Savannah-Chanelle Central Coast Pinot Noir 2009

A few years ago, I spent an afternoon wine tasting in Saratoga and Cupertino, and I remember going to Savannah-Chanelle and trying their wine. After you've been wine tasting a few times, you start to sort them into 3 groups: the ones you loved and can't wait to go back to, the ones you hated and will warn your friends about, and the ones that just weren't particularly memorable. This one was the third kind. I think we bought a bottle or two, but I don't remember anything about them.

Last night I had dinner with a friend, and he had a bottle of their Central Coast Pinot Noir from 2009 that he bought a few weeks ago on a tasting afternoon of his own. I was glad to revisit and see if it was more memorable this time.

It pours on the dark side for a pinot. The nose was full of ripe berries and leather. After a couple of swirls it was very pleasant. The wine started out very delicate on the tongue, just about what you expect from the varietal, but then it brightened into a bigger taste of sweet strawberries and tart cherries. There was a little almond at the end. It wasn't a big wine, but it wasn't super soft either, just nicely in between.

We had garlicky lamb burgers for dinner, and it was a little too much for the wine. I think it would go better with something less strongly flavored. Fortunately we drank most of it before got to the food. Bottles are about $26 at Savannah-Chanelle, so cheaper than a lot of pinot noirs and a pretty good deal if you want one that's medium-bodied and easy drinking like this one. It's still not particularly memorable but it's perfectly drinkable.