American Pinot Noirs under $25

Here is a selection of American Pinot Noirs under $25 that are, for the most part, widely available. Some are from such familiar names as Acacia and Saintsbury, two Carneros mainstays; others here are from smaller artisanal wineries including Stephen Ross, Calera, and L’Automne (this from lauded winemaker Wells Guthrie of Copain). The smaller production wines may be harder to find.

2006 Ato Z Oregon Pinot Noir. This vibrant wine leads with delicate cherry blossom scents, with just a hint of smoked tea. The flavors are lively, with vibrant, brisk red cherry fruit, ample but buoyed by fresh acids. About $18 at Flask Fine Wines, Studio City, (818) 761-5373, www.flaskfinewines.com; Red Carpet Wine, Glendale, (800) 339-0609, www.redcarpetwine.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, www.wallywine.com.

2005 Acacia Carneros Pinot Noir. This classic from Carneros offers aromas of strawberries, red cherry and herbs.. The red fruit flavors are accented by a fine clay-like minerality. About $20 at Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454, manhattanfinewines.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, www.winex.com; and Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com.

2005 Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir. Earthy in aroma, with a scent of tea and a touch of cherry-strawberry. Its flavors are marked by dark red cherry, gathering depth with a deep, complex, soil-inflected finish. About $20 at Duke of Bourbon, Canoga Park, (818) 341-1234; K&L Wine Merchants, Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; and Wine Exchange.

2006 Cambria Santa Maria Valley Julia’s Pinot Noir. Lean and mildly smoky, this wine’s light red hue belies some modest intensity, with a bright berry scent and clean, strawberry flavors. The finish hints at green herbs and a taste of the sea. About $20 at K&L Wine Merchants, Manhattan Fine Wines and Red Carpet Wine.

2006 De Loach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. This wine has a Russian River gentleness leading with scents of forest floor supporting wild strawberry. There’s plenty of red cherry flavor and modestly fleshy texture in the mid palate, focused without being weighty or florid. About $17 at most Vons and Pavilions supermarkets.

2006 L’Automne Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. A second label from Copain Winery, this is simple and straight-ahead Pinot, with a heady scent of nutmeg to go with dark berry aromas. It’s sweet and ripe on the palate, with lots of jam, and a fine dustiness to the finish. About $18 at John & Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080, www.johnandpetes.com; and the Wine House.

2006 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. This Pinot is all about cherries: scented red cherry at the outset, then a spicy, satisfying red cherry flavor marked by a hint of soil-scented earthiness in the finish. About $18 at K&L Wine Merchants, Manhattan Fine Wines and Wine Exchange.

2006 MacMurray Ranch Central Coast Pinot Noir. This wine leads with a gentle display of blue-fruit aromas, hints of boysenberry and black cherry. Its black cherry and lavender flavors are supported by a well-honed structure, for a simple, complete wine. About $17 at John & Pete’s Fine Wine & Spirits; Larchmont Village Wines, (323) 856-8699; Woodland Hills Wine Co., (818) 222-1111, www.whwc.com; and others.

2006 Ponzi Willamette Valley ‘Tavola’ Pinot Noir. From 100% Willamette Valley fruit, giving off a scent of cherries and sassafras. On the palate it’s pleasingly rustic, with a dark earthy persistence that accents flavors of red plum and Mexican chocolate. About $22 at Wally’s Wine & Spirits and Woodland Hills Wine Co.

2006 Saintsbury Carneros ‘Garnet’ Pinot Noir. Puts forth a typical Carneros aroma of fresh strawberries in a bowl. Flavors are of ripe strawberry fruit. It’s a lighter style -- simple, bright, satisfying -- and there’s no mistaking it’s Pinot. About $18 at K&L Wine Merchants, Wine Exchange, the Wine House and others.

2006 Stephen Ross Central Coast Pinot Noir. This wine has a vibrant, spicy scent of fresh cherries, with tobacco leaf and mint. It’s absolutely fresh and vivid on the palate -- with a lovely juicy quality to the red cherry fruit and a brisk finish. About $22 at the Colorado Wine Co. in Eagle Rock, (323) 478-1985, www.cowineco.com; the Wine House; and Woodland Hills Wine Co.

-- Patrick Comiskey