At the liquor store down the street, I was getting a 2-liter Coke, when I noticed a new display of Clearance Wines. Most of the bottles were of dubious character (old, grocery whites and Italian mystery blends).
However, there were two bottles of single-vineyard Pinot Noir: 2009 Bien Nacido Vineyard.
At $4.99/btl, I grabbed one. Any experience with this label?
I don’t know this producer, but the Bien Nacido vineyard produces some very good quality Pinots. So this starts with good material. But these aren’t long-lived wines - so may be already declining.
Still, $5! Unless damaged, this will be highly respectable QPR.
I have gotten myself into a rut, where I am drinking a lot of Carignan while I wait on my Mourvedre wines to come around (“The Big Tasting”).
I have tried to find an equivalent:
• Carignan : Mourvedre as
Beaujolais : Burgundy
• Carignan : Mourvedre as
Cotes du Rhône : CdP
Yet there are examples where the Carignan needs more age than the Mourvedre (Neyers, Three Wine Company, etc).
My recent purchases have been more diverse, however (Teutonic, Division, Borra/Markus). It’s just too easy to want to try all of a specific “type” of wine…
Private label of Dennis Martin winemaker at Fetzer. It has been around for several years. He also makes a Rutherford Cab. Looks like you have a great find at that price.