Early warm weather calls for versatile wine
Occasion: Well, as things go these days, winter turned to spring before we even got through February, so this is a superb little pinot noir that can pair with anything you throw at it. As I have extolled on any number of occasions, pinot noir is the most versatile red wine that you could possibly hope to encounter in the wine world. It is a lighter-bodied style of wine that matches a wider range of foods than, say, cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese. This is also available at a ridiculous price point.
Wine: August Cellars Pinot Noir
Grape: Pinot noir
Region: California
Vintage: 2011
In the glass: August Cellars Pinot Noir is a dense ruby-red color with a semi-opaque core going out into a fine purplish-red rim definition with medium viscosity.
On the nose: There is rich forward and wonderful fruit with red cherries, raspberries, stewed strawberries, aniseed, spice, earthy minerals and hints of wood.
On the palate: The wine shows ripe, richly endowed red fruits with dominance by mixed berries, powerful phenolic undertones, then ripe, supple tannins on the powerful midpalate with hints of crushed red cherries, vanilla, red currants and earth-driven minerals. The finish is fine and longish with good balance and hints of wet stone coming through.
Price: $5.99
Availability: Lee’s Discount Liquor
Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears on Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.
