Pinot Noir

First off, I LOVE Pinot Noir. Love it. I definitely prefer red wines (though I hate what it does to my teeth, tongue, face etc.) ;-). So I had been having a bad day and popped over to the grocery store for a little food/alcohol pick me up. I splurged a little (it was approx. $20), but when I saw the label that said "Gold Winner - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting 2007", I knew it'd be worth it. It so was.

Jekel Vineyards (Monterey County) 2005 Pinot Noir

Attributes:
Smooth, gorgeous burgundy color, very easy to drink (not syrupy, not thin - just right!). 13.5% alcohol by volume, but you don't taste it (I've noticed that I'm pretty sensitive to the amount of alcohol in the wine - I hate when you take a sip and get a hint of vodka [the liquor I most associate with the taste of alcohol]). Unfortunately, my palette isn't that developed, but it has both oaky and fruity qualities, not too sweet though. Actually this wine is unbelievably perfect. Buy it when a) you want to impress a group of friends or b) when you want to totally indulge yourself in something that just tastes... like heaven. No exaggeration.

I wish I could comment on food pairings - I'm sure it would be good with steak or other red meat or flavorful fish - but the wine was my dinner. =) Enjoy.