The 5 Best Pinot Noirs Under $25 That Taste Expensive

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Lovers of red wine fall into some very distinct camps, each holding tight allegiance to a specific region, a specific grape, even a specific vintner. But in the last two decades, perhaps no wine has become a more powerful market force than the versatile, fruity red known as pinot noir. 

While it’s tempting to say that the resurgence of pinot began with the release of Alexander Payne’s 2004 Academy Award-nominated film Sideways (sales of pinot noir rose 170 percent in the year after the film, according to winomark.com), the truth is that pinot has always been among the world’s most prized red wines. It’s even associated, as in the film, with a bit of snobbery, such as when Paul Giamatti’s character repeatedly exclaims, I am not drinking merlot. 

Pinot inspires loyalty among vintners and consumers alike, despite huge annual fluctuations In the amount and quality of production, all because the pinot noir grape remains notoriously difficult to produce. The grapes have a thin skin and grow in tightly packed clusters, making them susceptible to many viticulture hazards, especially rot. That’s one of the main reasons why pinot noir production varies wildly from year to year. 

5 Best Pinot Noirs Under $25:

Where are the Grapes Grown?

Fortunately for Americans, the pinot noir grape can be grown all over the world, making good pinot noirs available at price points ranging from a decent six-pack to the cost of a luxury Swiss watch. 

The most sought-after bottles come from France and, to further confuse matters, are labeled as burgundy, as French viticulture regulations require wines to be labeled not by the type of grape but by the region where they are produced. The pinot grape is native to the Burgundy region, and the pinots from Burgundy offer a complex taste, including the prized hint of what sommeliers call “forest floor,” the sense of earthy, organic materials like dark fruits and mushrooms and leaves creating the symphonic blend of taste that defines a good pinot. 

The two most popular regions in America that produce pinot noir are the Russian River Valley in California and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Each region has a specific gout de terroir, or taste imparted from the various characteristics of the land. Pinot Noir. But the grape thrives around the world, and many other countries have added pinot to their wine production. The most planted red grape in Germany is pinot noir, where it’s labeled Spätburgunder and has soared in popularity in New Zealand as well. 

What Goes Well with Pinot Noir? 

Well, just about everything. The range of tastes found in pinot means that there’s an option to pair nicely with everything from rich cheeses to heartier veggie dishes to the usual main dishes that accompany pinot, entrees like coq au vin or roasted duck. In fact, a fileted duck breast, browned in cast iron skillet and finished in the oven (magret de canard—made from the breasts of ducks raised for foie gras) is perhaps the most traditional choice. 

Its worldwide popularity means that there is a pinot noir for nearly every palate and pocketbook. Here are some of our favorites, all at the budget-friendly price of $25 or less. 

2018 Zorzal Gran Terroir Pinot Noir – $18

True to our assertion that pinot is a worldwide phenomenon, our first choice comes from the grapes grown on the volcanic mountains of the Tupungato in Argentina, one of the highest mountain ranges in all the Americas. 

This 2018 Zorzal gets high marks from many disparate wine publications, with its review scores typically in the low 90s, including a 93-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. It’s a medium body finish, with notes of cherry and plum, and its versatility means that it’s drinkable now but will likely become more complex if aged in the bottle for a year or two. And at this price, you can easily buy some for now, and cellar more for next fall. 

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2018 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir – $25

An editor’s choice from Wine Magazine, this Santa Maria Valley, CA wine is rich with cherry and herbal notes and is a consistently top scorer in contests. It’s got the complexities of a much more expensive bottle and offers some feel-good properties as well, as it is grown and manufactured sustainably by a woman-owned, woman-led vintner. 

Cambria’s Pinot pairs well with medium-heavy dishes, like a pizza with roasted mushrooms or a milder cheese course. 

This bottle is the flagship of Julia Jackson’s vineyard and offers what the vintner calls the typical blend of Santa Maria fruit and spice. As a bonus, Cambria’s wines are usually available in large retailers and through home delivery services like Drizly. 

2019 Montsecano ‘Refugio’ Pinot Noir – $20 

The only Chilean entry on our list, Refugio, comes from the Casablanca Valley of Chile and is a tribute to the skill of the winery given the challenge in growing the pinot noir grape. It is also a living testament to the industry’s growth worldwide; the vineyard’s oenological advisor, Frenchman Dominique Derain—himself from Burgundy—was trained as a barrel maker before developing his own interest in winemaking. 

He runs his own house in France and has worked with Montsecano to develop this entry-level pinot as the largest cuveé in their catalog, with an annual production of about 10,000 bottles of this crisp, clean wine. Another distinguishing characteristic of wines from Bodega Montsecano: the house where the wines are made was designed by Marc Nomblot, who also invented the ovoid concrete vats the vineyard uses in place of the traditional barrels. 

Shielded by the earth and the mild temperatures of the region, and by a process that focuses on the skill of the winemakers rather than machines and technology (grapes are hand-harvested), this bottle marks a winery that will only grow in reputation. 

2019 Hanzell Vineyards Sebella Pinot Noir – $25

While some pinots require patience, this offering from Hanzell Vineyards is a pinot with a savory, classic taste ready to drink today that only promises to grow in complexity in the coming years. 

Aged for nine months in French oak, this Pinot offers a bright and fruity finish that has consistently scored in the 90s from publications as diverse as Wine Enthusiast to James Suckling to Wine Spectator. The vineyard itself is a family-owned enterprise, begun in the 1950s by American Ambassador to Italy James Zellerbach. 

After spending time in Burgundy, he returned to California and planted only two types of grapes: chardonnay and pinot noir. There were only a few hundred acres of each variety planted in the United States at the time. But the region he picked for his new enterprise, sitting at the southwestern end of the Sonoma Valley, is today one of California and the world’s premier locations for viticulture. 

2019 Landmark Vineyards Overlook Pinot Noir – $25

This unique and remarkably consistent pinot noir represents literally a combination of old and new practices and some of the best grapes from the cool climates of three California wine regions. 

A blend of 53% Monterey County, 46% Sonoma County, and 1% Santa Barbara grapes, and then aged for ten months in oak barrels, a quarter of which are brand new, the Overlook Pinot Noir is a favorite of both the Decanter Wine Awards and Wine and Spirits magazine. And in non-pandemic times, Landmark Vineyards offers one of the best winery visit experiences. 

Based at the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains on the corner of Adobe Canyon Road and HWY 12 in Sonoma Valley, their Kenwood Estate tastings offer the chance to try not only their mainstay bottles like Overlook, but also smaller production chardonnays and pinot noirs available only by visiting the winery. 

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The 5 Best Pinot Noirs Under $25

1. 2018 Zorzal Gran Terroir Pinot Noir 
2. 2018 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
3. 2019 Montsecano ‘Refugio’ Pinot Noir 
4. 2019 Hanzell Vineyards Sebella Pinot Noir
5. 2019 Landmark Vineyards Overlook Pinot Noir