At 4.5 stars, 2021 Angeline Pinot Noir Reserve Mendocino County is not only our highest-rated American Pinot Noir under $55 of the last two years, its #3 at ANY price.

Only two Pinots scored higher with our members: 2017 Kosta Browne Bootleggers Hill ($195) and 2020 RAEN Royal St. Robert ($65).

The super-talented winemaking duo of Talley alum Leslie Renaud and consultant Keith Emerson, who achieved 100-point fame at Vineyard 29, help make this proposition possible.

For todays release, they focused on hillside plots in Mendocino County where Pinot Noir vines soak up the suns rays after the chilly morning fog pulls away, priming the grapes for lithe concentration. Deep, alluvial, mineral-rich soils serve as the staging ground for grapes full of intensity yet as precise as fine-point pens. If not for Benhams handshake deals, built on decades-long relationships, these grapes might be going into wines that cost $50 or more.

The 2021 vintage is already gaining steam as a modern-day classic, though yields were down across the North Coast. A warm summer and drought meant that berries were small and sparsenot exactly great for the bottom line. But the combination made for wines like this one, which combines beautiful fruit, lively acidity, and a softly tannic grip.

It was a fine target to hit, and Renaud and Emerson pulled it off with aplomb. In vintage after vintage, theyre raising expectations across the industry for what under-$20 Pinot can be. In our opinion, this 2021 says it best.