Red Wine from Santa Rita Hills

Decanter, 97 points: Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr make their Pinots taste effortlessly elegant, but it's a fine-tuned approach in the cellar and ultra-attentive viticulture that achieve those mouthwatering results. Their estate bottling is...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: Light raspberry-sorbet notes meet with fresh fennel fronds, pepper and cinnamon on the nose of this bottling from Chad Melville and family. It's tight and tart on the palate, with dried cranberry, pine needle and...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: Kirsch, dried flowers, dried soils, and spice box flow from the silky, pure, polished and elegant 2014 Pinot Noir Sandy’s, which saw 30% whole cluster during fermentation and 14 months in neutral barrels. I love its...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: I always love the two blockbuster Syrahs from this estate, both of which need to be sought out by readers. Tons of black olive, smoked and salted meats, as well as ripe dark fruits all emerge from the incredibly polished...

Antonio Galloni's Vinous, 94 points: The 2013 Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard is another delicious, vibrant Pinot Noir from Jeannie Bonnaccorsi. Sweet red plum, mint, lavender, game and sage open up nicely. Intense but also translucent in style, the 2013...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Even better, and my favorite in the line (not by much), the 2012 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is incredibly fine and polished, with a medium-bodied, silky, yet energetic vibe that keeps you coming back to the...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: My favorite of the Sta. Rita Hills releases, the 2013 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard offers sensational purity and elegance in its darker berry fruits, crushed flowers, underbrush and hints of mint. Seamless, silky and...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: Light raspberry-sorbet notes meet with fresh fennel fronds, pepper and cinnamon on the nose of this bottling from Chad Melville and family. It's tight and tart on the palate, with dried cranberry, pine needle and...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: The 2012 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega, which comes from the western, cooler part of the Sta. Rita Hills, is a drop-dead gorgeous effort that has both richness and tension. Showing classic forest floor, wild fennel, herbs and black...

Wine Spectator, 94 points: Elegant purple flower, black cherry fruit, a bouquet of white sage and a touch of graphite decorate the rich and vibrant nose of this wine by Adam Lee. The palate surrounds soft red brambleberry fruits, with thyme...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points: Sweet cherries currants and blacker fruits as well as hints of spice box and herbs jump from the glass of the medium ruby-colored 2004 Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa. A nuanced high brow medium to full-bodied...

Wine Spectator, 91 points: Starts trim and focused, and then the fruit accelerates and expands, with a burst of spicy raspberry, fresh earth, wilted rose and black licorice. The texture smoothes out, but this is appealing for the zesty personality...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, 92 points: Bright ruby-red. Dark berries, cherry pit and smoky minerals on the perfumed nose. Bitter cherry and black raspberry flavors are sweetened by notes of cola and rose pastille and lifted by zesty minerality. Shows...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: This new project from Steve and Chrystal Clifton from Palmina and formerly Brewer-Clifton is exciting and tasty. Plump red cherry, fine-grained clove, allspice, nutmeg, sage, kola nut and a touch of chile spice show...

Wine Enthusiast, 93 points: All manners of sultry hibiscus greet the nose on this wine from Doug Margerum's cool-climate brand, alongside scents of crushed peppercorns, strawberry juice and a slightly barnyard smoked meat element. The palate shows...