It’s hard to find affordable pinot noir that’s actually good. This bottle nails it.
Famously fickle, pinot noir has an iconic place in wine history, producing some of the most beguiling and sought-after wines on earth.
Some wine grapes have more cachet than others, and pinot noir ranks high on the list. However, this variety only makes good wine in a handful of small regions on earth, and it’s very difficult to execute well at affordable prices. That’s why this bargain from Oregon is such a great find — a simple, crushable pinot noir at a very tempting price.
As the red grape of France’s Burgundy region, pinot noir has an iconic place in wine history, producing some of the most beguiling and sought-after wines on earth. Its vines are famously fickle, making more interesting wines in cooler regions and losing character in the warmer climates favored by most American vintners. Pinot noir is also more frustrating to grow than its peers, thanks to lower fruit yields per vine and thin-skinned berries, which are more susceptible to rot and insect pests.
As a result of supply-and-demand mismatch, there are plenty of pinot noirs priced under $20, but they tend to be disappointing in one way or another. Those from colder places tend to taste sour and weedy, while those from hotter places taste flat and syrupy, lacking the snappy charm the grape is known for.
Oregon is one of the best places to grow pinot noir and, as the region’s winemaking matures, there are more options like this one emerging in the value tier that keep the winemaking simple without losing the magic of the grape. This bottling features pinot noir’s classic red fruit flavors of fresh strawberries and raspberry sorbet, with an aromatic undercurrent of tarragon and grilled lemons.
Westmount Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon
13.6% ABV
PLCB Item #88731
On sale for $15.99 through Nov. 1 (regularly $17.99)
No alternate retail locations within 50 miles of Philadelphia, according to Wine-Searcher.com.
