McKinlay, Pinot Noir, 2007
My goodness, this is a bonafide eighth wonder of the world: cheap and good Oregon Pinot. This was only 14.99 (or $13.50 if you buy 6) at Freddie's. So this is seriously a steal -- just to get that out of the way. However, if you are a big, jammy Oregon Pinot fan, this one may disappoint. It's definitely on the light side of Pinot -- very light for the stereotypical Oregon Pinot. On the other hand, if you like Burgundy, then keep reading.
This one starts heavy with fruit, and then ends floral. Total cherry. And for $15, youd expect it to be a bit unbalanced, maybe a bit harsh or raspy. Nope, none of that. However, it is a very light bodied Pinot. Subtle. Feminine. Delicate. And yummy.
Toasty oak and dust in the smell. And later it had sort of an outside-skin-of-a-nectarine smell. Cinnamon. Satsuma. Dust. Yep, that's about right.
The taste was predominantly red cherry. A hint of earth of some kind (not sure). Then it into floral. Rose! Subtle, but definitely rose.
Denise really liked this one too. She's not usually for the over-oaked, overly rich Oregon Pinot. And she fell for this one similarly to how she loved the Spinnaker (see review here). Without showing her the bottle or telling her anything about this wine, I asked her: "so how much to you think this cost?" She said "$25". See, $15 (or maybe even $13.50), this is a serious bargain. Hint: Hollywood Freddie's is at about 28th and Broadway in NE Portland. Get in your car now!
Cost:
Rating:
8.5