When it comes to California pinots I’m pretty skeptical, and even more so when they are from a winery that is part of a large corporate structure – Matanzas Creek is owned by the Jess Jackson empire, so this beauty both wowed and surprised me. It has a delightfully quafable, fresh-fruit quality along with a bracing acidity that made it the perfect accompaniment for the porcini tortellini in a rich sherry beef broth I drank it with. ($35)
