Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir 2010
Date Tasted: 2/13/13
Price: Suggested Retail is around $12.00 (purchased for $8.00)
From The Winery: 13.5% alcohol. California AVA.
Impressions/Notes: Castle Rock Winery has become well known for its low-priced, readily available Pinot Noirs. Several of America’s top Pinot AVAs are represented in their bottlings, including the Russian River Valley, Willamette Valley, and Mendocino County. The California Cuvee is a blend that features fruit from multiple California AVAs. Let me start by saying it’s a very drinkable wine. My biggest criticism is that it lacks a Pinot identity. The savory strawberry fruit and oak are Pinot-like, but the notes of Black Forest ham, black licorice, tea, and leather provide some varietal confusion. There’s not a lot of depth, but I wasn’t exactly anticipating that characteristic in a $12 Pinot. Look to the Mendocino wine for better quality at a nominally higher price.
Rating: Not Too Shabby (84), 3/5 Value
Thanks for reviewing some inexpensive wines. I’ve picked up this one for $4.99 but don’t like it much. The Castle Rock Mendocino was fantastic in 2009 but I don’t care for the 2010. 2009 and 2010 Castle Rock Monterey are both good with the 2009 being somewhat better. I’ve paid as little as $5.99 for these
others. Regular price in Calofirnis is $5.99 for the California Cuvee and $7.99 for the Mendocino and Monterey. As with many inexpensive wines that rely on sourced grapes, i am finding a lot of variation from year to year or even during the same year vintage. (As with Charles Shaw.) How these wines are shipped and handled is probably a big factor too. I was at a Napa winery recently where they complained about their wines sitting out in 100 plus heat at a major retailor in Tuscon. Cheers, TJ
Hi TJ,
Wow, Castle Rock’s wines are ridiculously cheap in California. You raise a great point about variation with these inexpensive wines made from sourced grapes. Consumers should take reviews/ratings (like this one) of these wines with a grain of salt, as there’s an increased chance that the specific bottle reviewed won’t necessarily represent the wine on the shelf at their local shop.
Thanks,
Nick
Hi Nick,
I just checked and it was the Castle Rock 2009 California Cuvee Pinot that I tried and did not like at all. So now I will have to try this 2010 that you tasted. Castle Rock Pinots vary significantly from year to year but some budget wines vary even with the same vintage. I have never found this problem with premium wines unless the bottle was mishandled, corked or off. I thnk it has to do with the large productiona nd the sourcing of grapes.
Cheers, TJ
I’ve had the same experience TJ–premium wines have seemed very consistent.
Interesting comments, and may make for an informative vintage wine tasting (vertical), and since this wine isn’t very expensive, just a fun thing to do:-)
Dennis–You’re right, this would make for an interesting and cheap experiment. Add a few of CR’s other Pinot releases, taste them blind, and let the debate begin.