We are in need of some new PNs here in the shop. Pinot Noir seems so refined, so we aren’t calling this a battle….. ;)
Join us as we sample three and get you ready for some summer red wine drinking! We will taste:
Golden West Vineyard The Promise Pinot Noir 2019, Columbia Valley, WA, 13.5% ABV — Charles Smith is the visionary winemaker behind iconic brands like K Vintners and Substance. Charles has received over 200 scores of 95 points and above and nearly 1,000 scores of 90 points and above from leading wine publications. Today, House of Smith is the largest independent and winemaker-owned winery in Washington. The newest project to be added to House of Smith is Golden West, the largest Pinot Noir planting in the history of Washington state. This Pinot Noir is complex with layers of aroma and flavor. Black raspberry, forest floor, Allspice and velvet theater drapes from the nose. Wild mushroom, limestone, suede and earth engulfs the palate. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, it has some firmer tannins. Rating: 93, James Suckling. $19.99/$7
Argyle Winery Pinot Noir 2018, Willamette Valley, OR, 13.5% ABV — Community driven, Argyle comprises more than 400 acres, with a diverse tapestry of microclimates, elevations, exposures and soil types. The winery works in extremely small lots to preserve the nuance and complexity of the estate fruit. The winemakers are continually experimenting with innovations such as skin soaking, whole clusters, harvesting at various ripeness levels and fine-tuning the dosage program. This Pinot Noir highlights the elegance and complexity of the Willamette Valley, showcasing the purity of fruit and nimble texture the region has to offer. Fermented entirely in small 1.5-ton lots and plunged by hand, it leans red cherry, pomegranate, and spiced tea. Fresh, vibrant acidity is framed with polished tannin along with classic Argyle silky texture and persistent length. We just got this on tap a few weeks ago, so will be serving from the tap. Rating: 91, Wine Spectator. $32/$8.50
Boen Tri-County Pinot Noir 2019, Santa Barbara/Sonoma/Monterey, CA, 14.8% ABV — “BÖEN is a translation of ‘The Farm’ and I chose it as a reminder to myself that the wine I make is indivisible from the land it comes from and that first and foremost, I am a farmer.” – Joseph Wagner, Winemaker
As a fifth generation Napa Valley winemaker, Joseph learned his way around a vineyard long before he was able to drink wine. By the time he was 19, he knew that he would continue his family’s winemaker legacy, working alongside his father at Caymus Vineyards. In 2001, he created Belle Glos, with a focus on vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from California’s best coastal regions. Most recently, he released BÖEN, made in his signature style of rich, ripe fruit flavors balanced with bright acidity and judicious hints of toasty oak. Flavors of bright cherry, dried herbs and hints of vanilla, is supple and sumptuous, to the finish. Fruit is sourced from vineyards in all three counties. Rating: 90 (2018), Wine.com. $26.99/$9
Se you Friday!!