Best Pinot Noirs Under $25
From LoveToKnow Wine
It's Flaky, Fickle, Fussy, and Hedonistic. It's Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is the high-maintenance grape that demands fawning attention and unmitigated devotion. It's fussy about weather. It's sensitive to handling with the thin skins bruising easily. A winemaker can pull out all stops to make the best possible wine but then, for no apparent reason, the Pinot Noir will throw a tantrum, become defiant, and behave unpredictably. The result can be an expensive bottle of devastating disappointment or one delivering delicious hedonistic delirium. Besides the indulgent alliteration, therein lies the expensive rub. Because of the high degree of care and kid-glove handling combined with low vineyard yields, Pinot Noir, good Pinot Noir, leans towards the expensive side, making it difficult to find silky and bewitching ones for less than $15. But if one can increase their budget upwards to $25, the Pinot world opens up with opportunities.
There's the Classic French Grape, and then all Others
We'll exclude the French Burgundies due to price and lack of accessibility in the U.S., not because we don't love them. Pinot Noir is gaining regard in New Zealand, but there's a dearth of it to be found and they can be pricey. In fact, Pinot Noir is gaining ground in other wine-growing countries of the New World as winemakers learn to deal with this problem-child grape. No, we will focus on the Pinot Noirs that are readily obtainable in the U.S. and that represent the best tasting values less than $25. For that reason we will focus on California and Oregon Pinots.
California for Intense Pinots, Oregon for Finesse and Persuasive Pinots
Californians have learned that Pinot Noir is not Cabernet Sauvignon and have adjusted to growing and making wine with it. Pinot Noir in general requires cooler climates and regions getting Pacific maritime air have proven the best for California Pinot Noir. The best Pinot Noirs in general come from Sonoma County, Carneros, Mendocino County, and the Central Coast regions that include Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. The best appellations to look for are Santa Maria Valley, Russian River Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley, Pinnacles, and Santa Lucia Highlands. We won't bother to list any particular vineyard since most single-vineyard estate wine will probably be get jacked up to $30 and over. Oregon Pinots on the other hand tilt toward a French Burgundy in character. If California cranks up the sun to ripen the grapes, Oregon often needs to take their grapes to a tanning salon for treatment and strain for ripeness. Consequently a good Oregon Pinot may give one the impression of the Côte-d'Or rather than Willamette Valley. Other noteworthy Oregon AVA's are Umpqua Valley, Rogue Valley, and Walla Walla Valley.
One more thing, don't think this is not a definitive list, it's just a start.
California Pinot Dreamin'
The following are some reliable choices that can be counted on in your search for Pinot happiness in a bottle.
Pinot Noir Carneros, 2003/2004. $25. Acacia is a Carneros winery that consistently produces stellar Pinot Noir since they began in 1979, one of the earliest to experiment with the varietal in this region just north of San Pablo Bay. The winery's Pinot Noirs are noted for their typical Carneros' style of silky textures, spicy berry flavors, tight structure, and earthy characters.
Pinot Noir, Le Bon Climat, Santa Maria Valley, 2003. $25-$30. Okay, if you find any Pinot Noir from Au Bon Climat at $25, it is strictly serendipity. Jim Clendenen is the maverick winemaker and his wines win accolades without breaking a sweat. Besides Au Bon Climat's own, Clendenen sources grapes from some of the best vineyards to make unique Pinot Noir that show black cherries, earthy musk, spice, oak, and are balanced in structure. Most will run above $30 but, if serendipity strikes, take heed and grab it.
Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, 2003. $25. Byron is another Santa Maria Valley winery. Their Pinot Noir wines are complex and dark cherry thing that show finesse and silkiness. The current winemaker, Jonathan Nagy, was handed the reins from the winery's pioneer, Ken Brown, and continues making wines in the Burgundian style.
Pinot Noir Central Coast, 2003. $20. Calera's winery is on top of the San Andreas Fault in the Mt. Harlan AVA. This is up in the Gavilan Mountains south of Hollister and east of Salinas. Calera knows something no one else knows since there are no other wineries around them. The Central Coast version of their Pinots is a launching point for their higher priced versions but this is a good place to start. Supple, earthy, with good berry and plum fruit, and balanced structure.
Pinot Noir Mendocino County, 2004 $12. Castle Rock in fact operates as a nègociant, getting excessive wine production from unnamed but reputable wineries, bottling it and sticking the Castle Rock label on it. I've found some amazing Pinot Noirs ranging from $12-$18 for wines from Mendocino, Willamette Valley, Santa Barbara, and Russian River Valley. Don't think twice. Great values.
Pinot Noir Sonoma, 2004. $25. David Bruce is a retired dermatologist who makes great Pinot Noir. Their winery is located in Los Gatos, CA up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The winemaking team sources grapes from both Northern and Central California wine regions. The Sonoma version blends Pinot Noir from Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley.
Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, 2004 $25. Yes, Davy Crockett makes wine, makes very good wine in their Santa Barbara County winery near the town of Los Olivos. Try their Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County.
Pinot Noir Anderson Valley, 2003. $25. A good ambassador for Anderson Valley Pinots. Juicy cherry fruit with spices, floral hints, and toasted oak.
Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, 2004 $25. Hartford is family-owned winery in the Russian River Valley AVA that specializes in Pinot Noir. The Sonoma Coast version is their entry level Pinot and aromatic and complex with deep dark berry fruit, spices, soft tannins, and elegant structure.
Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, 2004. $20. La Crema is a Russian River Valley winery that makes handcrafted wines in an artisan way. Their style shows heavier oak than many other Pinot producers but nevertheless, is an excellent example of Pinots from this region. The Sonoma Coast version is laden with cherries and plums with rustic leather, tar, and sedated tannins.
Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, 2004. $20. Fred MacMurray often pops up in classic late-night movies, was the Absent-minded Professor for awhile for Disney, and was the quintessential father on television in the 1950s-1960s. He also had a getaway from Hollywood with his ranch up in Sonoma County. Who knew? Today, Fred's daughter, Kate MacMurray, lives on the ranch and aids MacMurray Ranch in making some excellent and affordable Pinot Noir. The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a delicious example of the region at a good price.
Pinot Noir Mendocino, 2004. $16. Philo. That's where Navarro Vineyards is located up in Mendocino's Anderson Valley. If this were labeled strictly Anderson Valley the price would not be $16. Don't let the label fool you, these Pinot grapes are from Anderson Valley, grown on family-owned vineyards and the wine produced is a family-owned winery. Navarro is not often found in stores but you can order direct and the $16 gets more than you bargain for. Nice aroma of cherries, lavender, and woodsy cedar finishes with a bright tautness.
Oregon's Pinot Noir
The best Pinot Noirs in Oregon generally come from the North and South Willamette Valley and Yamhill County. However, don't discount Umpqua Valley or Rogue Valley wines. It's also fun to fool around and compare an Oregon Pinot with a California Pinot. Naturally, each state's Pinot experts will show a slight bias for their own.
Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 2005 $18-$20. Argyle makes eclectic and euphoric Oregon Pinots that are bright with dark cherry-berry flavors, and smoke. Very consistent. Also check out their sparkling wines that will catch your fancy.
Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2004. $20-$25. Adelsheim has been a top-flight Pinot Noir producer since 1978. Their Willamette Valley version is about the only one that can be found under $25.
Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley. $20. Besides the very good Pinots, Anne Amie has a great label.
Pinot Noir, Oregon, 2004 $20-$25. King Estate is located to the east of Eugene in Central Oregon. Their Pinots lean more towards red berry fruit with spices and balanced structure.
Pinot Noir Tavola, 2004. $20. Ponzi is located in Dundee in Willamette Valley and is family-run winery. The Tavola is a blend of grapes from several vineyards in the valley. Ponzi wines follow the typical Oregon profile this bright with cherry and dark berry fruit, spices, soft tannins, and some earthi-ness.
Pinot Noir, Oregon. Rex Hill is in the Northern Willamette Valley close in to Portland. They make delicious Pinots but like most, can put pressure on one's credit limit. You may be able to find some of their Oregon Pinots around $20. Another bet is to find their Kings Estate Pinots which are a low-end brand that should run about $15.
Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2004. $20. Torii Mor crafts elegant and fruit-laden wines with earthy characteristics.
Comments
I really adore the Clos du Bois Shiraz - 2004 or 2005. It runs anywhere from $11 to $15 a bottle. When my local grocery store has it on sale, I stock up. It's distinct and wonderful all by itself. Has anyone else loved this wine?
-- Contributed by: robineggThis page has been accessed 15,272 times. This page was last modified 21:25, 11 March 2008.
© 2006-2008 LoveToKnow Corp.
