Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 63

MOST POPULAR PINOT NOIRS
Rank Brand

CHEZ PANISSE,
BERKELEY, CA

PINOT NOIR
In the nation's restaurants, diners are still enthralled with pinot noir.
Since 2005, it's been neck-and-neck with cabernet sauvignon for the
most popular variety in restaurants around the country, and it's become
an anchor point for most wine lists. "The domestic pinots really move
quickly," says Jonathan Waters, of Chez Panisse in Berkeley. "I may be
very intrigued to try some strange new Txakoli, but I am going to need
to replenish that pinot section every week."
As for styles, the top five wines-Flowers, Meiomi, Cristom, Emeritus and Hobbs- reflect a wide range. Sommeliers have found this
spread useful to have on their lists. "It's a fair split," says Jeremiah
Moorhouse at Gary Danko in San Francisco. "Some people will want
that lighter, more elegant style if they're going more seafood heavy. If
they normally drink zinfandel or cabernet, they'll feel more comfortable in going with a pinot noir that's in a bigger, riper, richer style."
Name recognition also counts. At Acme in NYC, Michael Duffy
points to Cristom Pinot Noir as his best-selling bottle. "It's Willamette,
a region casual drinkers know," he says. "People buy it for the price
and the region. It moves on its own." The average price for a bottle of
the pinot noirs in our poll results has, in fact, risen $9 since last year,
to $89, but many sommeliers say guests haven't minded. "If they are
California pinot noir drinkers, they are comfortable with a higher price
range," says Cullen Leonard at Staplehouse in Atlanta.

Bottling

Avg. Price

Flowers

Sonoma Coast
Russian River Valley

Meiomi

California

Cristom

Willamette Valley Mt. Jefferson Cuvée
Eola-Amity Hills Louise Vineyard

Emeritus

Russian River Valley Hallberg Ranch

Paul Hobbs Winery

Sonoma Coast Crossbarn
Russian River Valley

Failla

Sonoma Coast

$81

Au Bon Climat

Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria Valley

$59
$75

Domaine Serene

Willamette Valley Yamhill Cuvée

$104

Tyler Winery

Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido
Vineyard

$80
$114

Banshee

Sonoma County

$56

Peay

Sonoma Coast
Sonoma Coast Pomarium Estate

$90
$92

Merry Edwards

Russian River Valley Flax Vineyard
Russian River Valley Olivet Lane

Belle Glos

Sta. Maria Vly. Clark & Telephone Vyd.
Sta. Lucia Highlands Las Alturas Vyd.

$95
$89

Penner Ash

Willamette Valley

$94

Eyrie Vineyards

Willamette Valley

$74

Adelsheim Vineyard

Willamette Valley
Chehalem Mountains Bryan Creek

Ryder Estate

Central Coast

Littorai

Anderson Valley Les Larmes
Sonoma Coast

Shea Wine Cellars

Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard

Camille Giroud

Maranges 1er Cru Le Croix Moines
Bourgogne

SARAH TRACEY
Villanelle
NYC

$101
$90
$47
$82
$150
$91
$63
$139

$140
$170

$64
$105
$37
$102
$125
$88
$175
$80

Pinot is what people are
name-checking when they
come in the door. Willamette
Valley has such brand
recognition among
consumers that those
wines just fly.

VILLANELLE,
NYC
WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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