Budget Wine Review 5: Pinot Noirs

The Pinot Noir grape is a difficult grape to grow, demands a lot of attention, is prone to disease, doesn’t do well in many areas, provides a low yield, etc.  It can be one of the very greatest varietals if done well, but such wines are invariably expensive.  Finding a pleasant, drinkable PN for under $20 is not that simple.  Most PN at that price will be too thin, unbalanced and lacking in body.  You can find much better buys with almost any other red varietal, especially Zinfandels.  Here are a few budget Pinot Noirs that were recommended to me that I tried over the past year.  A subsequent budget Pinot Noir review may be read here: Budget Wine Review 7 Pinot Noirs

BV 2009 Coastal Estates Pinot Noir-$7.49 at Trader Joe's. Nothing bad but not that interesting or memorable. Worth the price, but you probably want to stick with the Castle Rock, TJs or Kenwood unless you are curious to sample under $10 Pinots. Pass.
 

Castle Rock 2009 Mendocino Pinot Noir-$7.99 at Cost Plus, Trader Joe's or Safeway. Has been on sale at Cost Plus for $5.99!!! Castle Rock sells many different Pinot Noirs so be sure to get Mendocino and the 2009.  I am not sure how much this varies year to year, so can only comment on the 2009. It is one of the best PN I've found so far for under $20.  Castle Rock has no vineyards and seems to sell most of their wines for below $10.  They buy wine from other wineries and then bottle it.  This PN has more substance and depth than many California Pinot Noirs and is a steal at the price.  While it is not a complex Pinot or in the same category as the a really good Pinot, it is about a tenth of the price of many of those.  It is difficult to find a decent PN for under $20.   A great bargain. Very highly recommended for the price.

Estancia 2009 Pinot Noir-$16 at Safeway. Cherry on the palate but a bit thin and young. Nice finish. I like the Kenwood and Castle Rock better. Pass

Kenwood 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir-$12 Safeway.  Decent body with cherry on the palate and a good finish.  It is fairly good at that price, although I prefer the Castle Rock above. Mildly recommended.

 

Mark West 2009 Pinot Noir-$9.99 Safeway.  Decent for the money but not as good as the Kenwood or Castle Rock. Pass.

MGM 2009 Pinot Noir-$6 at Trader Joes.  A Pinot Noir from Languedoc France.  Unbalanced with an odd, unpleasant taste. Doesn't taste like a Pinot Noir. This has been recommended by others, but I couldn’t even drink it  and poured the rest out. Not recommended.

 

Trader Joe’s 2009 Petit Reserve Pinot Noir-$6.98 at Trader Joe's.  This is NOT the PN reserve that TJs had a year or more ago that was such a knockout.  TJ's offers a number of various Reserve, Grand Reserve and, in this case, Petit Reserve Pinot Noirs and they are not of consistent quality. This one is too light, fruity and unbalanced straight from the bottle and needs air.  It will even be better the next day.  This is produced by the Han Family Wines and is a blend of Monterey and Santa Lucia Highlands grapes. At this price point it is probably worth the price, but it absolutely needs a lot of air. I really don't think it is worth your while.  Pass.