Parker Station 2008 California Pinot Noir

"The Best Pinot Noir You Can Afford to Drink Daily" raves the bottle. Jenny and I loved the graphic of the raccoon’s face on the label, reminiscent of Ranger Rick. So, needless to say, this was purchased impulsively at the Wino-Mart.

This wine has a twist off cap, but I suppose that's ok for a domestic table wine. The smell is aggressive and complex, slightly smoky, like a campfire one town over . There are also hints of under-ripe green vegetative compounds present. The taste is sour and green with notes of granny smith apple and tannic black cherry skins.

What is most peculiar and most likely unintentional about this wine is the fizzy mouthfeel... very similar to the way orange juice or cider left to ferment in a refrigerator will get after a couple weeks. It lends a certain "wine by accident" feeling to this Pinot Noir. After some research this appears to be a mistake at the time of bottling where a barrel is bottled before the yeast has had a chance to eat all the sugar so it continues as a secondary fermentation under pressure in the bottle resulting in higher alcohol content and a wine unintentionally infused with co2. A rookie mistake apparently... surprising from a winery that's been around for over 20 years.

All that said, I found myself going back to this wine sip after sip so I guess it can’t be that bad, and with a pretty high ABV of 13.8%, the wine rewards repeat business.

I don't know that I'd seek it out again, though I can't help wondering what type of off-flavors the accidental secondary fermentation gave the wine, and it is certainly not the best Pinot Noir I’ve had for the $15 price tag.

- Connoisseur Tom