The Bottom Line: If you can find this wine on the lower price spectrum, awesome for you-it's fantastic. If you can't, save it for a special treat but try it anyway-it's fantastic.
fishifishi's Full Review: Benton Lane Pinot Noir 2006 750ml
Oregon Pinot Noir is known for being classic, clean, and pricey. It's a bit lighter and a little fruitier than California Pinot Noir, and has the lucky stigma of being top of the line America Pinot Noir. This wine comfortably fits all three of the aforementioned categories, but it well worth that third contingent.
Don't Be Scared I may knock anything but a traditional cork, but the most recent time I enjoyed this wine it happened to be because it has a stelvin (screw) top and we didn't have a cork screw. The label is pretty cool, looking like a stamp with the name and information in red and white around a black and white picture of rolling fields. This wine is from the famed Pinot Noir location of Willamette Valley, Oregon and has 14.1% alcohol by volume. The back label tells us that the vineyards are environmentally friendly, and that they are certified as "Sustainable Agriculture" and "Salmon Safe". The bottle itself is dark and in traditional Burgundian shape.
Yum in a Glass This wine pours the color of cranberry juice, with an obvious clarity yet a bright brick red. It's medium bodied and the nose smells of cherries and a hint of spice. The first sip follows up with spicy red fruits, white pepper laced into cranberry, black cherry, and raspberry; the finish softens on the spices and lingers mildly with strawberry and a wee hint of oak. Not so much oak-y, but enough presence to keep the fruitiness from being sweet.
It's really well rounded, balanced, and in general pretty darn delicious. Being on the lighter side of red wine, this is an excellent late-summer and fall wine to enjoy. It would go fantastic with seafoods like peppered salmon, chicken dishes, cheeses, and drinks superb on its own.
The down side is the price...I have seen a range of numbers attached to this bottle, from $25-$38. I probably would pay the higher end if I hadn't seen the lower end of that price spectrum. It's probably cheaper on the West Coast (lucky ducks) but alas us Northeastern folk are stuck making up for the rising gas prices of the wine shippers.
I don't buy it often-it's a treat for me. There's not many Pinot Noir wines I like better, but there are plenty that I truly enjoy that are more within my daily budget. I'll keep buying it, though. It's Yum in a Glass.
For more information regarding the winery and their products, visit www.benton-lane.com
Recommended:
Yes
Winery Name: Benton Lane Varietal: Pinot Noir Country: USA State or Region: Oregon County or Appellation: Willamette Valley Price: 32.00
Wine Rating Scale: A must - sensational
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