11 of the Best Organic Red Wines We've Tried

The 2008 vintage of pinot noir if Domaine Carneros' first made with certified organic grapes – 11 varietals of pinot, almost all of which are grown on the winery's 300-acre estate at the southern tip of Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

"The thing about pinot noir is that it's so silky and elegant and ethereal," said winemaker TJ Evans, who has 15 years of experience making pinot noirs, but claims the 2008 from Domaine Carneros as his first made from organic grapes. Unlike the cabernet sauvignons that make California famous, but can take a decade to mature, pinot noir is ready to drink sooner after harvest. "Cabernet in Napa is king," he said, "but pinot is queen."

Evans, who visited The Daily Green to showcase his wine in January 2011, grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, and trained at University of California-Davis and at wine-making estates in California, France, New Zealand and Chile. He's passionate about composting his way to better soil, the growing organic movement in Napa Valley and most of all pinot noir.

In the 2008 pinot noir, which is aged in French oak, he tastes black fruits (as opposed to the red berries more typical of sunny Napa) and hints of sandalwood and cinnamon. We enjoyed the company and the wine.

$36 at wine.com.