Stone Wolf Vineyards Pinot Noir Barrel Select Cuvée - Hunt For The Best Pinot Noir Under $20

100% Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon.

SRP of $18 and available for $17. Sample received courtesy the winemaker for review purposes.

From the bottle:

"The famed Eola Hills district of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where Stone Wolf Vineyards are located, is world renowned for ultra premium wines springing from its vineyards. Following true to form is this great Pinot Noir. Like velvet on the palate, it is a highly complex wine of tremendous depth of flavor. Full bodied and rich in color, a wine created specifically to accent fine foods, as are all of our wines. Here is a wine you may serve to your most discriminating guests and take pride in your selection of quality.

12.5% Alcohol"

Today we're starting a new series on Pinot Noir, but not just any Pinot Noir...we're on the hunt for the best Pinot Noir under $20. Of course, this is not an easy feat, especially when you're talking about wine from places like Oregon. Given that, I was eager to start off this new series with a wine from Willamette Valley. Let's see how it measures up.

The 2008 Stone Wolf Vineyards Willamette Valley Barrel Select Cuvée Pinot Noirbegins with aromas of black cherry and strawberry with some added herbal notes. This medium-bodied wine tastes of smooth fruit which gives way to some great spice and also a good amount of earthy green notes that resolve into lingering fruit flavors. Definitely a nice start in our hunt for the best Pinot Noir under $20!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.