Cambria, Bench Break Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
Cambria · California › Santa Maria Valley › United States of America
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
88
/100
Reviews
21
professional
Vintages
No vintages
NV
Community Reviews
2828
Reviews
88.0
Avg Score
92
Highest
Taster #9849
· Oct 14, 2022
Past its drinking window.
2013 vintage
Taster #1734
· Apr 28, 2019
90/100
Garnet core and showing a bit of age now with a faint amber rim. The nose is vegetal and fruity in equal proportions. Whole cluster/ partial whole cluster?Cranberry, red delicious apple skin, and cacao. Serious acidity and minerality. Hint of spice. Med+ tannin. Would buy again.
2013 vintage
Taster #2832
· Jan 17, 2018
92/100
A good Pinot from the Santa Maria valley . As a 2007 what could be bad . Any wine this old needs time to air out. This Pinot was no different, good the long it sat out . Soft earth tone with great vanilla tones . Wish I had more .
2013 vintage
Taster #7132
· Nov 11, 2017
Great bargain. Drinks above price point.
2013 vintage
Taster #4234
· Nov 3, 2017
89/100
Med purple. Nose of black cherry, black currant, touch of fig, spice and stone. Taste is med acid, alcohol and finish. Black and red cherry, prune, leather and brick. Nice mouthy Pinot without overindulging the fruit. Good now till early '18 I think.
2013 vintage
Taster #4983
· Oct 17, 2017
87/100
Drank at 67 Nice everyday drinker
2013 vintage
Taster #2298
· Aug 24, 2017
90/100
An easy 90. Got at Costco on a closeout at under $10. Better, much better than Julia's version ... not as 'sweet'. Solid, quality pinot. Although my name isn't Mike ... Mikely likes it!
2013 vintage
Taster #8308
· Aug 14, 2017
90/100
Very nice Pinot Noir. Better versions found at the winery, but for a mass produced pinot priced under $20, can't be beat!
2013 vintage
Taster #5943
· Jul 28, 2017
Not sure where I got this CA PN.
2013 vintage
Taster #7081
· Jul 17, 2017
88/100
When I want an authentic, c-noir from Santa Maria Valley that isn't over priced, over the top, or just too much in your face, I drink this stuff. STILL, lets not kid ourselves, this a a juicy c-noir - no subtle O-noir earth here.....
2013 vintage
Taster #3444
· Jun 17, 2017
90/100
Very nice Pinot Noir, not too watery and not too thick.
2013 vintage
Taster #3041
· Mar 23, 2017
89/100
PnP. Had a glass and let it air for 2hrs in the glass and topped up with some that had cooled in the fridge. Dark clear garnet with clear rim. Cherry raspberry pomegranate rhubarb and dusty blackberrry on the nose. Prickly green tea and cherry skin tannin with medium(-) weight. Crunchy ripe red fruits with some pomegranate bite to keep it in check. Lingering ripe yet slightly bitter pleasant finish. Would be better with food like salmon and could handle …
2013 vintage
Taster #4345
· Feb 23, 2017
89/100
Very strong Pinot. Strong tannins that lasted through the finish. Great legs! This is not a light weight Pinot.
2013 vintage
Taster #5264
· Feb 14, 2017
82/100
This is way overly sewn ( aka ... Dr. Pepper ) .... life is too short to drink sweet Pinot .... it blows much of the sweetness off after 24 hrs ...but why tolerate sweet Pinot ...note to self --skip this brand in future Death to sweet Pinot's ...
2013 vintage
Taster #3973
· Jan 27, 2017
78/100
Don't like
2013 vintage
Taster #0321
· Nov 6, 2016
88/100
Strawberry, cherry and spices on the nose and palate, soft, easy, balanced well with acid, lush mouth feel, youthful and energetic, some cocoa nuances carry the finish away
2013 vintage
Taster #4197
· Nov 2, 2016
medium plum red brownish tan, medium clarity, slight brickish hue Nose: raspberry, plum, clove, cigar, cola, vanilla, green herbs, dark chocolate, coffee, white pepper, wet earth, smoke, stem, oak Pal: raspberry, plum, cigar, cola, clove, dark chocolate, silver, vanilla, green herbs, coffee, white pepper, wet earth, smoke, stem, oak Feel: medium, savory Finish: medium T7C8
2013 vintage
Taster #6503
· Oct 16, 2016
89/100
Tasty red cherry, spice, and vanilla on the nose and palate with moderate finish.
2013 vintage
Taster #2659
· Oct 15, 2016
Middle of the road PN. Decent quaffer for $20.
2013 vintage
Taster #1677
· Sep 3, 2016
88/100
Very competent Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir. Not as fruit forward as the more common Julia's Vinyard offering from Cambria, but more restrained in the French style. Needs some aeration to fully open up. Subtle nose of earth and cherry with herbal spice notes. Nothing over the top here, yet the bottle empties steadily as the evening progresses--one of our gages of a good wine. Won't be our last purchase of this one!
2013 vintage
Taster #5159
· May 19, 2016
Great aroma and good body.
2013 vintage
Taster #3943
· Mar 27, 2016
88/100
Lush fruit early on, faded after a couple hours. Drink by 2017
2013 vintage
Taster #1278
· Dec 7, 2015
89/100
Solid wine. Abundant black and raspberry on the nose. Good balance and acidity. Moderate finish on the back side. Very drinkable now - likely to peak in another couple years.
2013 vintage
Taster #1800
· Sep 4, 2015
85/100
Made in the smoky-earthy-fruity style--not a fruit bomb. I like both styles. This had good fruit under the smoke and a nice nose.
2013 vintage
Taster #3853
· Aug 28, 2015
86/100
Light red color with limited tannin. Light cherry notes with limited finale. I thought this wine lacked a bit of character and complexity.
2013 vintage
Taster #9651
· Jul 21, 2013
90/100
Not the most powerful compared to other Cambria offerings, but very balanced with nice acidic backbone and interesting structure. Vanilla on the nose, cherry pits on the palate.
2011 vintage
Taster #3847
· Oct 22, 2012
92/100
Really great berries, nice balance, tannic structure unobtrusive. Can't beat it for the price point. One of my favorites, and the Cambria 2008 Pinots are really consistent across the board.
2008 vintage
Taster #8477
· May 21, 2009
Hinting at starting to fade. color was brownish near the rim and near the end of the bottle the tannins took a steep decline but... Still plenty of big, juicy cherry flavors backed by light musty earth, spices and calcareous minerals.
2002 vintage