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Friday night, check my wine fridge, ah - a forgotten QFC purchase! Excellent! Don't be fooled by the cool label, this is a Pinot Noir made and priced to compete with other low to mid tier grocery label Pinot Noirs. True the grapes come from the Alta Maria Vineyards, Santa Maria Valley AVA-Santa Barbara AVA, but none of the delicate care of a producer to direct customer production has been employed. That's not to say that the taste and price point are not approachable, (winery direct sale of comparable wine will set you back $40+ bucks a pop), it's just don't expect to get blown away. Pair it with some chocolate while you watch TV, and you'll be fine. Interestingly, Joe Wagner and Paul Ontiveros had previously teamed up in a similar venture with the Meiomi brand before it was sold to another company. I guess you just can't keep a good team apart. Drank this one by itself (and maybe a wee bit of dark chocolate) while watching Netflix. ~$16 | #altamaria#pinotnoir#santabarbara
On the eyes: Deep, clear cranberry magenta, med/med+ stain, med tears, no gas/floc.
On the nose: Forest floor, sour red fruit, wet slate, a bit floral. Med alcohol.
On the tongue: med tannin, med+ acid, med alcohol, med smooth body. Bright cranberry, unripe strawberry, stewed fruit character with light toasted, vanilla oaky flavors on the finish. Not a very long finish and a bit unbalanced on acid. — 8 years ago
Zachary Price
Friday night, check my wine fridge, ah - a forgotten QFC purchase! Excellent! Don't be fooled by the cool label, this is a Pinot Noir made and priced to compete with other low to mid tier grocery label Pinot Noirs. True the grapes come from the Alta Maria Vineyards, Santa Maria Valley AVA-Santa Barbara AVA, but none of the delicate care of a producer to direct customer production has been employed. That's not to say that the taste and price point are not approachable, (winery direct sale of comparable wine will set you back $40+ bucks a pop), it's just don't expect to get blown away. Pair it with some chocolate while you watch TV, and you'll be fine. Interestingly, Joe Wagner and Paul Ontiveros had previously teamed up in a similar venture with the Meiomi brand before it was sold to another company. I guess you just can't keep a good team apart. Drank this one by itself (and maybe a wee bit of dark chocolate) while watching Netflix. ~$16 | #altamaria #pinotnoir #santabarbara
On the eyes: Deep, clear cranberry magenta, med/med+ stain, med tears, no gas/floc.
On the nose: Forest floor, sour red fruit, wet slate, a bit floral. Med alcohol.
On the tongue: med tannin, med+ acid, med alcohol, med smooth body. Bright cranberry, unripe strawberry, stewed fruit character with light toasted, vanilla oaky flavors on the finish. Not a very long finish and a bit unbalanced on acid. — 8 years ago