Pepperwood Grove is not one of the wines I expected to be on the Whole Foods Top Ten Holiday Wine List this year. I can't remember the last time I've had a wine from this producer, but I do remember never being blown away by any of their wines. So, it was with some reluctance that I went into tasting this wine, knowing that I could have a negative bias towards it. I didn't taste it blind, but even if I had, I would have been able to pick it out of the group instantly, as it's a very light-colored Pinot and much lighter than the other reds in the Top Ten.Well, once again, I have been proven wrong...very, very wrong (someday, I'll get this right). Let me start with what I usually end with...the "What you should do" portion of my blog posts...BUY THIS WINE! It's around $8 and really quite incredible. I was thinking that this was one of the best Pinot Noirs I'd ever had in the sub $10 category and then realized that this may actually be the only Pinot Noir I've tried (or, better said, remembered) in that price range. Regardless, this is a screaming value at the price.
This is a light, fruity, spicy pinot, with blackberry, cherry, spice and toasted vanilla notes. You won't find any stemmy qualities or rich complexities, but it is incredibly well balanced, with very little heat and a nice mid-range finish. It's definitely a wine that would work well in the early stages of Thanksgiving dinner, just after a nice white and some cheeses.
And, I'll bet you if you decant this bottle and just let people try it blind, you will find that they think it is a much more expensive bottle of Pinot than it actually is.
Kudos to Pepperwood Grove and to Doug Bell and team over at Whole Foods for including this one. And thanks for the surprise - always nice to be thrown off, in a good way, by a wine.
What Whole Foods has to say about it: Warm cherry pie with vanilla ice cream and earthy oak dominate this bargain Chilean 2-pack from a brand you love. Enjoy a glass while you cook and still have enough for the table. Serve with beef or look for Gruyère Reserve from single source farm or Seaside Cheddar or cranberry cheddar to tame the tannins a bit.
What you should do: Did I mention that you should buy this wine? Well, it's worth saying again. If you like Pinot Noir and good deals, this is the one for you. It's around $8 and an incredible Pinot Noir for the price - the QPR is off the charts on this one.
My rating: 89
NOTE: the Pepperwood Grove wine was sent to me as a free sample.
What you should do: Did I mention that you should buy this wine? Well, it's worth saying again. If you like Pinot Noir and good deals, this is the one for you. It's around $8 and an incredible Pinot Noir for the price - the QPR is off the charts on this one.
My rating: 89
NOTE: the Pepperwood Grove wine was sent to me as a free sample.
Gadget
What's the vintage, RJ ?
sorry about that - 2008. i just added it to the post as well.
thanks!
RJ,
This pinot noir is a real winner. It has more depth and more fruit than what you mention, IMHO. I found it for $6 at Ralphs/Kogers in So. Calif. Thanks for the tip. Cheers!
good point - i actually had it again last night and there was more fruit than i thought the first time. i was very pleasantly surprised to see that the wine was just as good the second time around as it was on the first tasting. one of the best value wines i've tasted this year.
cheers!
I'm going to get this one tomorrow!
let me know what you think - curious to know your opinion. if you're at whole foods, they're carrying a nice washington cab also right now - called The Honorable (stars all over the label, can't miss it). not sure if it's available in CA, but $14.99 here - really nice wine for the price from charles smith of k winery.
Hey, Jason, looks like someone tried previously to give you a heads up comment about this wine on your website; it's located under 2007 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir and dated Novemebr 24, 2009. Hope there's still some of this wine available. Cheers!
the castle rock is nice as well. another good quality pinot at a good price.
comes up a few times on this blog - http://www.rjswineblog.com/search?q=castle+rock
RJ,
I meant that there's a narrative about the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir that had been posted on Nov 24, 2009 at Jason's Wine Blog, and that it's listed at Jason's topic address known as "2007 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir." I hope Jason shares his tasting comments here for all to see. I'm curious to know what he thinks, too.
This wine reminded me not only of some pretty terrific Willamette Valley pinots, but also some very nice pinots I've had from Sonoma Coast and Burgundy. Like you say, RJ, this beauty is way off the high end of the QPR chart. A real treat.
yep, definitely agree and that's a very nice comparison to give a wine - williamette is producing amazing wines. i don't get as much of the sonoma coast on it, but i think that's because i lean more toward the big pinots from california. in any case, nice to find a great wine for this price - doesn't happen often.
Just picked up a two pack for $10 at my locale WF. Looking forward to trying. If it's as good as you're saying that's quite a deal.
uh oh...pressure's on now. let me know what you think.
I found a 20% discount on top of the $5.99 sale price for this beauty. Even if you include a stinking 8% sales tax, that's only $62 a case. Needless to say, I was very happy to purchase 1.5 cases for under $100. Life is good. This wine reminds me of the styles of a St Innocent Winery in Willamette, Oregon; a Papietro from Sonoma Coast or a Grand Echezeaux from Burgundy. Keep these gems coming, RJ. Way to go.
wow, that's a great deal on this wine. thinking of picking up some more as well. enjoy!