 115 is one of the more airy, weightless wines in the range. Floral notes, cranberry, sweet red cherry and mint add to the bright, lifted feel. The Clone 115 will drink nicely with minimal cellaring.

Pale to medium ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Bench Break has intense red currant and red cherry notes with hints of violets, Chinese five spice and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, fine and fresh in the mouth, it has a lot of varietal expression and sense of place for this price point without sacrificing flavor, which is a dorky way of saying, it rocks! 35,000 cases were made.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 is a powerful, intense wine. While all of the other Cambria Pinots spend 10 months in barrel, the Barbara's Clone 667 sees 17 months in oak. Time will tell if the wine actually benefits from the longer aging regimen. For now, the 2013 is powerful and massively tannic. From time to time, the dark cherry and plum fruit emerges, but it remains to be seen if the 2013 will ever be fully expressive. This is another wine that clearly favors size over finesse.

Crushed flowers, mint, tobacco, sweet herbs and red berries are laced together in the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 4. This silky, expressive, mid-weight Pinot introduces floral and savory notes to the typical up-front Cambria fruit.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Bench Break is a classic Cambria wine with exuberant fruit, deep color and exotic spice overtones. Lavender, menthol and cloves add complexity to the dark red and blue-toned fruit. The firm tannins could use another year or two to soften.

A full-bodied, rich and layered Californian Pinot Noir with fleshy ripe black cherry and mocha. Santa Barbara is a cool climate though this red wine shows like a richly ripened one from a warmer region.

This is a tremendous value Pinot Noir from one of Santa Barbara County's top producers. Soft and supple on the palate, with smooth tannins and plush red-fruit aromas, it's a winner for the holidays, when near-term consumption is a must.

More complex and layered, the 2011 Pinot Noir Bench Break has complex underbrush, saddle leather, wild flowers and spice to go with a core of red currant-styled fruit. Medium-bodied, seamless and supple, with a silky, rich texture, it's an outstanding Pinot Noir that will offer upwards of a decade of longevity. Drink 2015-2021.

Dense, meaty and lush with rich, ripe flavors of cherry and spice; smooth, balanced and long.

Medium-deep ruby color; rich cherry aromas with spice and orange peel notes; deep, rich, ripe herbal cherry flavors with toasty notes; silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Soft, forward Pinot with subtle flavors.

This is a silky, gentle Pinot Noir, redolent of cherry, raspberry, cola, exotic spice and toast. It's complex, revealing layers of interest as it warms in the glass. Will provide fine drinking over the next few years.

Deep ruby.  A pungent bouquet displays smoky cherry, cola and floral qualities underscored by vanilla and cracked pepper.  Deep and chewy, with dark cherry-cola and dark berry skin flavors.  Dusty tannins add grip to the long smoke- and spice-accented finish.  This wine checks in at a moderate 13.8% alcohol, by the way.

Bright ruby-red.  Complex, aromatic nose displays cherry-cola, smoked meat, minerals and rose oil.  Then broad and sweet on the palate, with deep dark berry flavors and suggestions of smoke, rose pastille and licorice.  Delivers a lot of flavor and finishes on a spicy note, with very good energy and bite.

Bright ruby.  Oak-spiced aromas of cherry and dark berries, with a smoky overtone.  Broad, ripe black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors show good depth and suppleness.  Dusty tannins come on late and add grip to the long, clinging finish.  Shows plenty of power and heft but doesn't come off as unwieldy.

Easily the ripest of the lot, with plenty of Bing cherry, licorice, leather and sassafras/mint, the 2010 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 is big and fleshy on the palate, with a beautiful texture, good overall freshness and impressive length. I prefer the overall elegance and purity found in the other top efforts, yet this is certainly outstanding. Drink it over the coming 5-6 years. Drink now-2019.

Lovely nose of brown sugar and black cherry; velvety smooth and rich with bright fruit and ripe flavors; lush, balanced and long; charming.

Deep, bright red. Redcurrant, cherry-vanilla and spices on the fragrant nose. Lively and precise, with very good energy to its sweet red fruit and spicecake flavors. Vanilla and smoky oak spices linger on the long, focused, seamless finish.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Clone 2A is one of the more massive, muscular wines in the lineup. This is a decidedly more powerful style, with deep layers of fruit, spices, licorice and leather. Hints of over ripeness give the Clone 2A a forward, open personality, but also suggest that the wine will drink best sooner rather than later. The Clone 2A was fermented in open-top new oak barrels, and aged in oak for ten months prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

One of the Year's Best Pinot Noir's - A rich pinot noir with warm black cherry flavor, this is dark, chewy and broad. The tannins have a touch of smoky bitterness, needing a steak to bring them into line.

Bright red. A highly aromatic nose offers offers raspberry, strawberry preserves, wild herbs, cola and potpourri. Supple, lush and sweet; concentrated and assertive but not at all heavy. Enters savory and spicy, gaining sweetness in the mid-palate and offering lively red and dark berry flavors. Finishes very long, juicy and sweet, with a touch of cinnamon and very good persistence.

Vivid red. High-pitched aromas of red berries, potpourri and Asian spices. Silky and alluringly sweet, with deep but energetic raspberry and cherry flavors and notes of smoke and candied rose. Lively and precise on the finish, which echoes the spice and floral notes.

Smooth and silky with ripe cherry and lovely notes of earth and spice; racy acidity, clean and balanced with a long, lush finish.

Dark red. Expressive, highly perfumed aromas of raspberry preserves, incense, wilted rose and white pepper. Silky in texture and concentrated, offering sweet red fruit flavors and showing no tannins. Juicy and penetrating on the creamy finish, which strongly echoes the floral and spice notes. I didn't find the warmth that I feared when I saw the alcohol content on the label.

Massively rich in fruit, this Pinot floods the palate with jammy flavors of cherries, raspberries and cola, accentuated with the sweet vanilla and caramel of oak. It's a delicious, opulent wine that calls for dramatic food pairings. A grilled steak with a rich wine-based gravy would be perfect.