Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Intensely fruity nose initially displaying aromas of fruit bin and mixed berries including strawberries with a hint of vanilla fading over time in the glass. An array of tasty ripe berries is accented by a note of dark chocolate with a grip of citrus peel on the finish. Welcoming fruit intensity coats the palate and persists on the finish, but offers no nuance or intrigue. Smooth and harmonious.

As you travel north on Highway 101 through Sonoma County, you are passing through the Sonoma Coast AVA. All vineyards that were sourced for this Pinot Noir are within 30 miles of the Pacific Ocean, moderated by cool fogs and ocean breezes that extend the ripening time of cool climate varietals for greater complexity and acid retention. Bright strawberry and cherry aromas give the first clue that this will be a great salmon wine. The palate offers cherry and vanilla flavors along with notes of caramel and orange blossom. Tasty!

This good-quality pinot noir reflects the cool climate of Sonoma County's coastal appellations, with the added advantage of being widely available.

The Sonoma Coast is the new hot region for Pinot Noir. It is a large and largely isolated area but already contains several of the most-respected pinot vineyards.

It was interesting to find an older vintage in my cellar, back in the days when Melissa Stackhouse was the winemaker, to see how La Crema ages. Red cherry, red raspberry, red Jell-0 shots on the nose along with cinnamon, incense and a hint of decaying leaves after the rain. Dark and concentrated red cherry and raspberry fruit flavors comingle effortlessly with some darker fruit flavors to provide another level to the wine. At 4 years old, it's just starting to open up and hit its stride. It's not big nor incredibly rich, but it nevertheless is not shy about putting all its charms on display at once.

Moderate reddish-purple hue in the glass. Subtle but attractive fruit-driven scent of an array of stone fruits and berries. Vivid and pure flavors of cherries and berries backed by sinewy tannins and offered with a softly textured mouth feel. The fruit is really quite charming and has that exotic edge often seen with Sonoma Coast bottlings.

There's great acidic verve in this Pinot, which gives lift to bright cherry, raspberry and earth flavors.

This is a very pleasant medium-bodied pinot noir with aromas and flavors of berries and cherries. Well balanced and a real crowd pleaser.

California's central coast also is a wellspring of outstanding pinot noir. Certain microclimates in Monterey County have been cultivated successfully by small, quality-minded producers. Two wines crafted from select vineyards within Monterey - 2009 La Crema Winery...are a good introduction to the region.

Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with scents of black cherries, plum sauce, blackberry jam, spice and prickly pear. Well-structured and composed array of earth-kissed purple and black fruits with fine-grain tannins and bright acidity. A hint of oak-derived anise and dark chocolate add interest. Reminds me of Santa Lucia Highlands fruit. Soft and smooth in the mouth making the wine very inviting. A crazy good wine at this price.

This wild strawberry-infused red shows an appealing liveliness compared with most California Pinot Noirs.

2008 La Crema Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: aromas of oak, black raspberries and spice, flavors of mulberries and cinnamon, lush and smooth, full-bodied.

Black cherry and bittersweet chocolate aromas and flavors; lush and ripe.

La Crema is using open top fermentors much like other top-quality producers. Punching down the cap of the skins boosts the color and softens the tannins. The result is an extracted pinot noir with floral and orange peel aromas followed by black cherry, spice and chocolate flavors.

A lovely pinot noir that offers a medium bodied black cherry nose and flavors with some cola notes, and a hint of oak in the mouth. Ready to drink now but should evolve well over the next 2 to 3 years. It's tough to find a better value in the California pinot noir market.

Top Pick - An elegant pinot noir with layered flavors of cherry, plum, mushroom and spice. Great high-toned fruit. Balanced.

Winemaker Melissa Stackhouse's deft touch with Pinot Noir is especially impressive given how much she makes of this basic Sonoma Coast bottling. The wine is elegant and aromatic, with plenty of dark-cherry fruit.

One of the most improved producers in California. La Crema is making excellent pinot noir for a great price. Lots of forward cherry fruit fun with toasted oak and spice notes.

Nose of ripe strawberry and a bit of spice. Very smooth and harmonious in the mouth with no hard edges, just ripe fruit and a mouth-filing strawberry experience with a mineral note. A wonderful wine to drink by itself or with salmon and pork dishes. This was a favorite of several diners during a dinner.

La Crema 2007 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California Pinot Noir is another complex Russian River Pinot Noir offering traces of fragrant flowers, black cherry and citrus rind. There's a lot to like in this sumptuous wine.

The fruit of the 2007 La Crema Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is cherries jubilee, propped up by alcohol and smooth, creamy tannins.

Black raspberry and mocha aromas and flavors; rich and ripe.

Here the nose offers up the typical herbal component from this cool growing area though it's quite subtle and certainly does not dominate the otherwise very pretty, fresh and elegant red pinot fruit aromas that give way to nicely detailed and pure medium-bodied flavors that possess good energy and punch on the relatively linear flavors that culminate in a finish where a trace of warmth manifests itself. This is actually quite pretty and very pinot and will best please those who are willing to sacrifice a bit of ripeness to have solid balance. I like this as the fruit is cool yet there is no astringency.