Hi! Today, in anticipation of The Big Dinner next week, we compare five pinot noirs, all of which I purchased at Total Wine:
- $11: Castle Rock Monterey County, California, 2010
- $17: Cloud Break Reserve, Santa Lucia Highlands, California, 2011
- $22: Coelho, Willamette Valley Oregon, 2011
- $14: Harbor Front, California Coastal, 2012
- $18: Mark West Carneros, Sonoma, California, 2010
Here is how they ranked, based on taste combined with value:
1. The Clear Winner (Value + Taste): Castle Rock Monterey 2010 ($11). Wow! This unassuming pinot has a perfectly legit pinot taste, on the heavier side of light bodied. It is spicy, earthy, and delicious. Interesting yet easy-drinking and friendly for a pinot noir, Castle Rock is priced surprisingly low. Many stores in the U.S. are only charging $9.99. Very impressive.
2. The Best Tasting (Regardless of Price): Mark West Carneros 2010 ($18). Spicier than Castle rock, with more attack and higher interest. More delicious than Castle Rock, but more expensive. Has a little more tartness, and isn’t quite as friendly, but it’s better wine.
3. Most Interesting, But…. Coelho, Oregon 2011 ($22). Coming from Oregon, this pinot noir has more earth, more mushroom, more “forest” and a more interesting, unique taste. However, it is also a bit tart and acidic. Not friendly, I would call this high-quality pinot noir a risk for Thanksgiving.
4. Nice Bottle. Cloud Break, Santa Lucia 2011 ($17). This one has a heavy bottle, which makes it feel serious. (Admittedly, this is a lame first comment about any wine. I blame Cloud Break.) Very robust for a pinot, Cloud Break is on the light side of medium-bodied. A nice blend of the typical California cherry-ish with some mild spices and herbs, it is not bad at all. Still, it’s kind of boring, and I probably would not buy it again.
5. The Professor and, Mary-Ann…. Harbor Front 2012 ($14). This one is so light, so see-through, so “almost-not-even-there”, that it simply must come in 5th place. The taste is fine, but it has some of that generic California/cherry goulash flavor, making it forgettable. This is nothing at all like the previous vintage of Harbor Front, which was a solid winner.
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Wineguider
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