A fab California Pinot Noir

Mark West Pinot Noir
Appellation Central Coast
Sonoma, California, 2004
13.8%
$22.79 for a 750 ml bottle

This is a great full-bodied Pinot Noir with a spicy bite. Not as rich or spicy as a Zin, but great for drinking alone or with salmon, roast beef, mushroom risotto or pork tenderloin. I’ve enjoyed it alone, with ginger beef and prawns & scallops (at UnWine’d) and with a roast beef dinner, complete with Yorkshire pudding. Delicious! I also found it great with smoked Gruyere, as the cheese brings out the oak and makes the wine taste mellow, smooth and slightly smoky.

This garnet coloured wine has fragrant aromas of cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, ripe fruit and black tea. It also has an almost sharp alcoholic scent, but it goes down warm, velvety and smooth. I tasted spice (cinnamon), cherries and dark berries and toasty oak. It's low tannin with a rich almost chewy texture. Nice finish.

Next time you’re in the liquor store looking for an enjoyable red, seek out a sunny yellow label and pick up a bottle of Mark West Pinot Noir (note: there’s a few different appellations available). To learn more about Mark West wines, check out their faux revolution website that’s all about “Pinot for the people.”

Cheers!