Fresh cranberry, wild lavender, bright bing cherry. Juicy strawberry, crunchy leaves, spiced pomegranate. Fragrant pine tree and sage, black olive and dirty mushroom. Vibrant and expressive fruit bursts from the bouquet, erupting rhubarb and citrus peel above a core of rich muddled raspberry. Fresh florals add delicate nuance before being overwhelmed by dry forest floor and pronounced spices. Rosemary, coriander, cardamom, and tumeric all pulse energetically in complement to savory animale and earth. Lean, weightless, juicy, and natural, showcasing great typicity along with both eccentric fruit and pretty terroir. This 2016 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir by J. Wilkes Wines is a brilliantly pedigreed Santa Barbara Pinot in disguise.

Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult and expensive wine grapes in the world to cultivate, unfortunately making it near impossible to create a high quality bottle of Pinot at a bargain price. This bottling, crafted by J.Wilkes wines using 100% Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley, is one of a handful of exceptional bottles under $30 we'd recommend. Because the J. Wilkes label is property of the Miller family who own the legendary Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills vineyards nearly all of the fruit in this bottle comes from one of these two famous sites. This wonderful wine showcases plenty of pure and delicious Santa Barbara fruit plus a heavy dose of telltale Santa Maria Spice, and comes together with well-executed balance and finesse. This is well-made wine sans shortcuts, gimmicks, or RS, and is easily worth the modest price tag.