In the under $20 range, that is.
Pinot Noir is my favorite wine. I came to that conclusion almost immediately upon becoming a wine enthusiast. There is nothing like a great Pinot to absolutely throw your palate into a state of astonishment. I’ll help myself to a few descriptions of Pinot Noir from Wikipedia:
Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes Pinot noir as “the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic.”[2] Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls pinot “sex in a glass”.[2] Peter Richardsson of OenoStyle christened it “a seductive yet fickle mistress!”[3]
Oregon has the world’s finest Pinot Noir. I can appreciate you Burgundy region Pinot lovers, however, since wine is a completely subjective preference, I’ll stick to my Oregon guns. A Cameron Pinot (Oregon) is the best I have ever had, but at $60/ bottle, it’s not an everyday sort of wine. Most California Pinot is either low-priced plonk or overpriced mediocre Pinot. Montoya Pinot Noir, at $11/ bottle, is a good California everyday Pinot.
In Victoria, Australia they also make Pinot Noir. This week my wine man, Dave, at my favorite and fabulous local wine retailer, recommended that I try a 2008 Permutations Pinot Noir that he just started shipping to the store. Almost immediately, this wine assaulted my palate with flavors almost unrecognizable beyond the teasing hint of Pinot. It’s truly magnificent, and a bargain, for those who desire good wine without the California Cab snobbery that compels people to pay $40 a bottle for overpriced California Cabs. And this Pinot Noir is only about $13 per bottle. (One online retailer has it for $10.50.) It comes in 12 different (and cool) labels with stunning illustrations. I don’t think I have ever tasted a finer Pinot at such a low price. I am hooked.
