A nice Pinot Noir usually has a lot going on; flavors of strawberries, cherries, a little vanilla – stuff like that. I find a nice Pinot really enjoyable. I’d love to get more Burgundies, but the prices even of the so-so ones are kind of high. Fortunately, Pinot Noirs – all Burgundies are Pinot Noirs – are available throughout the world, from Oregon, Washington, and California; from France (outside of Burgundy); from Australia and New Zealand; from Argentina and Chile. And speaking of Chile, let me introduce you to the 2018 Santa Carolina “Carolina” Reserve Pinot Noir from the winery’s Leyda Estate in the Maipo Valley. I took delivery on eight bottles about three weeks ago, and I’ve been holding blind tastings to learn what folks think about the wine. Generally speaking, “Really good” seems to be the verdict, with a lot going on in terms of taste. Wine Spectator reviewers had their shot and gave the wine a rating of 90; i.e., “Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style.” According to the reviewers, “There's good weight to the finely textured flavors of dark cherry, raspberry and beef tartare in this red, which is creamy and spicy on the rich finish. Drink now through 2022.” The price? From Marketview Liquor, $7.99 a bottle. And best of all, it only costs $24,000+ to upgrade!
