Mark West Pinot Noir '06
The Nitty Gritty:
- Vintage: 2006
- Varietal: Pinot Noir
- Winery: Mark West
- Region: Sonoma
- Country: United States
- Price: About $10
- Rating: 89/100
- Tags: best value
By the time this review goes live, the 2007 Pinots may already be on the shelves, but I snagged a bottle of the 2006 a few months back.
There are two things I love about the Mark West winery and its people: their wines and their attitude. While I’m supposed to talk more about the former, the latter is really what makes their Pinot so great.
If you visit Mark West’s web site, you’ll see a refreshing change from the slick-looking, Flash-based sites many wineries have adopted. The site reminds me of Trader Joe’s or Southwest Airlines—these folks don’t take themselves too seriously, want you to enjoy the time you spend with them, and clearly get a kick out of what they do.
In accordance with the tagline on the Mark West site, their Pinot Noir really is a “Pinot for the People,” hands-down the best I’ve had at this price. Berries hit you at the nose and a taste reveals fruit — most particularly cranberries — and just a touch of vanilla, with an unbelievably smooth finish. The wine tastes just slightly alcoholic at first, but smooths out after it’s breathed for a few minutes. This is another to drink alone (by itself, not by yourself — though we don’t judge), but it will bring out the best in any pork or pasta dish. Be a little unorthodox and try it with poultry or seafood recipes, you crazy thing!
Comments
By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York City-based writer who spends her days on Madison Avenue and her evenings in Spain, France, Italy, South America, and beyond. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College, spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Lauren passed The Court of Master Sommeliers’ Level I exam in August and will sit for her Certified Sommelier Exam in early 2010.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
The Humble Gourmand encourages users to comment on any and all of its features, but reserves the right to remove any material deemed inappropriate.
No one has posted any comments yet. Perhaps you'd like to be the first?
Post yours
You're not logged in. Would you like to register or log in?.