Wines of April 2024

    We are going to have a brief discussion about Pinot Noir. 

This popular red grape originated in Burgundy but has spread across the New World. Like its white Burgundian counterpart Chardonnay, Pinot Noir is early-budding, early-ripening and thin-skinned. The sites where it tends to thrive can experience tough growing conditions, which lead to more rigorous fruit selection and lower yields. This is one of the reasons that high-quality Pinot Noir often carries a higher price tag than other wines.

The variety enjoys cool climates and grows best in calcareous soils, marl and loam. Pinot Noir is known for its bright red fruit flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, as well as floral notes. Its structure is friendly to many wine lovers: light in body, low in tannins, with good acidity. Pronounced earthiness can be found in Old World versions, like those of red Burgundy, whereas riper fruit-forward flavors are typical of New World styles, which are found in cool pockets of California and Oregon. The wines are juicy and approachable in their youth, but the best versions can develop elegant complexity as they age.

Sometimes called the Heartbreak Grape due to problems growing the grape to get the full flavor from it.

Often the juice is kept on the skins for a longer time to get more color and flavor. Or some of the lightly colored juice is pulled off to become a Rose.

Inexpensive Pinot Noir spoiled the grape for me.  They are light, lack body and depth and generally are a little disappointing.  It seems, you have to start at around $35 to get real Pinot that gives you the version of the wine. Yes, I am reviewing a wine at $20 – but it was over $60 to start with.

So, I have several Pinot Noirs in the list for April. Hope you enjoy!

2013 Siduri Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA

Winemaker Adam Lee goes big on this bottling from the vineyard planted by the two Garys (Pisoni and Franscioni), showing bacon fat, blackberries and graphite on the nose. Once sipped, it veers more tart, with cranberry and just-ripe raspberry picking up some complexity from thyme herbs. 93 Pts WE

94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

I was blown away by the 2013 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard. It's a gorgeously complete, balanced and still structured 2013 that offers rocking notes of cassis, black cherry, crushed rock and forest floor to go with a medium to full-bodied, textured and concentrated feel on the palate. Easily one of the riper, larger framed and powerful wines in the lineup, it nevertheless has the fruit to drink nicely today. It should be at its best from 2017-2023.

I got this wine under cost. I took the chance it hadn’t gone bad. It had not gone bad – it was an incredible wine – felt much heavier than a Pinot Noir, but had classic red fruits, hints of earth and rocks and a full mouthfeel. So good and I got it for $20 on close-out. (Orig cost over $40).

2019 Contrade Negroamaro, Puglia, Italy

 The 2019 Contrade Negroamaro is a red wine from Puglia, Southern Italy. It’s made primarily from the Negroamaro grape variety. Here are some details about this wine.

Tasting Notes: The wine has intense aromas of cherry and blueberry jam, cocoa, licorice, and floral fumes. On the palate, it is round with a warm structure and silky smooth tannins.

Flavor Profile: Expect black fruit notes such as blackberry, plum, and dark fruit.

Got this around $10 on close out- a nice every day drinking wine. Nice acidity to go with foods, very little tannins, but a good mouthfeel. Well worth the price I paid for it.

 

2018 Kaiken Terrior series, Mendoza, Argentina

Condensed berry and plum aromas are slightly green, with notable oak giving off a maple-like scent. On the palate, this blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Petit Verdot is full and saturated but blocky. Jammy blackberry and prune flavors are a bit lazy and heavy, while this remains jammy and lightly desiccated on the finish.

Not as bright tasting as the older brother to this wine. Felt a bit dull on the palate – nice red and black fruits but  a hint of flabbiness. Got it at around $13, so not bad but not a favorite of mine.

 

2020 Stoke’s Ghost Petite Sirah,  Monterrey, CA

Without Petite Sirah the California wine industry would look vastly different. Since its arrival from France in the late 1800s, Petite Sirah has provided the color, flavor, and backbone to many of the state's most popular reds. Stokes’ Ghost explores the more complex aspects of this wonderfully powerful grape. Inky black in color, it delivers haunting aromatics, commanding flavors, and red velvet tannins.

Fresh if somewhat tart aromas of violet, lavender and cracked pepper show on the nose of this bottling. The palate carries that floral line forward with more lavender as well as blueberry-candy flavors, as tannins rise into the finish. 90 WE

These bottles were closed out and I grabbed one before they went at $15. This is a powerful wine, with black and red fruits and hints of floral tones. Enough body and acidity to go with grilled items, gotta love this wine.

2022 Daou Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robbles, CA

This is a complete package of a Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of snappy lime, apple flesh and rainy cement click the variety's main boxes, while the palate is firmly structured, presenting flavors of lime, ash and tropical grasses. 90 Pts WE

Lovely and bright—a quintessential rendition of Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc. Tantalizing aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, gooseberry and quince reveal floral impressions of lemongrass and acacia, all balanced by notes of lychee and wet stone. The palate is classily structured and elegantly styled, displaying crisp, juicy fruit flavors that burst across the palate, including lemon chiffon, key lime pie and kiwi accented with green apple, white nectarine and pineapple. Decisively refreshing, this wine finishes clean with lingering notes of dragon fruit, passionfruit and citrus.

A nice Sauvignon Blanc – I just cannot get over excited about these wines. Priced around $16, worth the price with a crisp palate of green apple, exotic fruits and pineapple. I just can’t see spending more than $25 on this type of wine…

2020 Poggio Landi Rosso di Montalcino, Italy

Notes of red berries, flowers and spice with an elegance that envelops the palate. A young and lively wine that asserts its identity with its terroir. 

91           James Suckling

Notes of red plums and cherries with dried orange peel, spices and wet stones. Firm and chewy on the palate with a nice grip of polished tannins and a toned fruit character. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Very much a food wine, dominated with red fruits and a hint of baking spices. Not bad, though it runs about $24, you might do better.

2017 Milbrandt Merlot, Wahluke Slope, WA

Aromas of vanilla, shaved coconut and baking spice are at the fore, with the oak taking over. Dark fruit and barrel intermingle on the palate. The oak completely steals the show. 87 Pts WE

A tasty wine, although I think it only has a few years left on it. Dark black and red fruits dominate the palette , while a little oak shows in the aftertaste. Tannins are mostly gone – currently $20 at the store.

 

2021 Bouchard Aine & Fils Pinot Noir Rose, France

100 % Pinot Noir.              Colour: Elegant light raspberry pink.

Nose: Fresh red fruits flavours (raspberry, strawberry), with citrus notes (grapefruit, tangerine) and English candy.

Palate: A frank and supple attack. The mouth is fulfilled by a sense of tension, an unctuous character and a light sweetness. A refreshing, harmonious and fruity wine, ending on persistent and acidulous notes.

Enjoy as an aperitif, with thinly sliced Serrano ham, a mix of garden vegetables and all summer dishes such as a grilled white meat, a filet of pork in curry sauce, grilled prawns, tapas, and mixed salads.

Bright millennial pink in the glass, this wine has a nose offering calamansi, Valencia orange and watermelon rind. Juicy, crisp flavors combine watermelon, strawberry and Meyer lemon acidity, with a line of crushed chalk on the finish. FIONA ADAMS                88 Pts WE Best Buy

This rosé is incredibly light in aromas, with hints of white cranberry and underripe strawberry on the nose and mouth. There's pleasant acidic lift to the palate, and it's otherwise a short and breezy quaff.

The ultimate porch pounder – a pleasant tasty wine that can go with light meals or just great on the back porch watching sunsets. Priced at $10, a wine that you need by the case.

2022 Blicks Lane Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand

This has a vibrant bouquet of ripe red fruits with underlying earthy tones and subtle spicy oak. The palate displays layers of delicate fruit and savory characters, balanced with gentle acidity and fine tannins. A very stylish and appealing Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand; light bodied and dry, smokey and leathery with notes of bright ripe strawberry and raspberry, hints of purple flowers, vanilla, and stone, with sublte oaky undertones, balanced acidity, soft tannins, and a long pleasant finish. Certified Organic and Vegan

A pleasant, light bodied Pinot Noir – red fruits with a touch of earth dominate the palate. Finish was only mpderate – nice but not really memorable – priced around $20

2021 Domaine de Suremain Mercurey, Burgundy, France

The nose of this wine offers freshness and concentrated blackberry, Amarena cherry, rose complemented with a perfect amount of oak spice for depth. The palate offers similar concentration with mouthwatering acidity that provides energetic lift. Hard not to enjoy now. 92 Pts WE

"Pure and elegant, offering cherry, currant, strawberry and mineral flavors allied with a sleek, vibrant structure. Reveals refined tannins, with a long, complex finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,000 cases made, 450 cases imported. "

92 pts Wine Spectator

This is a great example of French Burgundian Pinot Noir. Black and red fruits including dark cherries fill your mouth and then minerality to make a complete mouthfeel. Light tannins but a long finish. What Pinot should be like – priced about $40.

2022 Brooks Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

A dazzling and complex red fruit-driven Pinot Noir. Elegant notes of candied violets on the nose, with bright and vibrant notes of cranberry, wild strawberry, and red currant on the palate with a saline umeboshi plum finish.

Comprised of pinot noir grapes from the following vineyards: Muska-Bement, Crannell, Muska, Yamhill, York Hill, Eola Springs, Sunset Ridge, Hyland, Sunny Mountain, Temperance Hill, and Fayetta.

3,500 cases were produced!

A stunning example of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied with notes of cherry cola and blueberry on the nose and a delicious salted caramel and cherry compote finish.

Heavier than the earlier New Zealand Pinot, this was moderate bodied, with red fruits with a nice acidity.  Good for an Oregon Pinot, priced around $35. 

2021 MacRostie Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California

Smooth, complete and nicely fruity, this full-bodied wine shows fresh red and black cherries, dark plums and subtle oak spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and cedar, while moderate tannins aid the appetizing texture. 91 Pts WE

90           Wine Spectator

Fresh and crunchy in feel, with vibrant pomegranate and damson plum notes laced with rose petal and savory accents, all allied to a light, wiry frame. Should sleek out a bit with age, while staying on the light-bodied edge of the spectrum.

Finally, a California Pinot Noir – flavors were more toward dark red fruit flavors with some baking spices. Drank very well with food, it showed nicely with the Oregon and French wines. Priced around $40, not bad for this well built of wine.

Hope this finds everyone well. Until next month, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.