Price: $8.99 at Total Wine and More

Style: The “Anna” (Light to medium body with simple straight-forward flavors.)

Rating: “Ok”

Recommendation: “Have a glass or two”

Review:

Our first Pinot Noir of the challenge is a ho-hum offering from the Lodi region of California (due East of San Francisco in the Central Valley.)  Although this bottle was smooth and easy-drinking, it was also pretty boring and forgettable. The nose on this one was very subtle and tight… my arm got tired of swirling and swirling trying to get something out of it, but just nothing. Even on the second day, it didn’t really have anything to say aroma-wise.

Palate was also pretty mild and subdued. It was nicely balance and “felt” right… it just wasn’t really carrying any meaningful flavor with it. What little I did get was red fruits with a tiny bit of cocoa. Juicy acidity on the front and dryness on the finish. Medium body. Good length to the finish.

More info:

Little to no meaningful information on the website.  Appears to be family owned, but that’s about all I can figure out. Pretty generic bulk bottling.