Fir Crest “Second Floor” Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

YEAR: 2011

REGION: US: Oregon: Willamette Valley

AVERAGE RETAIL: $15

What they say about it:

“Bright red fruits and floral notes on the nose, nicely concentrated berry flavors in the mouth, and a juicy, raspberry-tinged finish that trails on and on. Lovely now with grilled salmon or a simple roast chicken.”

What I say about it:

The “Second Floor” Pinot Noir is actually produced by the folks at Oregon’s Twelve Winery under a different label. I stumbled on it at my corner market and decided to give it a try. Always on the lookout for decent Pinot Noirs from Oregon in the $10-$20 range it was a good wine for tasting.

So out of the bottle and into the glass….

The color of the wine is a light purplish red with medium legs in the glass (13.9% alcohol). The nose of the wine is full of red fresh fruits: strawberries and cherries, with a touch of oak, violet, crushed stone, slight spice, tobacco, moss and we earth. The taste again is full of berries and fruit. Less so berries for me. Closer to tart pie cherries with a touch of oak, pepper and smoke. It has a soft lingering finish with soft tannins. A touch acidic and not as well balanced as I’d like to see in a Pinot but still enjoyable.

For me Pinot’s need to be great and not just good. This was just a good Pinot. I wanted a little more complexity and better mouth feel. The Second Floor is drinkable and I’d recommended it if you are looking for a new Pinot to try from Oregon. It will pair well with softer robust cheeses and everything from red meat to turkey to even chicken.

Would Bukowski drink it?  Pinot? Pee yes. 

Overall Rating: 3 BUKS