Yeah. . .there should be a rule of thumb in wine tasting.  You know, when you taste something that really hits the spot and then you find out its’ name and you’re like, “Oh. . .really?  That’s the wine I just tried?  Dude, I”m sorry!”  Okay, so that conversation may not ever take place, but the result is a wine that gets your attention. . .and NOT in a good way!

It’s no surprise that  we are winding this ‘bad boy’ (AKA The Blog) up in a few days. . .and recently, we received a message from a “reader” named ‘Doug’…not sure, but it may have been, “Dug”;  who was hoping to see the blog go on forever!  Wow!!  Initially, we were caught off guard by Doug’s (Dug’s) praise, and then we started thinking. . .”hey wait a minute, why would ANYONE who reads this blog have any “skin in the game” about us keeping it going?  Clearly, we decided, there must be some wine folks out there who’ve had a few too many…or too few!!  Absolutely no disrespect to wine lovers of all ages and demographics, but we started this bad boy 362 days ago on a promise to taste and talk about 365 different wines in 365 days, and the thought or the request of keeping it going–has never — repeat NEVER — entered our minds. (Thank goodness!)

Finding a bargain, California Pinot Noir is not an easy task, but that’s exactly what we found with a new label, the 2010 Pleasures Pinot Nooir.  Most California Pinot Noir is priced in the $15-20 range, but the Pleasures Pinot Noir takes the Quality to Price Ratio to new heights with its price of just $9.99. As tough as it is to keep any quality Pinot in stock, it’s nearly impossible with one at less than $10 a bottle.  It’s a very nice Pinot Noir–no hash notes, a little thin for our tastes but a great sipping wine nonetheless.  The body is Light/Medium and the wine has a Satin-like texture. It has a short finish but is not unpleasant.

Truthfully, there are a lot better wines on the market that deserve your dollars.  This isn’t one of them.  It’s alright and at 87 points, you can spend that money else where and get a better quality product for virtually the same money.  It’s light, fruity, and full of potential, but realistically, when you buy a Pinot, you’re NOT looking for potential, you’re looking for something to enjoy–RIGHT NOW!

As the days have dwindled down, we’re finding that the more diverse we try in our wines, the more picky we’re becoming.  Having tasted and talked about a variety of outstanding Pinot Noir wines, this one just doesn’t cut the mustard and we’d suggest that you move on. . .with only a few days left in this blog, you’d be better off finding something completely different!!!

Thanks for following us!  We’re working on a Top 25 poll for you to take. . .it will help us rate the best of the blog and confirm what we’ve been trying to accomplish for the past 365 days!  Enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.  Have a great rest of the week!