ANDERSON VALLEY (California), April 22 — The most interesting California pinot noir producers today seem to continually push out toward the fringes. In that, they are following in the footsteps of Josh Jensen, the founder of Calera Wine Co.

Back in the 1970s, Jensen, inspired by his passion for Burgundy, sought Burgundian sorts of limestone soils in which to plant pinot noir. His quest eventually pushed him to the Gabilan Mountains in San Benito County, well isolated from other vineyards, pinot noir or not. The great success of his wines over the 40 years since he planted his first vines has vindicated Jensen’s vision.

A thirst for great pinot noir has driven other growers to similarly remote areas. The most interesting areas for California pinot noir today include the Anderson Valley and points north in Mendocino County, the extreme western edges of the Sonoma coast, the craggy hillsides of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Rita Hills in the western limits of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County.

Although the most significant growth in the Santa Rita Hills has occurred over the past 10 to 15 years, it was also the site of one of Santa Barbara’s most important early plantings, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, established in the early 1970s. Back then, most of the pioneering work in Santa Barbara County took place in the Santa Ynez Valley to the east of US Highway 101 and to the north, in the Santa Maria Valley, where Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat has set a consistent standard for well-balanced California pinot noir for more than 30 years.

In the mid-1990s, more vineyards were planted in the Santa Rita Hills as newcomers came to believe that this seemingly inhospitable windswept, foggy western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley might be just the right place for grapes like pinot noir and chardonnay. The steady growth accelerated after the 2004 movie “Sideways” sang its rhapsody for pinot noir and the Santa Ynez Valley. By that time, the federal authorities had approved “Santa Rita Hills” as an official American Viticultural Area, although it is now rendered on labels as “Sta. Rita Hills” to avoid legal conflict with Chile’s huge Santa Rita winery.

The wines themselves were divisive. The dominant style for California pinot noir in the first decade of the 21st century was opulent and powerful, with sweet, flamboyant fruit flavours and thick, plush textures. Most Santa Rita Hills pinot noirs were squarely in this style, which proved popular with some critics but alienated others. More recently, many producers throughout California have gravitated toward freshness, elegance and finesse, characteristics that historically helped to make pinot noir distinctive.

In an effort to see where Santa Rita Hills pinot noir stood today, the wine panel recently surveyed 20 bottles, largely from the 2012 vintage, although a few ‘13s were included. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Marika Vida, wine director for the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South, and Tina Vaughn, the proprietor with her husband, Chip Smith, of the Simone on the Upper East Side.

We were all pleased by the diversity of styles that we found. Many of the wines were still in the dense and extravagant camp, but just as many were fresh and vivacious, and quite a few fell somewhere in between.

For me, what came through was a continued sense of bold exploration and experimentation. This is still a new region, where very few producers were making wine even 20 years ago. Beyond the more immediate fluctuations in style, they are still discovering the character of their sites and the best methods for managing the vineyards and making the wines.

We also found that, as many different labels as there are, it’s a smaller community that makes the wines, with many winemakers overlapping several labels.

Overall, it will be fascinating to see where the wines of the Santa Rita Hills go as the vineyards mature and the producers settle in with a wealth of experience. It’s clear from the diversity of styles that the character of most of the wines is dictated more by human inclination rather than the imperatives of terroir. But one common feature, a powerful acidity, does seem to come through regardless of style. It will be interesting to watch whether other characteristics of the land unfold.

Tasting Report

Signs of Maturity

Best Value: Melville Santa Rita Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2012 (3 stars): Pale and restrained, with focus, finesse and earthy, peppery flavours of red fruit. US$30 (RM109)

Chanin Santa Rita Hills La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 (3 stars): Well balanced, with aromas and flavours of red fruit, herbs and minerals. US$62

Lutum Santa Rita Hills La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 (2-1/2 stars): Delicate, well structured and pretty, with aromas and flavours of flowers and red fruit. US$55

Wenzlau Santa Rita Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2012 (2-1/2 stars): Taut and focused, with lean, lightly sweet flavours of red fruit. US$49

Transcendence Santa Rita Hills F Street Pinot Noir 2013 (2-1/2 stars): Dark yet restrained, with flavours of red berries and minerals. US$30

Domaine de la Côte Santa Rita Hills Bloom’s Field Pinot Noir 2012 (2-1/2 stars): Juicy, spicy and chewy, with lightly sweet flavours of red fruit; needs time. US$73

Lompoc Wine Co. Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2012 (2 stars): Likable and easygoing, with straightforward flavours of herbs and red fruit. US$20

Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Machado Pinot Noir 2012 (2 stars): Concentrated, with slightly exotic flavours of sweet red fruit and spices. US$75

Foxen Santa Rita Hills John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 (2 stars): Well balanced, with lingering flavours of licorice, earth and red fruit. US$48

Three Sticks Santa Rita Hills The James Pinot Noir 2012 (2 stars): Flavours of sweet red fruit balanced by strong acidity. US$55

What the Stars Mean: Ratings, up to four stars, reflect the panel’s reaction to the wines, which were tasted with names and vintages concealed. The wines represent a selection generally available in good retail shops and restaurants and on the Internet. Prices are those paid in the New York region.

Tasting coordinator: Bernard Kirsch — New York Times