Boekenoogen Pinot Noir
24 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley
659-4215, www.boekenoogenwines.com
Perhaps it’s because the name is fun to say. Perhaps it’s because the brand is family-owned and operated. Or, maybe it’s because they choose not to mask the personality of this varietal with oak. The fragrant fruit in this wine is able to shine through in a way that’s unique and unlike those that cake-on the makeup. It’s safe to say that there are many reasons why they won this category. Those explicit and implicit reasons combine to help flag this wine as “complex,” creating another reason voters corner this unicorn and make it their superhero in a bottle.