Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: San Simeon, CA – USA
Cost: $18
My Review: I picked this wine up during the most recent marathon sale from Last Bottle Wines; with the mercury rising I was looking to stock up on crisp whites, rose’, and light red wines like Pinot Noir. I was unfamiliar with the San Simeon region (though the nearby Paso Robles is more familiar to me), but the description of the wine sounded good and I’ve regularly enjoyed Pinot Noir from this general area of California.
In the glass the wine was a reddish-purple color, with hints of plum coloring around the rim. On the nose I got aromas of herbs, baking spices, dark fruit, and ripe plum, while on the palate the wine expressed notes of black cherry, baking spice, and some stone/mineral notes on the finish, which I wasn’t expecting, but would attribute to the specific soil it was grown in.
The wine was juicy, with light to medium body, making it a good pairing for the pizza my wife and I paired it with (we’ve been getting a lot of use out of our new Ooni pizza oven). That lighter mouthfeel, paired with the herb and baking spice notes made this a great everyday wine that works perfectly for a middle-of-the-week sipper.
I snagged this wine for $18, and I think that’s a good price point for the wine. It typically sells for closer to $30, and I don’t know that I’d be as excited for it had I paid that price, but if you can find it for under $20 it’s definitely one worth grabbing a bottle or two.
