A Globetrotting Guide to the Best Pinot Noir to Drink Right Now

Descended from Vitis vinifera, Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned black grape that produces elegant and complex wines. It is notoriously difficult to farm, but its irresistible charm (and popularity) makes it an enticing challenge for vintners around the world. 

This is excellent news for the varietal’s wide legion of fans, who can sample just how expressive it can be depending on region of origin. While the spiritual home of Pinot Noir is Burgundy, regions like Oregon and Santa Barbara have cemented their reputations through the varietal.  

Some Pinot Noirs are sought after by collectors for its aging potential and it’s an excellent beginner grape for drinkers because of its softness, balance and light- to medium-bodied expression. (That is, if the higher price point these wines often command isn’t a turn off.) 

Meanwhile, it is a highly food-friendly wine that pairs well with everything from grilled vegetables and meat to seafood. 

So, pick up one of these bottles, hand-selected by our esteemed tasting panel from around the world and toast to one of the finest grapes there is. You can’t go wrong with any—or all—of them.

Sonoma

Pinot Noir’s ascendancy over the past twenty years can be closely tied to the film Sideways, whose main character extolled the finicky grape’s virtues. Though it was filmed in the Santa Ynez Valley, down in Santa Barbara County, Pinot Noir production increased 170% throughout the entire state since the movie was released in 2005.

Sonoma County produces some of the best in California. These Pinots are often medium-bodied wines with bright acidity, fine-grained tannins and fresh red fruit. They have a silky texture and often aromas of baking spice.

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

Peay Vineyards 2022 Scallop Shelf Pinot Noir

Beautifully delineated aromas of crushed cherry, earthy mushroom, dried sage and violets mingle on the nose of this elegant and complex Pinot. The palate leans into the cool climate character of the vineyard with focused flavors of dried blackberry, dark cocoa, Darjeeling and nori, while rich tannin and energetic acidity balance on a razor’s edge. While lovely now, this will age beautifully for a decade or more. 97 points. Cellar Selection. — Tom R. Capo $78 Peay Vineyards

Patz & Hall 2021 Chenoweth Ranch Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)

Floral aromas, black fruit flavors and a broad but lively texture make this full-bodied wine impressive and delicious. Rose petals, violets, black cherries and ground cloves all play a role in the flavors, while moderate tannins and good acidity add a palate-cleansing quality. Best from 2025-2032. 97 points. — Jim Gordon $48 Total Wine

Mendocino

Of all the regions in the world, Mendocino County—which has a high elevation, fog-shrouded landscape and sun-drenched landscape—is one of the “optimum locations to produce expressive, captivating, cerebral and delicious renditions of Pinot Noir,” says Tonya Pitts, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from the region (and beyond). Look for aromas of red fruit, earth and baking spice from this region’s AVAs.

“A wine lover has access to a megastore of hues, tastes and smells to awaken the senses about terroir, sense of place and what that means in connection to aromas, textures and vibrancy, which are all alive in a glass of Pinot Noir from the AVAs of Mendocino County,” Pitts says. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Handley 2021 Helluva Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)

This wine is concentrated, with aromas of cassis, Bing cherry, toasted oak, violets and dried herbs on the nose. The flavors on the palate are black plum, black strawberry and orange zest, interwoven with dried thyme, mushroom and a dry, lingering and supple finish. Pair with grilled New York steak. 95 points. — Tonya Pitts $55 Handley Cellars

Wentworth 2022 Nash Mill Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)

This wine is rich, with aromas of baked blackberry, raspberry, black tea, florals and baking spice. On the palate, flavors of youthful strawberry, lingonberry and pink grapefruit zest interweave with Tahitian vanilla, cardamom, mineral and a dry, rocky finish. Drink until 2034. Decant and pair with grilled pork chop. 96 points. — T.P. $78 Wentworth

Germany

In Germany, Pinot Noir is called Spätburgunder. There, the varietal “is quietly making its mark, thanks to a mix of unique terroirs and a climate that’s been kind to the grape,” says Aleks Zecevic, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from Austria, Germany, France and beyond. He notes that bottles from this region are “carving out a place among the elite.”

“What really sets Germany apart, though, is its variety,” Zecevic says. “From the Ahr to Baden, Franken and Pfalz, these wines strike a balance between elegance, freshness and complexity, with the ability to age gracefully. Cooler regions like Nahe and Obermosel produce low-alcohol, ethereal Pinots that reveal a versatility you don’t often see—even in Burgundy.”

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Piri Naturel 2021 Pondarosa Pinot Noir (Nahe)

This copper-tinged and slightly cloudy wine is idiosyncratic, but shows character and harmony. Notes of straw underline blood orange zest, crushed strawberry and oolong tea notes, all linked by mouthwatering acidity, which fuels the energy. The finish is long and inviting, with a savory note, making this a perfect food pairing wine for the summer and beyond. 93 points. — Aleks Zecevic $38 The Cellar d’Or

Meyer-Näkel 2021 Blue Slate Pinot Noir (Ahr)

A bright, succulent style, this Pinot is filled with black cherry, black currant, pepper and loam aromas and flavors. It has vibrant acidity that cuts through the medium body, bringing elegance and vibrance. The tannins are beautifully integrated and emerge only on the finish, but with time, they will melt into the wine. Best after 2025. 94 points.— A.Z. $95 Grapes and Grains

New Zealand

Overall, New Zealand is an excellent wine region thanks to its small producers who are experimenting with and perfecting the craft of winemaking. And this is very apparent in Pinot Noir. 

Christina Pickard, who reviews wines from the region for Wine Enthusiast, says that New Zealand Pinot Noir “has come leaps and bounds since its modern revival in the 1990s and frankly, wines from this variety have never been better, often offering outstanding quality and consistency for the price point.”

The expressions from here flex heady perfume and exuberant fruit. There are many regional differences within the country, too, expressing the Tūrangawaewae, the Māori concept of terroir.

“With Wairarapa—and, most famously, the Martinborough subregion—nipping at its heels, Central Otago is arguably the most renowned New Zealand Pinot region,” Pickard explains. “It’s also the southernmost wine growing region on the planet, and boasts the only continental climate for winegrowing in New Zealand. Quality-focused producers across Otago’s distinctly different six subregions produce Pinots that offer beautiful aromas of brambly berries, scrubby herbs and stoney nuances with structured but fine, textural tannins, balancing drink-now appeal with the capacity to age for many years.” 

While Marlborough grows most Pinot in New Zealand, “North Canterbury shines with this variety, too,” Pickard adds. “The boutique, biodynamic Pyramid Valley’s unique location in the chilly hills of the Waitaki subregion on limestone and clay soils gives its Pinots a distinctive elegance and savory element, and a prism-like quality, refracting light and layers of flavor, texture, acidity and tannins and then knitting them seamlessly back together again.”

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

Pyramid Valley 2020 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir (North Canterbury)

From a tiny block of beautifully farmed cool-climate Pinot vines, Earth Smoke is, as the name suggests, the least fruity of Pyramid’s two single-vineyard Waipara bottlings. While tangy red berry nuances are there, the sap, floral, white pepper and anise aromas dominate. Tannins are fine and gravelly, adding just the right amount of tug and backbone to the fresh, tangy fruit and peppery spice of the palate. This is a grown-up, black dress of a wine that does just what top-notch Pinot should: communicates its place with transparency and elegance. 95 points. — Christina Pickard $110 Leon & Sons

Quartz Reef 2022 Loop Road Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

A lovely, expressive nose of brambly berries, plum, warm stones and subtle herbs and florals open this instantly appealing wine from one of Otago’s top producers. The palate is light on its feet with succulent fruit and a line of fine, savory tannins that creeps up toward the finish. Elegant, long and still youthful, this could be drunk until around 2030. 94 points. — C.P. $25 K&L Wines

Burgundy

This Old World region isn’t resting on its laurels. “Pinot Noir from Burgundy is more exciting than ever, especially with the diverse vintages that produce a myriad of expressions across this complex region,” says Wine Enthusiast Tasting Director Anna-Christina Cabrales. “What stands out most is how producers have adapted to the dramatic fluctuations in weather, yet still manage to preserve the unique sense of terroir—an accomplishment that’s truly impressive.”