Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir

When I review European wines, I often find myself telling a story of several generations within a family carrying on a tradition of winemaking.  But it’s not often that I have the same story to tell about an American wine producer.  Concannon Vineyard, however, is one American producer with a long history.  The vineyard was first planted and the winery built way back in 1883 and the family is now into their fourth generation of winemaking.

It’s also one of those brands that I think of as being somewhere between the ultra-cheap and premium.  But it’s not much more expensive than the ultra-cheap, with a suggested retail price of $10.  And while it’s not exactly sex in a glass, for the price it’s not a bad wine.

This pinot noir is spicy on the nose with nutmeg, cherry and tree bark aromas.  The palate brings really crisp acidity and a soft-textured mouth feel.  This wine is loaded with fruit flavors like strawberry, cherry and plum.  And while it is fruit-forward, I wouldn’t call it a fruit bomb.  It’s still balanced and structured.  The mid-palate brings a lively burst of strawberry flavors, that just sing.  The finish adds some tea-like tannins to the fruit flavors and is relatively long.  While this is not the most mind-blowing pinot noir I’ve had, it’s a decent bottle of wine for a bargain hunter.

Wine: Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price:  $10.00

Find Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.