The dogged pursuit of high quality Pinot Noir at reasonable prices continues...
As I wrote previously:
"Finding well-priced, high quality Pinot is always a challenge. There are lots of headwinds. First, Pinot Noir is a "shy-bearing" grape, meaning the vines just don't produce many grapes compared to other varieties. Second, Pinot is thin-skinned and susceptible to all sorts of issues like mold, sunburn, rot... you name it. Third, Pinot grows best in marginal climates like Burgundy (where there will be little to no 2021 vintage due to frost), and Oregon (where there will be little to no 2020 vintage due to wildfires).
Lastly, following the movie Sideways, grape growers tore out a whole lot of Merlot that was grown in the wrong place and replaced it with a whole lot of Pinot Noir that didn't belong there. So let's now add a great deal of mediocrity to the grape's natural scarcity.
And still people grow it! I'm reminded of the scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail where Michael Palin's character- the King of Swamp Castle- explains why he built the castle where he did:
"Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built it all the same just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one... stayed up!"
The basic payoffs with Pinot Noir, wherever it's grown, are its ability to convey a sense of place and its ability to show a wide range of fruit and mineral notes on a very light frame. At their best, wines made from Pinot are generous but subtle, with a silky texture that is unique to the grape."
This example from the highly regarded Maysara Estate in Oregon's McMinnville AVA checks all the boxes, with notes of red cherries, blackberries, and earth tones. All on a very silky frame. Well worth a try for the avid Pinot Noir drinker...
100% Pinot Noir. Serve cool.