TN: 2015 Ocean Spray Cran-Cherry (no sugar added)

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Dennis Kanagie · #1 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 9th, 2015, 5:11 pm

Okay, not really a TN as you already know..... but you clicked on it if you're reading this. The reason for the title is that's the example my wife gave me as my guide to find her a red wine that she'll like. I've tasted the same basic fruit in some Pinot Noirs, but they're always much drier and spicy than my wife would prefer. She does enjoy 1995 Ponsot Chapelle-Chambertin since it's nicely resolved with light spice and wonderful tart red fruit, but spending over $200 a bottle is a little extreme for a daily drinker. There's also a finite amount, and we want something we can buy by the case or more.

Can anyone help me here? You know what they say - happy wife, happy life!

#2 Post by **J0seph S c h e n c k** » November 9th, 2015, 5:16 pm

2013 Cameron Ribbon Ridge Pinot

Mike Daniel · #3 Post by **Mike Daniel** » November 9th, 2015, 5:37 pm

I always find that in the Sojourn Rogers Creek Pinot's

Dennis Kanagie · #4 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 9th, 2015, 5:46 pm

Joseph S c h e n c k wrote:2013 Cameron Ribbon Ridge Pinot

Thanks - I'll add it to the list.

Mike Daniel wrote:I always find that in the Sojourn Rogers Creek Pinot's

Oooooo, may be a no go - just popped a 2009 Ridgetop and she hated the strong herbal / bay leaf / sage character. If that could be removed, she'd probably love it, but the green overpowered the fruit. The TN is in the "Pick a buddy" thread for TNs:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vie ... 1&t=120570

Is the Rogers Creek less herbal?

#5 Post by **dsGriswold** » November 9th, 2015, 10:18 pm

2011 Matello Pinot Noir Lazarus - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (10/31/2015)
Medium dark garnet with red berry nose. Open over night, tart red berry, light fruit, medium body with some chewy tannins. Ripe strawberries dominate with some red raspberries along for additional flavor and acid, a nice earthy mineral element adds complexity. Drinking nicely in an acid forward style keeping the fruit lively, and should appeal to those that like some fruit, treads a middle ground between the AFWE and fruit forward style as long as you like a strong acid component, lovely entry level Pinot. (91 pts.)@ $20
2010 Cabot Vineyards Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/4/2015)
Dark garnet with marionberry nose. Lightly tart red berries, raspberry, red currants and cranberry. Medium fruit and body but the acid lightens the fruit and give a lively, fresh squeezed quality. Drinking very well as a young fruit driven strawberry smoothie. (91 pts.)@ $35

#6 Post by **Craig G** » November 9th, 2015, 10:48 pm

If I'm interpreting this correctly you're looking for a Pinot that is a little more fruit-forward and less earthy/woodsy than a Burgundy might be, but not heavy or a fruit bomb?

I like all the Pinots from Navarro. You gain finesse and complexity going up the line without gaining any heaviness. They are clearly CA Pinots but made in a style that Burgundy lovers can really like (at least this one). There is a basic Pinot, a Cuvée a L'Ancienne, and a Deep End Blend (the latter hard to get except futures). You need to buy direct.

The two lower end Pinots from Au Bon Climat could work too. There's a Santa Barbara and La Bauge Au Dessus. In lighter vintages Bauge is hard for me to tell from Burgundy. In riper years it's more fruity and less earthy. The Santa Barbara is easygoing with nice fruit, not too serious.

Another good one to try would be Domaine Eden. Maybe any of Copain's non-SVD wines too.

#7 Post by **Chris Seiber** » November 9th, 2015, 11:53 pm

Craig G wrote:If I'm interpreting this correctly you're looking for a Pinot that is a little more fruit-forward and less earthy/woodsy than a Burgundy might be, but not heavy or a fruit bomb?

I like all the Pinots from Navarro. You gain finesse and complexity going up the line without gaining any heaviness. They are clearly CA Pinots but made in a style that Burgundy lovers can really like (at least this one). There is a basic Pinot, a Cuvée a L'Ancienne, and a Deep End Blend (the latter hard to get except futures). You need to buy direct.

The two lower end Pinots from Au Bon Climat could work too. There's a Santa Barbara and La Bauge Au Dessus. In lighter vintages Bauge is hard for me to tell from Burgundy. In riper years it's more fruity and less earthy. The Santa Barbara is easygoing with nice fruit, not too serious.

Another good one to try would be Domaine Eden. Maybe any of Copain's non-SVD wines too.

Navarro l'Ancienne is one that definitely invokes a cranberry / Thanksgiving feeling for me, though it's been a number of years. Domaine Eden is another one that might work that way.

#8 Post by **BrianMarshall** » November 10th, 2015, 3:50 am

The Ferrando Canavese Rosso might be a good place to look, Dennis. Very bright, sharp red fruit.

#9 Post by **D@vid Bu3ker** » November 10th, 2015, 3:55 am

Sounds like a job for Dolcetto.

Dennis Kanagie · #10 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 5:00 am

Thanks for the tips so far. I should also say that she's not a fan of highly acidic reds.

Some fun, eh?

#11 Post by **Richard T r i m p i** » November 10th, 2015, 5:28 am

Dennis Kanagie wrote:Thanks for the tips so far. I should also say that she's not a fan of highly acidic reds.

I was leaning towards Chorey-les-Beaune but now that's out. Have you ever tried Siduri? Maybe their OR/Chehalem or Sonoma Coast. Speaking of OR, give an Ayres WV a shot. Sonoma Coast entry Pinots generally strike me as redder fruited along with some citrus. Base level NZ PNs can fit the bill, although more red briary fruited (currants, red raspberries). Trial and error.

RT

Dennis Kanagie · #12 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 5:56 am

Richard T r i m p i wrote: Trial and error.

Big time! By the time this search is over, enough money will be invested that I could have just bought several bottles of Ponsot.

#13 Post by **Wes Barton** » November 10th, 2015, 6:06 am

Dennis Kanagie wrote:Thanks for the tips so far. I should also say that she's not a fan of highly acidic reds.

Some fun, eh?

Eep. I was thinking some off-the-beaten-path Nebbiolos would fit the bill. Hmm.

In general, cranberry is a characteristic of less ripe fruit, which will tend to be more acidic.

#14 Post by **J. Singleton** » November 10th, 2015, 6:44 am

2013 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara pinot noir. Light and tart. $17-$21.

#15 Post by **Thomas Keim** » November 10th, 2015, 6:53 am

D@vid Bu3ker wrote:Sounds like a job for Dolcetto.

Or a good Montepulciano d'Abruzzo -

Both are softer, fruit forward, low acid offerings that are pretty hard not to like -

#16 Post by **Brian King** » November 10th, 2015, 7:11 am

I was at the local co-op grocery yesterday and saw Pomegranate wine - perhaps that will work?

Dennis Kanagie · #17 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 7:13 am

Brian King wrote:I was at the local co-op grocery yesterday and saw Pomegranate wine - perhaps that will work?

It might! I'm thinking of just putting a little vodka in some Ocean Spray.

Michael Davidson · #18 Post by **Michael Davidson** » November 10th, 2015, 7:39 am

Being serious here, have you tried Meomi? She wants something sweet and low acid. It's a very popular wine.

Michael

Dennis Kanagie · #19 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 7:59 am

Michael Davidson wrote:Being serious here, have you tried Meomi? She wants something sweet and low acid. It's a very popular wine.

Michael

Interesting stats on their Pinot Noir from their website:

Aging 100% French oak barrels, 60% new
alcohol 13.7%
total acidity 5.5 g/L
residual sugar 6 g/L
pH 3.85

Might have to grab a bottle. Thanks Michael!

Michael Davidson · #20 Post by **Michael Davidson** » November 10th, 2015, 8:03 am

Let me know if you do. Siduri is a good suggestion, but my guess is it's the sugar she's after. (The juice in the subject line has more sugar than Coke, so focusing on the cranberry might be missing the point a bit.)

Michael

#21 Post by **BrianMarshall** » November 10th, 2015, 8:09 am

Dennis Kanagie wrote:Thanks for the tips so far. I should also say that she's not a fan of highly acidic reds.

Some fun, eh?

In that case I'll withdraw my rec.

Greg Xu · #22 Post by **Greg Xu** » November 10th, 2015, 8:23 am

How about Maysara Jamsheed 2010? It is sheer raspberry all through nose and palate, only after a few days in the bottle you can catch a hint of toasty pinot note.

#23 Post by **J0seph S c h e n c k** » November 10th, 2015, 8:30 am

There's a bit of acid in Cameron's wines. May have to retract that suggestion, but it might be a nice compromise.

I'd suggest a lot of boots-on-the-ground research. Time for some wine recon. Winter is a great time to visit the willamette valley. Cold. Rainey. Warm cozy uncrowded tasting rooms. Small intimate restaurants. A Perfect time. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

#24 Post by **Chris Seiber** » November 10th, 2015, 10:51 am

Dennis, I'm experiencing a bit of disconnect here.

On one hand, I can think of a number of obvious choices for ripe, dark, crowd-pleasing pinots, at a range of prices. As far as ones that are still good wines and not Meoimi type cougar juice, you could be looking at producers like Siduri and Loring, which are easily available and reasonably priced.

On the other hand, the description of sugar free Cran Cherry connotes something very different to me, more like crisp Anderson Valley type pinots like Navarro and Copain.

I guess figuring out which wines hit her sweet spot is the very process you're going through, so good luck. I may email you with an idea or two.

#25 Post by **Anton D** » November 10th, 2015, 10:56 am

She will like this...

http://www.chasseurwines.com/

#26 Post by **Tom G l a s g o w** » November 10th, 2015, 6:52 pm

Dennis Kanagie wrote:
Michael Davidson wrote:Being serious here, have you tried Meomi? She wants something sweet and low acid. It's a very popular wine.

Michael
Interesting stats on their Pinot Noir from their website:

Aging 100% French oak barrels, 60% new
alcohol 13.7%
total acidity 5.5 g/L
residual sugar 6 g/L
pH 3.85

Might have to grab a bottle. Thanks Michael!

Meomi as a substitute for aged Ponsot?

Dennis Kanagie · #27 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 6:55 pm

Tom G l a s g o w wrote: Meomi as a substitute for aged Ponsot?

Well, no......... it was horrible. Not sweet at all and the fruit was bad. Just a terrible concoction.

#28 Post by **Tom G l a s g o w** » November 10th, 2015, 7:01 pm

Dennis Kanagie wrote:
Tom G l a s g o w wrote: Meomi as a substitute for aged Ponsot?
Well, no......... it was horrible. Not sweet at all and the fruit was bad. Just a terrible concoction.

That's my experience with meomi. I liked a bottle once but not since.

Chad Richardson · #29 Post by **Chad Richardson** » November 10th, 2015, 7:05 pm

[quote="Chris" ]

On the other hand, the description of sugar free Cran Cherry connotes something very different to me, more like crisp Anderson Valley type pinots like Navarro and Copain.
[/quote]

I don't know about this particular Ocean Spray product, but "no sugar added" usually does not preclude artificial sweeteners (which I think is misleading but that's a rant for another day). So I wouldn't necessarily assume this isn't sweet.

Mark B · #30 Post by **Mark B** » November 10th, 2015, 7:55 pm

While certainly not the most practical advice, I like the idea of loading up on various 1ers from a handful of Côte de Beaune subregions and aging them for 15+ years. These usually lack the structure and depth of their more expensive counterparts, but really hit their red fruit stride once they reach 15-20 years of age.

jcoley3 · #31 Post by **jcoley3** » November 10th, 2015, 8:15 pm

Dennis,

Taking a little bit of a stab in the dark, I might suggest finding a decent value Pinot from Central Otago in New Zealand. They have a neat mix of sunny zip and rich ripeness (IMHO).

Dennis Kanagie · #32 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 10th, 2015, 8:36 pm

Chad Richardson wrote: I don't know about this particular Ocean Spray product, but "no sugar added" usually does not preclude artificial sweeteners (which I think is misleading but that's a rant for another day). So I wouldn't necessarily assume this isn't sweet.

I don't know about artificial sweeteners being "snuck" into the formula, but the ingredients don't mention one thing about any type of sweetening agent at all. It's still a sweet drink compared to every recommendation here and my wife hasn't even remotely liked any.

I appreciate the attempts though.

#33 Post by **PeterH** » November 10th, 2015, 8:48 pm

I just tonight described the Ayres 2010 Rodger's Lane Pinot to my wife as pomegranate, cranberry, cherry. Lots of 2010 Wv Pinots have that profile, but you won't find many still on the shelves. NZ Central Otago is a good suggestion, or Anderson Valley in a cool year.

P Hickner

#34 Post by **Kenneth Brown** » November 10th, 2015, 10:17 pm

1. Buy some Mark West Pinot.

2. Buy bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Cherry.

3. Feed wife Mark West.

4. Evaluate.

5. Add splash or more of Cran-Cherry to Mark West as required.

6. Buy more Ponsot.

7. Optional- Open really mind bending great mature Burgundy for wife. Depending on result, either go back to 1 or buy a bunch of really great Burgundy.

Michael Davidson · #35 Post by **Michael Davidson** » November 10th, 2015, 10:30 pm

Dennis Kanagie wrote:
Chad Richardson wrote: I don't know about this particular Ocean Spray product, but "no sugar added" usually does not preclude artificial sweeteners (which I think is misleading but that's a rant for another day). So I wouldn't necessarily assume this isn't sweet.
I don't know about artificial sweeteners being "snuck" into the formula, but the ingredients don't mention one thing about any type of sweetening agent at all. It's still a sweet drink compared to every recommendation here and my wife hasn't even remotely liked any. I appreciate the attempts though.

Fruit juice is very sweet. As mentioned above, it has more sugar than Coke, which is why I suggested a wine with RS. Sorry it disappointed!

Michael

#36 Post by **Wes Barton** » November 11th, 2015, 12:00 am

Chad Richardson wrote:I don't know about this particular Ocean Spray product, but "no sugar added" usually does not preclude artificial sweeteners (which I think is misleading but that's a rant for another day). So I wouldn't necessarily assume this isn't sweet.

That product line uses apple and/or grape juice for sugar instead of the high-fructose corn syrup in their regular line. Just as sweet, but tastes slightly better.

Dennis Kanagie · #37 Post by **Dennis Kanagie** » November 11th, 2015, 4:44 am

Wes Barton wrote:
Chad Richardson wrote:I don't know about this particular Ocean Spray product, but "no sugar added" usually does not preclude artificial sweeteners (which I think is misleading but that's a rant for another day). So I wouldn't necessarily assume this isn't sweet.
That product line uses apple and/or grape juice for sugar instead of the high-fructose corn syrup in their regular line. Just as sweet, but tastes slightly better.

Besides the apple and grape juice, I saw plum juice in there too - all from concentrate.