Medium-deep ruby color, black cherry and plum aromas with a touch of spice, deep and complex aromas; concentrated fruit and cinnamon notes on palate, big plum and black cherry with a velvety long finish. Beautiful Pinot - this bottle won't last long on the table!

The density of this wine is surprising. Not a wine for the meek, the rich, heady flavors of plum pudding and spice cake integrate well with dark fruits and earth.

Much meatier than the 115 bottling, 2A also folds in portobello mushroom aromas. The candied, dark cherry flavors are so rich there is a perception of sweetness. This wine finishes with great length and a touch of tea.

A selection of the best estate barrels, this year's Rae's is considerably richer than the Julia's bottling. Cherry, espresso and herb flavors are framed in voluptuously soft tannins, with a rich mouthfeel and a distinctive silky texture. Has the stuffing and style to elevate it into the realm of excellence.

2017 ROSÉ The nose is graphite and stemmy tomato on entry with an overall lean freshness. All whole cluster pressed. The palate is bright strawberry and cherry with well-defined acidity.

…jammed full of blackberry spice and pepper flavors.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two The 2015 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard Signature Collection is a dense, powerful wine built on textural depth and structure. The 2015 is going to need a few years to come into its own, but it has good potential. Dark stone fruit, lavender, spice and formidable tannins add to the wine's virile feel.

Intense in its color and distinctive in every way, the 2015 Pinot Noir Mesa Terrace is also one of the highlights among these new releases from Cambria. Dark cherry, blackberry, lavender and exotic spice give the 2015 its bold voice. Expressive floral and spice notes add lift to this super-expressive, creamy wine, which continues to develop with time in the glass. Dark, rich and intense, the Mesa Terrace will have plenty to say over the next decade or so.

Candied black cherry, smoked pork, cola and crushed asphalt show on the complex, inviting nose of this smaller-block bottling from the estate’s large vineyard. The flavors are deep and dark yet not rich or heavy, with hints of tar, black pepper, wild blackberries and black plum, all hung from a firm zippy structure.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Element emerges from a single block on the eastern side of the ranch. There is good depth and intensity, but I am not sure the Element is materially different from some of the other wines in the range. In 2015, it offers real weight and gravitas to match its dark fruit profile and brooding personality.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Clone 2A is terrific. Sweet red cherry, hard candy, plum and creamy tannins give the wine its voluptuous, racy personality. All the elements come together nicely in this sleek, pliant Pinot Noir. It is one of the more overtly ripe wines in this lineup, and yet all of the elements meld together seamlessly.

This could be the best-value California Pinot Noir on the market. Full disclosure: I've not tasted them all, but I'm waiting to find a better one at the price. It has the alluring ying-yang-like savory-fruity combination. The emphasis is on the savory earthy nuances that Pinot Noir can transmit when it's not overdone. And, unlike many New World Pinot Noirs, it doesn't finish sweet. It's worth repeating: It's a terrific bargain.

One of the more earthy releases in the lineup, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 2A offers notions of pepper, underbrush and fresh earth to go with a vibrant core of black cherry fruit. Beautifully balanced, focused and elegant, this striking Pinot Noir was completely destemmed and spent 10 months in 100% new French oak, of which there’s no trace. Give it another year and drink bottles through 2020.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is utterly beguiling. An exotic bouquet laced with hints of orange peel, quinine, spice, mint and dried flowers melds into dark-hued fruit. All the elements fall into place gracefully. Constantly changing in the glass, the Clone 23 is the most mysterious and nuanced of these Pinots. In 2012, the Clone 23 is striking.

Plums, dark cherries, tar, licorice and some all wrap around the palate in the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 4. A big, succulent wine, the Clone 4 is the most structured, powerful and intense of these single-clone Pinots. Accordingly it could use another year or two in the cellar to come together more fully. The future appears to be very bright.

Brilliant ruby-red. High-pitched red berry and floral scents are complicated by notes of star anise, cinnamon and vanilla. Silky, sweet and penetrating, offering vibrant raspberry and cherry-cola flavors and a bracing touch of blood orange. Finishes with excellent persistence and clarity, leaving hints of spicecake and red fruit preserves on the aftertaste.

More spice and underbrush-driven, with plenty of rose petal, strawberry and forest floor, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 4 is beautiful on the palate with a finesse-driven, elegant palate weight that builds in richness through the finish. As with the other releases, it has solid texture and grip, yet is overall classy and elegant. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years. Drink now-2021.

Brilliant ruby-red. High-pitched red berry and potpourri scents, along with suggestions of blood orange and star anise. Silky, sweet and penetrating, offering juicy black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors and a hint of candied rose. Silky tannins give shape to a finish that clings with excellent tenacity and appealing spiciness.

Brilliant ruby-red. A heady bouquet displays scents of candied raspberry, rose and sandalwood, with bright mineral and Asian spice nuances gaining strength with aeration. Sappy, focused and appealingly sweet, offering vibrant red fruit and floral pastille flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. Smooth and energetic on the finish, shaped by fine-grained, fully absorbed tannins. Drinking very well right now, but I'd bet on this fruit-driven pinot to be even better in a few years.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Barbara’s Clone 667 (barrel-fermented and aged in 100% new French oak) is a beautiful 2011 that shows the cooler nature of the vintage with its spice, crushed flowers, underbrush and cool black cherry and black raspberry-styled fruit. Turning slightly sappy and grippy with time in the glass, it stays finesse-oriented and has fabulous purity of fruit. Enjoy this medium-bodied, balanced and energetic Pinot Noir over the coming 5-7 years.

This is another fine Pinot from Cambria, showing the winery’s great price-quality ratio. Words like opulent and elegant come to mind to describe intense flavors of black cherries, licorice, cola, herb tea and Indian spices. It’s bone dry, and also quite tannic, but you can enjoy it now with big, rich lamb and beef dishes, or a wild mushroom risotto. Otherwise, it will continue to improve for at least eight years.

Dark red cherries, menthol, cinnamon, licorice, plums and sweet spices all flesh out in the 2011 Pinot Noir Bench Break. Translucent and weightless, yet full of flavor, the 2011 is an exceptional wine loaded with class and pedigree. A racy, ripe finish supported by vibrant saline notes leaves a lasting impression.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 115 caresses the palate with seemingly endless layers of fruit. Silky tannins provide the backdrop for this impeccable, gracious wine. The Clone 115 isn't a huge Pinot, but rather a wine that impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony. The Clone 115 was fermented and aged in 100% new French oak barrels, and subsequently bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Dark cherries, plums, flowers and spices flesh out in all directions as the 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 2A opens up in the glass. This is an especially rich, round Pinot endowed with gorgeous depth and fleshiness from start to finish. Cambria fermented and aged the 2A in 100% new French oak barrels, and subsequently bottled unfined and unfiltered.

A bigger wine, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is also first rate. Textured, rich and focused, with creamy raspberry, black cherry, toasted spice, underbrush and hints of meatiness, it is a full, structured and layered effort that dishes out loads of fruit without seeming heavy or cumbersome. Rounded and supple, yet with solid mid-palate depth and ripe tannin, it, too, will have upwards of a decade or more of ultimate longevity. Drink now-2021.