Sub-$20 Oregon Pinot Noir Knocks it Out of the Park

Remember the 1999 Major League Baseball All-Start Game at Fenway Park? It was the year Mark McGwire crushed pitch after pitch over the Green Monster in the Home Run Derby. I recently opened a wine that so competently delivered on what I'm looking for in an Oregon Pinot Noir that it reminded me of McGwire's performance in that competition.

I'm basically looking for 3 things in this category:

• Earthy aromas
  
• Stawberry/cherry/spice flavors
  
• Silky smooth texture and finish

The 2005 August Cellars Pinot Noir stepped up to the plate and knocked each and every one of these expectations out of the park. Boom, boom, boom. I thought it was outstanding, and utterly surprising given its relatively reasonable shelf price of $16.99. The wine is incredibly confident, complete and balanced. 92/WWP: Oustanding

I'll definitely be buying more of this one, though I'm not sure about its availability nationally. Wines from August Cellars have never been rated by Wine Spectator, and this vintage hasn't been rated by anyone else on CellarTracker. I bought it based on a recommendation from Steve Grant at Blanchards. If you're in the area, definitely seek out his recommendations. He hits for a very high average in my experience.

Where to buy:
Blanchards Wine & Spirits in West Roxbury, MA
Follow @blanchardswine on Twitter

Trivia:
McGwire didn't win the 1999 Home Run Derby. He tired after hitting 13 home runs in the first round and failed to advance to the finals hitting only 3 homers in the 2nd round. Funny how all I remembered was how he effortlessly smashed pitch after pitch over the wall. Can you guess who won it before looking?

Further Reading:

• Wine Spectator calls 2007 California Pinot Noir best vintage ever
• This $3.99 Pinot Noir "isn't that bad"
• Syrah: The Steroids of the Pinot Noir World
  

I've been tasting through highly rated Pinot Noirs lately and I'll be writing about my impressions of them in upcoming pieces. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site via E-mail or in a feed reader so you can hear about new content without needed to check back.

Question of the Day: Have you discovered any Pinot Noir values lately? We'd love to hear about them.