I walked into Ben's here in Reno the other day with one goal in mind. To buy one bottle of each of their Pinot Noir Wines that were priced below $20.00 to compare them. They happened to have six that were priced below $20.00 and not on sale. I excluded wines that were marked down from their original price to put them below $20.00. There are a lot of similarities in the wines but the one thing that stood out to me is that they are all very drinkable and in fact good wines. Since some of these wines are quite young I poured all six wines through a Vinturi aerator. Here are the tasting notes:

2006 Samantha-Starr Pinot Noir, Monterey County $16.99

A nice, deep ruby color with great clarity. On the nose you find strawberry, earth and some spice. In the mouth tart strawberries with good acid and even a touch of mineral come through. Nice balance, well rounded with a decent length finish full of tart fruit.

2007 Row Eleven Pinot Noir Vinas 3, California $16.99

Light cherry red in color with nice clarity. The nose is full of blackberry, red currant, jam and dirt. In the mouth the fruit is more subdued with noticeable cherry. Very smooth, easy drinker. The finish is fairly short and neutral.

2006 Steele Wines Pinot Noir, Carneros $19.49

Medium ruby red in color with good clarity. On the nose cherry, cedar and hints of blueberry. Very balanced in the mouth with red cherry and cedar being the prominent flavors. The finish is moderate in length and quite nice.

2006 Magnet Pinot Noir, Sonoma County $19.99

This Pinot Noir is deep, cherry red in color with good clarity. Violet, cherry and barnyard nose. Quite soft in the mouth with flavors of cherry and a floral component coming through. Lightly acidic. The finish is just on the short side of moderate length.

2005 Toad Hall Cellars Pinot Noir, Carneros $19.99

This Pinot Noir is bright, ruby red in color with very good clarity. On the nose there is a good deal of strawberry and earth. This is fruity in the mouth with some earth tones. Good acidity and more structured than the previous four Pinot Noir wines. Nice drying finish of moderate length.

2006 Vinedos y Bodegas Corpora Pinot Noir Azul Profundo, Bio Bio Valley, Chile $ 18.99

A nice ruby red in color with great clarity. On the nose one smells aromas of pomegranate, cherry, lavender and mint. Good fruit in the mouth with nice acidity and some spice. Some tannins show through. Good balance and structure. Fairly long, drying finish.

This Pinot Noir tasting was a lot of fun. Sometimes it is hard to judge one wine against another unless you compare them side by side. Which wine was the best? They were all good in their own way but, for tonight, I will be finishing off the 2006 Vinedos y Bodegas Corpora Pinot Noir Azul Profundo. The Azul Profundo just had more character to me. If you see one of these in a store near you be sure to try the wine. I'd love to here what you think.

The Baileyana Grand Firepeak Cuvee Pinot Noir is grown in the Firepeak Vineyard in Edna Valley just south-east of San Luis Obispo, California. This pours out a deep red with some brightness toward the rim. On the nose there are aromas of sour cherry, raspberry, plum, earth and spice. Quite acidic in the mouth with sour cherry and black cherry being the prominent flavors followed by spice. Bright, refreshing and well balanced. A quite lush mouthfeel that is just a little prickly at moments. A nice Pinot Noir that is good now but will benefit from a little more bottle time.

This Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne was the third Champagne tried New year's Eve after the Michel Turgy and the Veuve Clicquot and my favorite. This pours out straw colored with a nice mouse and strings of extra fine bubbles. The nose is aromatic with yeast, hazelnut, citrus and mineral coming through. Very creamy, silky smooth mouthfeel. Flavors of lychee, marzipan and citrus with mineral flood the mouth. There is a touch of sweetness in this Champagne even though it is a Brut. Long finish with hints of apple skin. A delight to drink.

This Michel Turgy Champagne was the second Champagne tried shortly after the Veuve Clicquot Rose. This pours out a light golden yellow with streams of tightly knit bubbles that form a lovely collier de perles. Very yeasty nose with some nuttiness to it. In the mouth the bubbles are a little less activie but you can still feel the creaminess they create in your mouth. Very floral in the mouth with minerals and a touch of spice. The finish is pretty long. An excellent Champagne well worth buying. 

This rose Champagne from Veuve Clicquot is a light salmon in color. The bubbles were not that uniform in size with some being rather large but did form a nice mousse. On the nose you find raspberries, yeast, a little cream and lemon. In the mouth this is pretty light and refreshing. Bubbles tingle your mouth and decent acidity gives you a slight pucker. The fruit flavors subtly come through along with the yeast in the mouth. Very dry with a pretty short finish.