Screw cap. Fine Pinot: supple, ripe, and very well balanced, it is lightly oaked, intensely fruity (raspberry, baked cherry, rosehips), with overtones of black tea, toast, clove, and cedar. Great value. 4 stars, excellent.

Wines of the Week: Favorite Buys of 2017 (Under $20) Our tasting panel is always trying to hunt down great bargains and we’ve discover dozens of wines that really deliver unexpected quality for under $20. Each member picked a favorite in different categories and we invited wine drinkings (who enjoy a glass or two on a regular basis but certainly aren’t experts) to vote for the ones they liked best. Here are the winners: Favorite Pinot Noir.

One Star, Best Buys in the Market Pinot Noir’s trajectory is still on the rise, and, if compelling versions abound, so too do a good many exceptional values that make fine Pinot more than an occasional treat…the fresh and inviting * CARMEL ROAD Monterey 2015…

The Carmel Road Pinot Noir 2015, Monterey County, aged 9 months in French oak, only 16 percent new barrels, resulting in an oak influence that’s almost subliminal in its shaping factor. The color is transparent medium ruby fading to an invisible rim; pert aromas and flavors of black and red cherries and currants are touched with notes of pomegranate and plum highlighted by hints of black tea, loam and sassafras. The wine is satiny smooth on the palate but enlivened by bright acidity that cuts a swath through to a finish lightly wrapped in graphite-tinged tannin. 13.5 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2019 or ’20. Attractive and expressive. Very good+.

Actress and Winemaker Drew Barrymore Next, we tried the bottle of Barrymore Drew's Blend Pinot Noir. This lovely wine offered a pleasing perfumed fragrance ranging from cherries, rhubarb, pomegranates and spices. We enjoyed it with spicy food, fresh fish and red meat dishes. This wine is sourced from three different vineyards in Monterey, CA. It's made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Following fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Carmel Road winery has fashioned three beautiful small lot wines in 2014 from the Panorama Vineyard in Arroyo Seco: North Crest - dark fruit, full, intense spice; South Crest - tangy red fruit, firm, silky; First Row - floral, spice, deep red fruits.

The Carmel Road Panorama Vineyard “First Row” Pinot Noir 2014, Arroyo Seco, received 13 months aging in French oak, 20 percent new barrels. A wholly transparent medium ruby hue with an ephemeral rim leads to a heady melange of cloves and sandalwood, rose petals and crushed violets, red and black cherries and currants with notes of cranberry and pomegranate, cola, loam and cherry pit; the wine is sleek and suave on the palate, with satiny drape on the tongue and delicious berry fruit for the taste-buds, all energized by bracing acidity and a hint of flinty minerality. Excellent.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Carmel Road winery has fashioned three beautiful small lot wines in 2014 from the Panorama Vineyard in Arroyo Seco: North Crest - dark fruit, full, intense spice; South Crest - tangy red fruit, firm, silky; First Row - floral, spice, deep red fruits.

Pinot noir could be on the verge of a revolution This Arroyo Seco producer benefits from the cooling fogs and fierce winds that protect the grapes from ripening too fast. As a result, the North Coast single-vineyard pinot noir is restrained and balanced with bright cherry and strawberry notes. It is very full-bodied. We also liked the South Crest single-vineyard pinot noir ($55) from the same AVA.

The Carmel Road Panorama Vineyard “South Crest” Pinot Noir 2014, Arroyo Seco, is a bit more opulent than its cousins also reviewed in this post, and since it received the same oak treatment — 13 months, 20 percent new French oak — I would attribute the difference to the location of these blocks in the vineyard. A totally limpid and transparent medium ruby hue precedes a wine richly laved with loam and exotic spices, crushed and macerated black and red currants and cherries with a hint of plum; a few moments in the glass add notes of cranberry and pomegranate, sour cherry and cherry pit, with a background of briers and brambles. In this wine, you feel the luxury of which the pinot noir grape is capable, though leavened by coursing acidity and a bit of cheeky tartness. Excellent.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Carmel Road winery has fashioned three beautiful small lot wines in 2014 from the Panorama Vineyard in Arroyo Seco: North Crest - dark fruit, full, intense spice; South Crest - tangy red fruit, firm, silky; First Row - floral, spice, deep red fruits.

A pretty pinot with bright cherry fruit and notes of toffee and vanilla bean. It’s a balanced pinot because its bright acidity keeps it in check. Lovely. 3½ stars.

As part of an ongoing wine dinner series on June 7, Carmel Road Winery joined the Whaling Station Steakhouse for an exquisite meal paired carefully with its best varietals, those that Monterey County is known for: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir… To round out a beautiful savory meal came a beautiful savory dessert: a lush, velvety, very small-batch 2014 North Crest Pinot Noir alongside a cheese plate serving burrata, brie, blue cheese and a new local standout: honeycomb from Carmel Honey Company. Dried cherries, walnuts and raspberries dotted the yummy dish. Although the honeycomb went well with all the cheeses, particular deliciousness emerged when the golden sweetness combined with pungent blue cheese, finished with deep, acidic tones of dark berries.

Pinot noir could be on the verge of a revolution This Arroyo Seco producer benefits from the cooling fogs and fierce winds that protect the grapes from ripening too fast. As a result, the North Coast single-vineyard pinot noir is restrained and balanced with bright cherry and strawberry notes. It is very full-bodied. We also liked the South Crest single-vineyard pinot noir ($55) from the same AVA.

The Carmel Road Panorama Vineyard “North Crest” Pinot Noir 2014, Arroyo Seco, offers a muscular rendition of the grape, though the color, a lucent medium ruby-magenta with an diaphanous rim, might suggest otherwise. Yes, the same 13 months in French oak, 20 percent new barrels. Vivacious and fleshy notes of black currants and cherries with a red undertone unfold hints of loam, beetroot and rhubarb, cloves, sandalwood and ground cumin; a few minutes in the glass unfurl touches of pomegranate and cranberry. This is dense and chewy and fairly intense, and its silky texture feels slightly roughened, as if by very fine sandpaper; it gets increasingly loamy as the moments pass, though keen acidity keeps it dynamic and enticing. Excellent.

Cobalt dinner shines spotlight on chef's dishes, Monterey wine pairings To dine on splendid cuisine created by Cobalt Restaurant's executive chef Daniel Traimas while taking in the elegant restaurant’s ocean views is a treat. But to indulge in and learn about a Monterey winery’s varietals and blends at the same time is a unique experience to savor. About 30 lucky people attended the recent Carmel Road Wine Dinner featuring winemaker Kris Kato’s wines and a collaborative blend Kato created with actress Drew Barrymore. During the initial meet and greet, we were warmly welcomed by restaurant and hotel management’s Robert Graney and Awet Sium and learned about Kato and his partnership with Barrymore Wines... With the second and third courses, we had Carmel Road’s Drew’s Blend Pinot Noir 2013 and Panorama Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, in addition to the Chardonnay. Both Pinots were fruit-forward red wines, not too dry but not sweet. Drew’s Blend was lighter bodied than the medium bodied Panorama Vineyard. We enjoyed them both but some folks at our table had a slight preference for Drew’s.

As part of an ongoing wine dinner series on June 7, Carmel Road Winery joined the Whaling Station Steakhouse for an exquisite meal paired carefully with its best varietals, those that Monterey County is known for: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir… Then came a turn to reds for the main course and dessert. Carmel Road’s 2014 Panorama Vineyard Pinot stood up to each soft, hearty bite of filet mignon, made even heartier when forked together with flavorful green peppercorn sauce, sauteed spinach and scalloped potatoes. Since the filet comes lower in fat, it made a match in heaven with the very fruity Pinot—low on tannins but high on berry brightness.

Pinot noir could be on the verge of a revolution One of the more reasonably priced pinot noirs, this estate wine out-delivers. More lush than the small-lot pinot noirs reviewed previously, the wine has assertive black cherry and floral aromas with blackberry and spice flavors.

As one would expect for a single-vineyard wine, the Carmel Road Panorama Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Arroyo Seco, received more wood treatment than did its more generalized stablemate, in this case 13 months in French oak, 24 percent new barrels. The color is a hypnotic limpid medium ruby of utter transparency; the bouquet is an irresistible amalgam of black and red cherry compote heightened by notes of sandalwood, cloves and sassafras, rhubarb and pomegranate, with high tones of smoke, loam and cigarette paper. The wine is lithe, sleek and supple on the palate, spare, muscular and moderately tannic, those tannins folded around dusty velvet. The whole package is deftly balanced and integrated. Excellent, good value.

Out of the ordinary wines for Father's Day This well-priced, SIP-Certified Pinot has strengths across the board with rich fruit evident on its attack, followed by growth of complexity and fine tannins. Long and expressive on the finish.

Actress Drew Barrymore's project produces a respectable wine in this bottling, with light aromas of red berry, pomegranate, allspice and a touch of graphite. The palate is equally dainty, with sagebrush, elderberry fruit and an orange-rind tang.

Cobalt dinner shines spotlight on chef's dishes, Monterey wine pairings To dine on splendid cuisine created by Cobalt Restaurant's executive chef Daniel Traimas while taking in the elegant restaurant’s ocean views is a treat. But to indulge in and learn about a Monterey winery’s varietals and blends at the same time is a unique experience to savor. About 30 lucky people attended the recent Carmel Road Wine Dinner featuring winemaker Kris Kato’s wines and a collaborative blend Kato created with actress Drew Barrymore. During the initial meet and greet, we were warmly welcomed by restaurant and hotel management’s Robert Graney and Awet Sium and learned about Kato and his partnership with Barrymore Wines... With the second and third courses, we had Carmel Road’s Drew’s Blend Pinot Noir 2013 and Panorama Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, in addition to the Chardonnay. Both Pinots were fruit-forward red wines, not too dry but not sweet. Drew’s Blend was lighter bodied than the medium bodied Panorama Vineyard. We enjoyed them both but some folks at our table had a slight preference for Drew’s.

This is a lovely pinot with good structure and a tasty note of Bing cherry that upstages all other flavors. It has a hint of vanilla and toast. Approachable. Slightly sweet, but not overly so. Its bright acid keeps it in check. Long finish.

Monterey County has many growing regions that are favored for Pinot Noir. This wine comes almost entirely from the Arroyo Seco AVA behind the Santa Lucia mountain range. Dark fruits of cherry and plum are the highlight in the nose and on the palate. Notes of dusty mineral, vanilla and spice add interest, and a well-balanced palate gives the wine a salmon-friendly profile.

Hint of toasty oak, aromas and flavors of black plums and spice, medium body.