A daily-drinker Pinot Noir... need some suggestions

My everyday Pinot right now is Willamette Valley Vineyards 2019 Whole Cluster ($24). It's bigger, sweeter, and fruitier than most Pinots. Might remind you of a Paso Robles version if Paso made Pinot Noir. Nice aperitif, might have to be a little careful when pairing it with food. Disclaimer: I am a stockholder.

 

You can coax Pinot out of Arroyo Grande, for sure.

Thanks for that reminder. I wrote it down this time. Whole cluster can do that, for sure.

 

FYI for anyone interested: Loring Wine Company has a flash sale going on AVA- and vineyard-designate Pinot today. They will go fast. 30% and free shipping on as few as three bottles. The sale puts the AVA wines at $25/bottle.

 

Everyday: Decoy has a pretty good Pinot for close to that price point.

A little pricier but our all time favorite: Davies, particularly like the ones from Anderson Valley.

We've been in the sparkling club since we visited Schramsberg 5 years ago and I just recently added a Davies club for my wife as part of her Christmas......don't tell her, it's a surprise!!!

 

Schramsberg is a great visit, and they really set the table for great sparkling wine from CA. If anyone is interested in a grower Champagne club PM me.

 

Does anyone have experience with Acrobat out of Oregon? It's a Foley brand and they source from some pretty good vineyards.

 

I just put a case together for pickup at Total Wine when I do the Xmas run. From the mid-$20s to the low-teens.

3 - Four Graces. Yes, this is a Foley house but TW beats our member's price by a large margin.
3 - Petites Secondes. Domaine Drouhin fruit under a not-widely-advertised-as-Drouhin label. Can't beat the price.
1 each - Coppola, A to Z, Acrobat, Domaine Loubejac, Conscious, Willamette Valley.

Enjoying the input. Please keep it coming.

 

I don't understand all of the wine language of which you all speak but I am 1000% sure that I will enjoy all of these wines and so will drink! (That came to mind but it also rhymed so I couldn't resist. )

 

Love wine topics!!
Favorite pinots are mostly from Oregon:
Four Graces, Argyle, and Stoller are all good choices I can get locally. Cramoisi is great at a higher price point. And Archery Summit is amazing.
Best Pinot I’ve had lately was actually the Eternally Silenced by Prisoner but it comes in at about $40.
Brick and Mortar is solid too if you can snag it from SommSelect or Wine Access.
There is also a winery here in TX called grapecreek that has a solid Paso Pinot in their library.
And the of course for super high end anything from Rajat Par is outstanding, Blooms Field etc.

[emoji485][emoji485][emoji485] Cheers!

 

We were lucky to have time with Rajat and Sashi on a few occasions.

We were at Stoller when Oregon was on fire and you could hardly see the vines from the tasting room.

 

Kenneth Volk Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley—had a tasting room on Highway 46 for a while—produces the best Pinot I've ever had. Not sure if Volk is even still alive as he had serious medical issues last time I saw him at his tasting room out on Tepesquet Road. Volk, a Cal Poly grad, made his name with Wild Horse. Ancient Peaks in Santa Margarita also makes a superb Pinot, although they may sell out quickly. If you're interested in a blend, they have Renegade—maybe $20-$25—a comfortable companion to pasta or a good steak.

And, by the way, I would say the wine produced in Cali's central coast is far superior than anything in Oregon. That's funny, because Oregon wine is almost all I drink these days.

 

It’s good to have so much knowledge here on the board. I always learn so much.

 

Renegade is about $15 at retail!

 

Ordered six from Loring -- Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

 

Not really Pinot related but curious if anybody is on the Last Bottle email list.
A friend sent the site a couple months ago.
They send daily emails of wines that are supposedly overstocked .
Been able to score a few great deals on decent wines.

 

Third vote for the A to Z Wineworks Pinot, great bottle and beats your $20 price point.
Happy Holidays and Happy Sipping!

 

I'm CA-biased, and notably Central Coast/Santa Barbara County, for Pinot and Chardonnay, but that sounds like the French before Chateau Montelena and Stag's Leap showed up outside Paris. lol

 

Made a totally blind case purchase based on the recommendation of a winemaker friend: Ballard Lane 2018 Pinot Noir, Central Coast appellation. $7.50 a bottle. We'll see ...

 

Hot chocolate and baileys is also my favourite pinot noir.

 

Please try and advise ASAP. Always looking for that obscenely underpriced red.