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Pinot Noir question.


Skippy
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and as SLD mentioned, pinot noir can also work well

 

I am total novice with an untrained palet but what tastes good tastes good. I had my first Pinot Noir yesterday as I went and bought a sampling of several cheaper wines. I mostly went for wines that looked like they were selling and by the recommendation of people in the wine shop.

 

I purchased a Meridian 2005 Pinot Noir @ about $10.00. I did not care for it at all and neither did my wife. I actually considered not finishing it.

 

What I would like to know, if anyone does know, is if this taste is what I should expect for the most part from most Pinot’s or will a better, more expensive, selection really be a noticeable upgrade?

Edited by Skippy
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I am total novice with an untrained pallet but what tastes good tastes good. I had my first Pinot Noir yesterday as I went and bought a sampling of several cheaper wines. I mostly went for wines that looked like they were selling and by the recommendation of people in the wine shop.

 

I purchased a Meridian 2005 Pinot Noir @ about $10.00. I did not care for it at all and neither did my wife. I actually considered not finishing it.

 

What I would like to know, if anyone does know, is if this taste is what I should expect for the most part from most Pinot’s or will a better, more expensive, selection really be a noticeable upgrade?

 

 

Well, with all wine, to some degree, you get what you pay for. That said, you can get some absolutely great wines at low prices but they're fewer and farther between. I've certainly had a lot of outstanding Pinots for around $10 but I've had more subpar ones.

 

I don't know anything about Meridian but the first thing that caught my eye was the vintage. A 2005 Pinot is going to be very young that if opened now, should decant for a significant period of time (we're talking hours). Most 2005 Pinots should probably sit for a few years before opening as right now, they'll be very tight and the structure will rarely be as balanced as it will be in a few years.

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I'm even more of a novice ( i drink little wine, and when i do it's the cheap stuff).

 

We've found a cheap Reisling which we like in a Kendall Jackson. I notice they also sell a Pinot Noir for about $14 bottle. I think this was also a 2005. Worth buying? Never had Pinot Noir but would like to try it...

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i was chatting with skippy earlier and almost stated exactly what sld just said. meridian is usually ok, so wasn't sure what went wrong.. could have been storage, or possibly something on his palette before tasting. i also don't believe that pinots are the easist reds to step into.. i think they are more aquired...once the palette develops a little more..... the kj pinot should be fine (i think we tried the kj riesling last year and liked it)

 

i think that those newer to reds would have a more positive experience early on with merlot and chianti

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Cheap Pinot Noir is, frankly, something that should be avoided. There are a number of issues in play. To begin with, it's a very fickle grape that doesn't grow well in many places, so there's only so much out there and it's not cheap to make. Secondly, since the movie Sideways, it's become enormously popular so you don't get much for the money. Before that movie, you could get an OK bottle for around $10, but that same juice is commanding $15 or more now. If somebody can't command at least $15 for their Pinot in this market, it's probably for a good reason.

 

Chances are, the problem was the fact that the 2005 Meridian simply was not all that good. I don't agree that a wine like that needed to breathe as it was probably not built for aging. My guess is that it just wasn't a very good wine. Cheap pinot is typically either thin and tart or flabby and boring. Hell, pinot is a tough wine even if you open up the wallet. I can say without reservation that I have been burned by pinot about as many times as all other varietals combined. Of course, when it's great, nothing comes close, so, like golf, you come back for more.

 

If you want a wine with that flavor profile, check out an inexpensive Rioja from Spain. Jovan and Crianza level wines are often mistaken for Pinots in blind tastings and there are a ton out there for around $10 that are pretty good. In fact, there's a ton of tasty inexpensive wine on the market.

 

It's just that none of it is pinot noir.

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I've been to Meridian and they do have some fairly decent wine, but they are not known for their Pinot... in fact I don't think the Pinot grapes are theirs if I remember correctly.

 

Nearly all of the Pinot Noir that retails for $10 or less is made from grapes bought on the bulk market, not estate grown fruit. You've got to spend typically at least $20 to get estate grown pinot and $15 to get sourced fruit from one of the better regions. I'm guessing for the money that it was a "California" Pinot rather than Central Coast (where Meridian is). That means the grapes could have been from anywhere in the state and have essentially nothing to do with where Meridian itself is located. That matters less with more forgiving grapes but is still a distinction that should be noticed. The central valley in CA is known for producing a ton of very flavorless grapes, so the step down from region specific wines to CA wines can be huge.

 

Once again, that is the problem with pinot at that price point. It's just a really bad value.

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For the record, I've also had some terrible Pinots that were $50+.

 

 

They must have been from California.

 

I know a few from the willamette that I can find at Costco or on sale at a WA liquor store for $12-15 that

1.) I'd put up in a blind tasting against much more expensive wines.

2.) definitely works as an every day drinking Pinot.

 

Saturday, we hit the valley for tastings as many of the wineries had special events for their club members. Next weekend most of the wineries will be open. Many are only open two weekends / year and Thanksgiving weekend is one of them (Memorial Day weekend is the other). The roads are usually pretty crowded so a lot of the wineries do special events the weekend before for members only....anyway:

 

 

Owen Roe: Owen Roe makes solid wines from Oregon grapes but also buys many of their grapes from DeBrul and other vineyards in Eastern Washington. The highlights were the Debrul Cab and their Yakima Valley Blend. Their Abbot's Table also made its way into the case that went into my car.

 

Lemelson: I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is just a top notch Oregon Pinot maker. This special event was a vertical of their Stermer Pinot. 99-2005: Those are good years to have a vertical of Oregon Pinots...could have started a couple years earlier but every year in there was outstanding for Oregon winemakers. The 99 and 00 were amazing: drinking very well right now but they could probably sit quite a bit longer. The 01 lacked balance but the 02 brought it right back. This was probably my favorite. The 03 was typical 03: very fruit forward that will balance out over the next few years. 2003 was a huge growing year for Oregon and they set harvest records with grapes grown. They were able to pick and choose which grapes to use. (2006 should shatter 2003 harvest numbers). The 2004 brought back the traditional earth / leather flavors that most of the best Oregon Pinots are known for. This one had a lot of alcohol and tannin up front and should sit a few more years. 04 had a much smaller grape yield and so productions were smaller but after a fruity 03, many of us appreciate getting back to the earthy wines. The 05 just needs to sit for awhile. Despite having been opened for an hour, the wine was still very tight. It showed potential but I wouldn't open another bottle for at least a year or two.

 

Archery Summit: I've been a member of this winery for years and while their Pinots are definitely pricey, they typically make the grade as well. We drank the Cuvee, which is another good (almost) everyday drinking wine for around $25; the Red Hills Estate (a more mellow Pinot); the Renegade Ridge (drink if you like big reds); the Arcus (my all time favorite); and the Looney (in its 2nd bottling, this sells out quick and is very good).

 

Argyle: We stopped here last because the girls wanted to drink sparkling wines and I wasn't in any condition to argue. (The Nuthouse Pinot is another favorite but I didn't drink here). Argyle makes 5-6 sparkling wines covering a pretty large range. I'm not a big sparkling wine fan so I can't really offer any more insight.

 

Then we headed across the street to the Dundee Bistro for a good dinner. I do love living within 20 miles of the wineries!

Edited by Seattle LawDawg
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Actually, I've likely been burned more often by very high end Oregon Pinot and Burgundy than I have with CA. Mind you, when it's good, I prefer Oregon and Burgundy to CA, but the cooler climates tend to make it more hit and miss.

 

I mean, is there a more frustrating region than Burgundy?

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Actually, I've likely been burned more often by very high end Oregon Pinot and Burgundy than I have with CA. Mind you, when it's good, I prefer Oregon and Burgundy to CA, but the cooler climates tend to make it more hit and miss.

 

I mean, is there a more frustrating region than Burgundy?

 

I've been burned a few times by some Burgundies. I tend to stay away from them unless I've had them before.

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Probably the best inexpensive Pinot I have had lately would be the A to Z pinot from the Willamette Valley. It's a simple Pinot but a great value, I think I paid 9.99 for it and bought a case.

 

:D That's exactly the kind of information my cheapass is looking for. :D:bash:

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Probably the best inexpensive Pinot I have had lately would be the A to Z pinot from the Willamette Valley. It's a simple Pinot but a great value, I think I paid 9.99 for it and bought a case.

 

I can second that. Good juice indeed. A star amongst a mine field of crap.

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Lots of good reading for a guy like me in this thread. Thanks to all that have commented.

 

That Pinot that I talked about up there, (Meridian), was enjoyed by a friend of mine so maybe it is just my palette.

 

Earlier today the wife and I opened another of our cheap wines, a Beringer White Merlot, and both she and I really enjoyed this one. It was very smooth and had a very nice flavor for the novice tasters that we are. Both of us thought that we could taste a hint of cherry and both like the sweetness of this wine. It was pleasant enough that I will go out and buy some more.

 

So any of you guys that read this and understand where my palette is can feel free to suggest some tasting pleasures for us to try. I like to stay on the cheap side right now as I just don't think that my tongue deserves anything top shelf.

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Probably the best inexpensive Pinot I have had lately would be the A to Z pinot from the Willamette Valley. It's a simple Pinot but a great value, I think I paid 9.99 for it and bought a case.

 

I tried to look it up and see if the PA wine and spirits stores carry it. No luck so far as I can tell. :D

http://www.pawineandspirits.com/webapp/wcs...catalogId=10051

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I tried to look it up and see if the PA wine and spirits stores carry it. No luck so far as I can tell. :D

http://www.pawineandspirits.com/webapp/wcs...catalogId=10051

 

 

Try to get a hold of this distributor. He might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Pennsylvania

 

Artisan Selections

 

2421 Melbourne Drive

Harrisburg, PA 17112

 

714-350-0351

 

josh@artisanselections.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

Recently we've been buying and enjoying Rex Goliath Pinot Noir... for about $9.99 a bottle.

 

 

I picked up a bottle of this the other day but haven't opened it yet. It better be good mister, or you just cost me $6.99! :D:D

 

By the way, I noticed the bottle didn't even have a date on it. What kind of winery doesn't date their bottles? LOL

Edited by CaP'N GRuNGe
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