Recommend me a cheap pinot noir

[letterk]

Cheap Pinot usually tastes like cheap Zin or Cab. The trendy name of Pinot Noit + over-ripe grapes + over-oaked = big sales for the wineries. It's very rare to fine one that is a good representation of Pinot. One exception I've found recently is 2007 Russian River from Picket Fence. Usually $25ish, you can find it in a lot of Trader Joe's for $9. Well, not the Trader Joe's by my house. All those bottles are in my house now.

 

[Greglam]

I have had the Louis Jadot before and really enjoyed it. I'm leaning toward this.

Lots of Oregon pinots in that price range, great values to be had.

+1 to both.

 

[Jwolf24601]

Redwood Creek is well under $15 and one of my favorite Pinot's

 

[DSB]

Cheap Pinot usually tastes like cheap Zin or Cab. The trendy name of Pinot Noit + over-ripe grapes + over-oaked = big sales for the wineries. It's very rare to fine one that is a good representation of Pinot. One exception I've found recently is 2007 Russian River from Picket Fence. Usually $25ish, you can find it in a lot of Trader Joe's for $9. Well, not the Trader Joe's by my house. All those bottles are in my house now.

Thanks -- I'll look in my local TJ's.

 

[bogey97]

Lots of Oregon pinots in that price range, great values to be had.

+1 Oregon is up-and-coming in the Pinot business; quality has improved significantly over the past 10 years but prices are still low. IMHO, their Pinots are earthier than the California ones (and closer to French Burgundy). Lots of good choices in the sub-$20 range. Cloudline and Erath come to mind.

 

[cthip]

Cheap Pinot usually tastes like cheap Zin or Cab. The trendy name of Pinot Noit + over-ripe grapes + over-oaked = big sales for the wineries. It's very rare to fine one that is a good representation of Pinot. One exception I've found recently is 2007 Russian River from Picket Fence. Usually $25ish, you can find it in a lot of Trader Joe's for $9. Well, not the Trader Joe's by my house. All those bottles are in my house now.

awesome suggestion on the picket fence pinot noir! found it at my local tj's, tried a bottle, and went right back for more! i'm tempted to follow your lead and go back and buy what they have left. . .

in all honesty i had no idea that i had been drinking bad pinot noir all these years, and i'm sure the same goes for zins and cabs. any recommendations for these? they don't have to be mind-blowing, just a solid representation of what a zin or cab should taste like at an accessible price point.

 

[jlanger]

Some of the best Pinot noir come from the willamette valley in Oregon.

Rex hill is great but runs about 20-22 a bottle. They have another line called kings ridge which also makes great wine.

My advise is look more into this valley. It is known world wide as one of the best Pinot noir regions, the soil and climate is great for the grape.

I heartily agree, some of my favorite Pinot's come from Oregon, Bridgeview is a favorite and they're cheapest is around $15. However for Pinot you might be better going up the next price level of 20-30. Pinot is a pretty major crap shoot and is amazing when it's good and almost disgusting when mediocre (IMO of course) Merlot and cabs tend to be much more forgiving and even mediocre wines are tasty. For those unless you're a wine snob (no offense) I'd not recommend going over $20. But that just IMHO.

 

[docfitch]

I don't know if you're close to a Total Wines, but they have a great Tolosa Pinot for 15.99. I just bought a Carneros Creek Pinot for 19.99.

Ken

 

[DSB]

I tried the Picket Fence Pinot at TJ's, and it is quite good. It is certainly the best I have had at that price point. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[gfry]

Clos du Bois Pinot Noir use to be a GREAT bargain! In my opinion, the 2007 vintage was the last great vintage of their Pinot Noir's! They could be purchased for anywhere between $15.00 down to $10.98 (on sale). From 2008 on - I don't know? Something changed?
Anyway, Clos Du Bois is pretty much available everywhere.
(Their Merlots were always good too! - up until 2008 and beyond!).