One of the wine world's unicorns this decade is drinkable pinot noir for under twenty bucks. (Note the qualifier isn't great or even very good, but drinkable.) Yes, it's probably the most finicky grape to grow and requires a certain type of climate to find its more exalted expressions, which is probably why most pinot under $20 is either plonk or generic. But every once in a while...
Wente, a multi-generational stalwart of California's Livermore valley, is perhaps best known for their chardonnays. Just recently, though, their 2022 Wente Vineyards Pinot Noir Central Coast 'Bally Hill' ($12) caught my eye on a grocery store shelf. How wrong can it go, right? After a couple of revisits to be sure it wasn't just a lucky first impression, this one definitely overdelivers, especially at this price. Rather than the monolithic cola syrup profile characterizing most grocery store pinot noirs, this shows pretty Earl Grey acidity around a moderately restrained core of midweight fruit flattered by dried herb and subtle marmalade accents. In other words, it tastes like California pinot noir used to before people thought it was supposed to taste like bastardizations such as Meiomi. No, it's not terribly complex or cerebral, but it is worth stocking up on. 92 points.
