While Bourgogne remains my favorite choice for Pinot Noir (and also a wonderful tourist spot), Oregon comes as a close second. It is also a very nice place to visit: my wife and I spent a memorable week there in 2006, visiting the wine country.
Since my moving to the States, the geographic closeness and the unfavorable Dollar-Euro exchange rate pushed me to taste more U.S. wines than I was used to (not necessarily a bad thing, though). So, I tried lots of different Pinot Noirs available at Marketview Liquor, one of my favorite liquor store. Most of my pets are in the $30-$50 range and I was looking for more affordable choices: 2006 Cloudline, which I never tasted before, was offered with a 10% discount. I paired it with my specialty hamburger (ground chuck roast mixed with ham, onion and american cheese) and I enjoyed it. Though, there are better alternatives for the same price.
Tasting notes: The 2006 Cloudline is deep ruby red with purple reflections, a sign of its very young age and, probably, too much extraction. The nose confirms the extreme youth, especially in the bitter, somewhat smoked smell, which characterize most Pinot Noirs under 4 years of aging; alcohol is also prominent. On the good side, there are very evident varietal flavors (cherry and raspberry), some spices (coriander and nutmeg) and just a hint of oak. The palate is smooth, alcoholic, with good correspondence to the nose. A little bit unidimensional and not very long in the end. Probably better in 2 years from now, when the youthful roughnesses might have faded.
Score: 79/100
Price: $17.99
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