It’s fickle and delicate. It’s historic and ethereal. Pinot Noir is without doubt one of the most fascinating grape varieties on the planet. Initially from France’s esteemed Burgundy area, Pinot Noir is the grape behind a number of the world’s most costly and prestigious wines, however that doesn’t imply it’s fully inaccessible. There are nice, wallet-friendly expressions of Pinot Noir to be discovered world wide.
But it surely’s robust on the market trying to find an excellent worth Pinot Noir. That’s why we tasted a whole lot of examples and curated a listing to share a number of the finest this grape has to supply. This 12 months we have been taken by earthy, red-fruited expressions from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and stylish, ocean-kissed bottlings from websites alongside California’s gorgeous coasts. There’s even a standout wine from New Zealand and a formidable bottle from Virginia.
From price range buys to wines which are completely value a splurge, listed below are the 32 finest Pinot Noirs for 2025.
Why You Ought to Belief VinePair
Yearly, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our “Purchase This Booze” product roundups, highlighting the very best bottles the world over’s hottest wine and spirits classes.
Inside this scope, VinePair’s tasting and editorial employees samples 1000’s of bottles yearly. This ensures we’ve got a detailed eye on what’s new and thrilling. Crucially, it additionally supplies us with the context wanted to tell apart the merely good from the really nice, whether or not from a high quality or value-for-money perspective — or each.
In the end, our mission is to supply a transparent, dependable supply of knowledge for drinkers, offering an summary relevant to day-to-day shopping for and consuming. Be taught extra about VinePair’s tastings and critiques division right here.
How We Style
We consider in tasting all merchandise as our readers usually would: with full information of the producer and — importantly — worth. Our tastings are subsequently not performed blind.
VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates each wine on its aromas, flavors, construction, stability, and high quality. We additionally take into account whether or not or not the wine confirmed typicity for its particular grape or area.
How We Compiled This Checklist
In an effort to present our readers with essentially the most complete and completely examined checklist of the very best Pinot Noirs to purchase, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR companies engaged on their behalf to ship samples for consideration. These bottles have been submitted freed from cost — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the merchandise. All have been requested with the clear understanding that submission doesn’t assure inclusion within the ultimate checklist.
For the Pinot Noir roundup, we assigned a rating to every product on a 100-point scale based mostly upon the standard and depth of its aromas, flavors, texture, and end. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially pushed checklist that meets our standards of finest Pinot Noirs to purchase proper now. Every wine was assessed on high quality, worth, and availability to compile the ultimate checklist.
The Greatest Worth Pinot Noir
Montinore Property Purple Cap Pinot Noir 2022
Montinore has cracked the code, tapped into the matrix, or might be simply superb at what it does (obvs the latter) however this could be one of many nation’s most inexpensive, approachable, and out there bottles of Pinot Noir. And it’s biodynamic. And scrumptious.
This wine is made with fruit sourced from two of Montinore’s biodynamically farmed vineyards within the hills of the Willamette Valley: the Montinore Property Winery — a 200 acre winery within the Tualatin Hills AVA that was planted in 1982 — and the Tidalstar Winery within the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The wine has a deep nostril of cherries and herbs. The palate is spherical and fleshy with a juicy core and nice acidity. Although it is a broadly out there wine, it maintains a formidable depth and high quality.
Common Value: $24
Ranking: 92
The Greatest Splurge Pinot Noir
White Rose Property ‘The Neo-Classical Goal’ Pinot Noir 2022
After a decade efficiently constructing an organization within the aerospace business, Greg Sanders seemed for his subsequent problem, and acquired White Rose Winery — a 10-acre plot within the Willamette Valley — in 2000. Sanders tapped Greg Urmini, who had spent 14 years studying from business legend Paul Hobbs, because the venture’s winemaker. And to this present day, what White Rose is doing right here is nothing in need of mind-blowing.
The Neo-Classical Goal bottling is White Rose’s ode to the historical past of Pinot Noir, sourced from winery websites with increased elevations and older vines. The wine is made with one hundred pc whole-cluster fermentation and is aged in French oak barrels (22 p.c new) for 15 months. The result’s excellent and solely will get higher because it breathes within the glass. You’re welcomed with a deep nostril of earthy cherries, a touch of soil, and flecks of pepper. The palate is as elegant because it will get with shiny acidity balancing medium-bodied fruit with an added whisper of herbs. Elegant, exact, and scrumptious wine.
Common Value: $110
Ranking: 97
The Better of the Relaxation:
Greatest Pinot Noirs Underneath $30
Haden Fig Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023
Single winery bottlings are superior. There’s nothing like sipping the wonders that come from a single plot of vines. However there’s additionally magic to be present in wines that mix a number of winery websites. This wine from Haden Fig is made with grapes from 4 websites positioned throughout the Willamette Valley. The totally different terroirs come collectively in an expressive, well-structured wine. It opens with shiny cherries, rhubarb, pepper, and a touch of soil on the nostril. The palate has an exquisite depth with a slight grip and wonderful acidity that fills the wine however doesn’t overwhelm. The end is lingering and scrumptious.
Common Value: $26
Ranking: 94
Division-Villages Méthode Carbonique Pinot Noir 2024
Division Winemaking Co., an city vineyard in Portland, Ore., has a direct connection to the Burgundy and Beaujolais areas. House owners Kate Morris and Tom Monroe have each completed stints making wine in France. Division’s “Villages” collection is a tribute to the easy-drinking, entry-level bottles of those French areas however the wines are nonetheless unapologetically Oregonian. This Pinot is all cherries, fall leaves, and rhubarb with a crunchy texture. It’s simple and scrumptious, like an excellent village-level Burgundy or Beaujolais is meant to be.
Common Value: $26
Ranking: 92
BloodRoot Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2023
You’d be exhausting pressed to discover a wine of this high quality at this worth. This Sonoma County Pinot punches above its weight with attractive notes of tart cherries and cooking herbs like rosemary and thyme. The palate is totally unbelievable with centered fruit filling the palate, matched by good acidity. The concord of fruit, acidity, and aromas for this worth is simply epic.
Common Value: $28
Ranking: 93
Greatest Pinot Noirs Underneath $50
Tiraki Pinot Noir 2023
Marlborough is primarily recognized for its tart and tropical Sauvignon Blanc, however this beloved New Zealand area additionally grows some nice Pinot Noir. This bottle from Tiraki pops with shiny cherry and raspberry notes. There are additionally delicate hints of cocoa and spices from 12 months ageing in French oak. The palate has a juicy fruit core framed by drying tannins and current acidity.
Common Value: $35
Ranking: 93
Pali Wine Co. ‘Huntington’ Pinot Noir 2022
The Huntington bottling from Pali Wine Co. is made with Pinot Noir sourced completely from the vineyard’s property winery in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA. This space advantages from increased elevations and cooling ocean breezes. The wine gives a singular nostril of roasted cherries and soil with a touch of balsamic and pepper. The mouthfeel has deep fruit with glorious supportive acidity and the feel is spot on. The roasted cherry word lingers on the end. This wine, with its screw cap and affordable worth, is a sleeper hit for certain.
Common Value: $35
Ranking: 93
Saracina Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2022
This Pinot Noir comes from Northern California’s cool-climate haven for Pinot Noir: Anderson Valley. Positioned about 15 miles from the Pacific coast, this area enjoys the each day temperature shifts that preserve the grapes cool and blissful. This wine was positively made with blissful grapes and expert fingers. The nostril is stuffed with earth, cherries, and rhubarb. The mouthfeel gives a seamless stability, with juicy fruit, blousy acidity, and a slight grip across the edges.
Common Value: $40
Ranking: 95
Donnachadh Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2023
Donnachadh is a family-owned winery and vineyard that has been making wine within the Sta. Rita Hills since 2013. This wine comes from the steep, north-facing hillside blocks of the winery, which is simply 9 miles from the ocean. With the Pacific affect, rocky soils, and solar publicity, it is a mineral-driven great thing about a Pinot Noir. The nostril has a pleasant savory vibe with hints of cherry, balsamic, and contemporary bark. There’s loads of acidity right here, but it surely’s saved in verify by the core of fruit.
Common Value: $40
Ranking: 92
Outward Wines Bassi Winery Pinot Noir 2023
The biodynamically farmed Bassi Winery is a coveted website on the San Luis Obispo Coast. Although it’s a heat area, this plot is nearly a mile from the ocean, having fun with all that briny, cool Pacific breeze and a ton of solar. Outward had a chance to make its first Pinot Noir from this website within the 2023 classic and it didn’t fiddle. This Pinot particular. It has an earthy nostril of black cherries and raspberries sprinkled with contemporary soil. The palate delivers a savory, umami vibe with hints of tea and contemporary herbs. The concentrated fruit notes are expertly balanced by shiny acidity and a agency tannic construction.
Common Value: $46
Ranking: 94
Kokomo Vineyard Gopher Hill Pinot Noir 2023
Gopher Hill is a particular block within the bigger Peters Winery, positioned simply 10 miles from the ocean within the Sonoma Coast AVA. Although it is a coastal expression, there’s nonetheless some soulfulness to the wine. It has a deep, savory nostril with brandied cherries, balsamic, and cinnamon. The palate is wealthy and centered with good medium-bodied fruit and mushy fleshy mouthfeel.
Common Value: $48
Ranking: 94
Greatest Pinot Noir Underneath $100
Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2023
This wine is the epitome of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. It’s expressive and balanced in its personal distinctive approach. The nostril is brimming with wafts of brandied cherries, pomegranate, and strawberry rhubarb pie. The mouthfeel is wildly partaking with a deep core of fruit that coats the palate.
Common Value: $50
Ranking: 96
Lengthy Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir 2019
The wines of Lengthy Meadow Ranch have a theme, whether or not it’s the vineyard’s scrumptious Cabernet Sauvignon or its epically fulfilling Merlot (so good!), there’s an exquisite earthiness to the wines. This Pinot from Anderson Valley reveals the vineyard’s signature depth and earthiness whereas sustaining magnificence. It has an umami nostril with hints of mushroom and herbs over a base of juicy cherries. The acidity seamlessly weaves all through the fruit.
Common Value: $50
Ranking: 96
Arabilis Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2022
Whenever you examine how this wine is made — hand-picked grapes, frivolously foot-crushed, mushy pump overs — it appears like a fragile wine. And whereas this Willamette Valley Pinot is gentle on its ft, it additionally brings the depth. It has an earthy nostril with aromas of cherries, contemporary soil, and tree bark. The palate is fantastic with good fleshy medium fruit and saline acidity.
Common Value: $50
Ranking: 95
Copain Wines Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2022
This bottle from Northern California’s Anderson Valley wants a minute to open up, however when it does it shines with traditional crunchy and contemporary Pinot character. The nostril exhibits quiet notes of cherry and a few oak. The palate, although, is the place the wine expresses itself, with concentrated pink berry fruit balanced by shiny acidity and a slight tannic edge. An excellent wine to relax or to relax with.
Common Value: $55
Ranking: 91
LDT Wine Co. La Colina Winery Pinot Noir 2022
The La Colina winery, initially planted in 1999 in Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills, is understood for producing Pinot Noir with fantastic depth. This positively comes by way of on this bottle from LDT Wine Co. It’s brimming with notes of cooking herbs, turmeric, and contemporary earth layered over pink fruit. The palate is mushy, centered, and stylish with very shiny acidity lifting the flavors of juicy cherries and cinnamon.
Common Value: $58
Ranking: 94
Ankida Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022
Virginia continues to not simply impress however really wow us. Nearly 2,000 ft above sea degree, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, is Ankida Ridge. Right here, the Vrooman household works with the unlikely Pinot Noir selection. What could have appeared like a threat has change into an unlimited reward. This wine isn’t simply scrumptious, it’s spectacular. It gives a floral nostril that suffuses into hints of cherries, pepper, and soil. The palate is downright attractive with elegant fruit and well-integrated acidity.
Common Value: $60
Ranking: 98
Soter Vineyards Estates Pinot Noir 2023
Soter crafts its “Estates” bottling as a recognition of the variety and high quality of prime winery websites positioned throughout the northern Willamette Valley, with fruit sourced from three of the vineyard’s holdings: the Mineral Springs Winery, Ribbon Ridge Property, and Tarren Winery. It looks like this wine represents the very best of those websites. It has a delicate nostril with tart cranberries, cherries, and an earthy word. The palate is delicate with lively acidity and a silky texture.
Common Value: $60
Ranking: 95
Smith Story Wine Cellars Filigreen Farm Pinot Noir 2022
We liked the 2019 Smith Story Helluva Winery Pinot Noir, so we have been desperate to strive one other scrumptious single-vineyard wine from the Smith Story workforce, this one from the Filigreen Farm in Anderson Valley. Seems that is the vineyard’s first Pinot Noir from right here. What a fantastic transfer! This wine is scrumptious. It has a mineral-driven nostril with some cherries and vanilla. The palate is calm and fleshy with a slight edgy grip.
Common Value: $64
Ranking: 93
Rombauer Vineyards Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2022
The Santa Lucia Highlands overlook the Salinas Valley in California’s Central Coast. Right here, simply off Monterey Bay, Rombauer harvests fruit for its Pinot Noir. All of the solar from the valley and the wind from the ocean are on this wine. It has deep cherry notes on the nostril with a touch of oak. The palate is mushy and chewy with good fleshy fruit and supportive acidity.
Common Value: $65
Ranking: 91
Marine Layer ‘Marine Layer Winery’ Pinot Noir 2022
Marine Layer means simply that. Wines that target vineyards within the cooler climates of Sonoma, coated by the morning fog. This wine is from the vineyard’s six-acre winery on the Sonoma Coast and is the proper illustration of coastal Pinot Noir. It opens with aromas of earth, mushrooms, and rhubarb, although shiny cherry notes take heart stage. The palate delivers juicy and tart pink fruit flavors like pomegranate and cranberry, with hints of black tea and herbs. That marine affect comes by way of within the acidity, making for a lifted, elegant wine.
Common Value: $70
Ranking: 96
Huge Desk Farm Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir 2022
We are able to’t appear to get sufficient of Brian Marcy’s wine and his companion Clare Carver’s fantastically illustrated labels. The newest wine in Huge Desk Farm’s lineup to win us over? The Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir. It has a savory, umami nostril with stunning floral tones mingling with roasted cherries and soil-covered mushrooms. It has a taste bud with a seamless stability between fruit, tannin, and acidity.
Common Value: $72
Ranking: 96
St. Harmless Shea Winery Pinot Noir 2021
St. Harmless’s Shea Winery Pinot Noir is without doubt one of the nice American Pinots. We completely liked the 2018 classic, which we featured as certainly one of The 50 Greatest Wines of 2023, and the 2021 bottling reminded us of why we gravitate towards this wine. The Willamette Valley’s Shea Winery constantly delivers advanced, expressive wines. This classic pops with cherries, strawberries, and rhubarb on the nostril, complemented by hints of cinnamon and leather-based. The palate is refreshing, grippy, and deep with vibrant acidity that holds all the pieces in place.
Common Value: $72
Ranking: 94
SOM (State Of Thoughts) Eola Springs Winery Pinot Noir 2023
SOM (State Of Thoughts) is a collaborative venture from a bunch of winemakers, sommeliers, and vignerons. It takes a singular strategy to winemaking, giving every member of the workforce a say within the manufacturing of every wine. This meticulous course of permits them to get the very best expression doable. This wine from the Willamette Valley’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA is a research in refinement, focus, and magnificence. It has an earthy and grounded nostril with hints of pink fruit and cinnamon. The mouthfeel gives silky tannins and a contact of spice from ageing in one hundred pc new French oak. It has fleshy fruit wrapped up in a refreshing acidity that makes you need to come again for the following sip.
Common Value: $75
Ranking: 96
Cuvaison Spire Pinot Noir 2023
The grapes for Cuvaison’s Spire bottling are sourced from the higher slopes of Tai Winery in Napa’s Los Carneros area, exhibiting the magnificence of wines constituted of increased elevations. It’s centered on the nostril with aromas of cherries, vanilla, and spice from 14 months ageing in French oak barrels. The seamless concord between fruit depth and acidity on the palate make this an undeniably Carneros wine.
Common Value: $80
Ranking: 95
Reeve Wines Rice-Spivak Winery Pinot Noir 2023
Sonoma-based Reeve crafts terroir-driven wines from a collection of high-quality websites throughout Northern California. This specific bottling comes from the distinctive Rice-Spivak winery, a six-acre website simply south of the city of Sebastopol, in an space with heavy wind affect and a combination of sandy loam and volcanic ash soils. The ensuing wine is transcending. It’s filled with contemporary character on the nostril with notes of cherries, saline, and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is wealthy with fleshy fruit and unbelievable acidity. The load on the palate is good with a lovely medium physique. A rattling good wine.
Common Value: $85
Ranking: 97
Illahe Vineyards 1899 Property Pinot Noir 2022
In 2011 Oregon’s Illahe Vineyards started the 1899 venture, getting down to make a wine with out the usage of any electrical energy or fashionable mechanization (learn extra about that course of right here.) The vineyard even takes a horse and buggy from the Willamette Valley to Portland to ship this wine to its distributor. The title is a testomony to the outdated model of winemaking, and the result’s wonderful. It has wealthy notes of chocolate-covered cherries and blackberry jam, balanced by a lithe tannic body and lively acidity.
Common Value: $85
Ranking: 96
Iterum Previous Pal Quailhurst Property Pinot Noir 2021
Veteran winemaker Joe Dobbes has labored with the Quailhurst Winery since 2003. This particular website — that sits excessive within the Northern Chehalem Mountains AVA — was really the supply of fruit behind Dobbes’ first single-vineyard Pinot Noir bottling below the Dobbes Household Property label. Now, he works with it to make this wine for the Iterum label. It gives a savory nostril with plush pink fruit, herbs, and candy spices. The palate is swish with current, however balanced, oak affect and a seamless integration between acid and fruit.
Common Value: $90
Ranking: 95
Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2021
The Evenstad Reserve bottling has been Domaine Serene’s flagship wine for over 30 years. The expertly crafted wine reveals the proper stability between fruit and oak, with beneficiant notes of vanilla and spice from 16 months in 55 p.c new French oak. The mouthfeel is plush, with concentrated notes of untamed strawberries and ripe cherries.
Common Value: $95
Ranking: 93
Rhys Alpine Winery Pinot Noir 2022
Cool, foggy, steep, and rocky: Perched inside a 10-mile view of the Pacific Ocean lies the Alpine Winery within the Santa Cruz Mountains. This hillside location helps grapes retain acidity whereas having fun with the high-elevation sunshine. That is what we name mountain fruit. And the result’s a wine with nice freshness and character. It gives darkish cherry notes on the nostril with a touch of earth and a dollop of oak spice. The concentrated berry fruit flavors on the palate are lifted by refreshing acidity and salty minerality.
Common Value: $99
Ranking: 94
Greatest Pinot Noir Over $100
Hirsch Vineyards ‘Raschen Ridge’ Property Pinot Noir 2022
Hirsch Vineyards is positioned on the intense Sonoma Coast, on a rugged plot of land that straddles the San Andreas Fault. This distinct location creates a collection of microclimates, resulting in a fascinating lineup of terroir-driven wines. This Pinot Noir comes from a really particular place on the property, a convergence of two plots on the western fringe of the Raschen Ridge: one which’s uncovered to the cruel Pacific winds and fog, which usually produces intense, concentrated wines, and one other that’s remoted and guarded, producing extra delicate expressions. The websites come collectively to create a splendidly advanced Pinot Noir. The nostril is stuffed with cherries and balsamic with intoxicating hints of anise, pepper, and orange zest. The stability on the palate is ideal with dense pink fruit framed by contemporary acidity and grippy tannins. That is one america’ nice Pinot Noirs.
Common Value: $105
Ranking: 98
Emeritus Vineyards Hallberg Ranch Elite 2021
After promoting his first vineyard, the famed Chardonnay model Sonoma-Cutrer, Brice Cutrer Jones bought the Hallberg Ranch in 1999 to start out his new venture, Emeritus Vineyards. He introduced the very best individuals he had labored with previously to this new journey, setting his sights on making the best Pinot Noirs within the area. This wine pays tribute to this particular website, made with the winery’s “Elite Choice” grapes. That is the epitome of a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with savory notes of forest ground, aged balsamic, and cinnamon balanced by tart cherry flavors and chewy tannins.
Common Value: $120
Ranking: 96
FAQs
The place does Pinot Noir come from?
Pinot Noir is initially from the Burgundy area in France, the place it has an extended historical past. The Pinot Noir produced in Burgundy remains to be regarded as a number of the most elegant wines on this planet, and in addition a number of the most costly bottles bought.
Which area makes the very best Pinot Noir?
There are totally different kinds of Pinot Noir world wide, however the areas most famed for this selection embrace Burgundy, California’s Sonoma Coast, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Germany, and New Zealand.
Why is Pinot Noir so common?
Pinot Noir is common for its light- to medium-bodied wines with shiny acidity and silky tannins. The wines are additionally recognized for his or her vibrant pink fruit traits and savory notes like earth and spice that may add complexity. In comparison with fuller-bodied pink wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir has fewer tannins, so it may be a extra nice and easy-to-drink wine in its youth.
*Picture retrieved from TSViPhoto through inventory.adobe.com
