Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Pinot Noir Bellflower Vineyard is soft and supple in its first impression, with good depth to the black cherry, lavender and spice flavors. The tannins become a bit edgy on the finish, but otherwise, this is nicely done.

Tight and rosy, this wine’s red-berry flavors are light and clean. The tannins have the prick of a rose thorn and the spice of cracked peppercorns. Pour it with roast quail.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Pleasing aromas of cherry, sandalwood and fertile earth. Forward-drinking style, offering satisfying flavors of black cherry, dark red raspberry and the slightest hint of oak. Soft tannins make for easy drinking and the modest finish is just good enough. Score: 89

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Engaging scents of Bing cherry, baking spices and nut oil. Succulent and sweet dark cherry flavor with accents of spice, toast and anise. Easy to like in a middleweight style with complimentary tannins and an alluring cherry cola finish. Impressive quality at this scale of production. Score: 89

Red cherry and plum aromas from the cork. In this glass, this has medium-high intensity aromas of red cherry, raspberry, sweet tobacco, earth and whiffs of black tea and strawberry. The palate is medium bodied and fleshy with a mixed berry medley of blackberry, cherry, and blueberry flavours layered on top of oak spice notes. Some tea leaf notes on the mid-palate. Succulent acids are fresh and juicy. Fine tannins offer a smooth mouthfeel. Cherry, earth, exotic spice, and tea leaf notes linger on the long finish. I really like the subtle tea leaf note that's found throughout. A fine, balanced wine from a reliable producer to enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts

Weekend Picks The fruit is a mix of estate and grower vineyards, but all of it is grown in cool, marine swept area of Sonoma County. The parcels are kept separate until the final blend to allow for a mix that can capitalize on all the best lots. The nose is fresh, the fruit Pinot red with wild strawberry aromas and a pinch of baking spices. The palate is similar with soft, silky textures. It’s 100 per cent Pinot Noir aged in French oak, but only 20 per cent is new. Delicious, drinkable and authentic. 89 points.

Weekend Wine Picks Well-made, commercial quantities, widely available at a fair price. When is the last time you heard that? The fruit is a mix of estate and grower vineyards but all of it is grown in cool, marine-swept Sonoma County vineyards. The nose is fresh, the fruit red, with wild strawberry aromas and a pinch of baking spices. The palate is similar with soft, silky textures. Delicious, drinkable and authentic Pinot Noir aged in French oak of which only 20 per cent is new. 89 points.

Deep red. Jammy dark berry and cherry aromas and flavors, complicated by subtle cola and woodsmoke notes. Smooth and fleshy in style, showing a refreshing jolt of spiciness with aeration. Rounded tannins lend shape to the finish, which leaves a sweet blackberry note behind.

Next was the 2015 La Crema Willamette Valley pinot noir, which is another nationally distributed bottle that aims to find all sorts of middle ground and appeal to a wide audience. It has a fairly dark nose featuring cherry compote, raspberry chocolate cake and wet tar. The mouth is round and smooth, the acid bright and the tannins restrained. Flavors are fruit-forward with sweet cherry and strawberry, while subtle pepper and Herbs de Provence drive the finish. Not the most complex wine, but enjoyable. 89 points, value B+.

A fine Pinot Noir for beginning and experienced wine drinkers, the 2015 La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir delivers black fruit and sweet oak onto the palate. The wine's crowd-pleasing attributes pair it well with a mushroom and sausage pizza. 89 points.

Slightly darker, richer and more interesting, the 2014 Pinot Noir Shell Ridge offers pomegranate, black cherry and strawberry fruit, some loamy soil undertones and a hint of oak. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

This is smooth as silk—supple and soft, with pretty cherry fruit and highlights of cocoa powder and coffee grounds. It's a professionally built wine all the way, made for easy enjoyment, with satiny tannins and a touch of anise.

Pale to medium ruby colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Green Valley has pronounced warm cranberries, pomegranate and mulberry notes on the nose with hints of baking spices, cardamom and dusty earth. Medium-bodied with a firm structure of chewy tannins and lively acid, if offers plenty of red berry and earth flavors, finishing savory.

Tart red cherries and plum skins are spiced by nutmeg, pepper and turned earth on this widely available bottling that packs decent Pinot punch for the price. The mix of ripe and tart plays hard on the palate, where red cherry pie toys with cranberry skins, and a dollop of vanilla carries the midpalate.

From the cool Monterey region comes this refined Pinot. It features a bouquet of cherry, beetroot and carnation. On the taste buds, the fruit is sweet with earth, vanilla and spice adding complexity. 89 points. Very good.

A noticeable touch of menthol adds a top note to the mostly dark raspberry and cherry scents that display background nuances of plum and violet. The suave and velvet-textured middle weight flavors possess a pleasing mouth feel while offering reasonably good depth and length on the persistent, dusty and moderately firm finale. There is a hint of warmth and a very mild edginess though note that my score implicitly assumes that the latter will round out with a few years of bottle age.

Medium-weight yet muscular, with a mix of spicy, earth-scented wild berry flavors and brambly, black tea—infused tannins that turn peppery, giving this a long, complex finish.

The Pinot Noir Nine Barrel offers lovely brightness and focus throughout. This is a relatively restrained, mid-weight style for the Russian River. Hints of red cherry, plum, spice and rose petal meld into the plump, juicy finish. Drink the 2013 over the next few years.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Russian River (10,000+ cases produced) is another six clone blend that offers up attractive jammy black cherry notes along with impressive purity, an elegant, medium-bodied mouthfeel and a front end-loaded style that is sure to attract many consumers. This fruit-forward, delicious, authentic-tasting Pinot Noir will drink well for 3-4 years.

Sweet, soft and plush, this Pinot Noir’s flavors seems to bulge with like pregnant berries. The aromas are enticing, but I found the overgenerous fruit not quite as delicious as I’d hoped. The wine’s structure isn’t completely pulled together, and a more compelling finish would improve the overall impression here.

Medium-deep ruby color; deep, spicy cherry aromas with earthy notes; rich, ripe cherry flavors with some oak and earth notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Ripe, spicy Pinot that needs a little air to open up.

The 2012 Pinot Noir is the maiden release from the Willamette Valley. It has a clean and pure black cherry and cassis-scented bouquet that unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is sweet and ripe on the entry with plush red fruit, a touch of sea salt and cracked black pepper on the suave finish. This marks a commendable debut.

Bright ruby. Dark berry and floral aromas are brightened by a peppery, spicy nuance. Chewy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors show depth and focus, with a hint of bitter chocolate on the back end. Closes with firm grip and good length, leaving a smoky mocha note behind.

Nothing shy about this wine. It erupts like a fruit volcano, offering wave after wave of raspberries, cherries and ripe persimmons, sweetened with vanilla and butterscotch tones of oak. The mouthfeel is all silk and satin. Drink now for sheer pleasure.