Full Review

Gregory James Wines

Gregory James Wines
2018 Bacigalupi Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.4%
86 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$46

Gregory James Wines
2018 Bacigalupi Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.4%
Ruby color. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, baking spices, and milk chocolate with a round, lively, dry medium body and a warming, interesting, medium-length finish evoking accents of black cherry, candied cranberry, milk chocolate, and kola nut and baking spices with medium tannins and moderate oak flavor. A lush style of Russian River with chocolate-covered cherries and a touch of green herb lift.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: New World
Aroma Aroma: black cherry, baking spices, and milk chocolate
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of black cherry, candied cranberry, milk chocolate, and kola nut and baking spices
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: Now with food
Recipes Pairing: Baked Ham, Meat Loaf, Lasagna
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A lush style of Russian River with chocolate-covered cherries and a touch of green herb lift.

The Producer

Gregory James Wines

The Producer

Pinot Noir

Wine Glass Burgundy.jpg
Serve in a Burgundy Wine Glass
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most fascinating red varieties. While many red grapes produces wines of power and youthful intensity, a wine made from Pinot Noir is often more refined with higher acidity and lower levels of tannins. The spiritual home for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, where it is produced in many styles, from very light to examples that can age for two to three decades.

Pinot Noirs tend to have aromas and flavors red cherry fruit, while some offer notes of wild strawberry, plum or even floral notes such as carnation and red roses. As tannins in Pinot Noir are not as pronounced as in a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, most Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed upon release, which is usually two to three years after the vintage.

Burgundy works extremely well for Pinot Noir, as it is a cool climate; a warm or hot climate would not bring out the perfumes of the variety. Thus growers in several countries have planted Pinot Noir in their coolest regions, looking to emulate Burgundy. These include the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills in California (among others); Central Otago in New Zealand; Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys in Chile and the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden in Germany (where the grape is known as Spatburgunder). The concept of terroir – a wine is the producet of its specific environment – is most often associated with Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noirs tend to pair well with poultry (duck a l’orange is a classic match), game birds and even certain types of seafoods (as tannins are low), such as salmon, tuna and halibut.

Top Rated for
Pinot Noir

Boitano Cellars 2019 828 Clone, Pinot Noir, Lauralwood District
95 POINTS
Boitano Cellars 2019 828 Clone, Pinot Noir, Lauralwood District
12.9% $75.00.
USA
King Estate 2016 Bradshaw Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
94 POINTS
King Estate 2016 Bradshaw Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
14.1% $60.00.
USA
Mira Winery 2014 Hyde & Sons Vineyard Pinot Noit, Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley
94 POINTS
Mira Winery 2014 Hyde & Sons Vineyard Pinot Noit, Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley
14.5% $105.00.
USA
Wakefield 2022 Jaraman, Pinot Noir, Tasmania
94 POINTS
Wakefield 2022 Jaraman, Pinot Noir, Tasmania
13.5% $22.00.
Australia
Wentworth 2020 Wentworth Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Estate, Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge
94 POINTS
Wentworth 2020 Wentworth Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Estate, Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge
14% $125.00.
USA
Wentworth 2020 Wentworth Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge
94 POINTS
Wentworth 2020 Wentworth Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge
14% $125.00.
USA
R. Stuart 2019 Autograph, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
94 POINTS
R. Stuart 2019 Autograph, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
14.1% $65.00.
USA
River Road 2018 Stephanie
94 POINTS
River Road 2018 Stephanie's Cuvee, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
14.3% $29.00.
USA
Portola Vineyards 2018 Los Trancos Creek Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Santa Clara Valley
93 POINTS
Portola Vineyards 2018 Los Trancos Creek Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Santa Clara Valley
13.6% $38.00.
USA
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 La Colina Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
93 POINTS
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 La Colina Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
13.5% $50.00.
USA
Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
93 POINTS
Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
13.5% $12.00.
USA
Taylors 2022 Promised Land, Pinot Noir, South Australia
93 POINTS
Taylors 2022 Promised Land, Pinot Noir, South Australia
14% $13.00.
Australia
Moffett 2019 Malliris Vineyard Wadenswil Clone, Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains
93 POINTS
Moffett 2019 Malliris Vineyard Wadenswil Clone, Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains
13.3% $55.00.
USA
PONO 2020 Aina Ferrington Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
93 POINTS
PONO 2020 Aina Ferrington Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
13.9% $68.00.
USA

Best Buys for
Pinot Noir

Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
93 POINTS
Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
13.5% $12.00.
USA
Taylors 2022 Promised Land, Pinot Noir, South Australia
93 POINTS
Taylors 2022 Promised Land, Pinot Noir, South Australia
14% $13.00.
Australia
Underwood 2021 Pinot Noir, Oregon
93 POINTS
Underwood 2021 Pinot Noir, Oregon
13% $14.00.
USA
7cellars 2020 The Farm Collection, Pinot Noir, Monterey County
93 POINTS
7cellars 2020 The Farm Collection, Pinot Noir, Monterey County
14.5% $15.00.
USA
Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley
92 POINTS
Kirkland Signature 2022 Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley
14.5% $9.00.
USA
Kirkland Signature 2023 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
92 POINTS
Kirkland Signature 2023 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
14.5% $11.00.
USA
Inscription 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
92 POINTS
Inscription 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
13.5% $20.00.
USA
Bewitched 2020 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
92 POINTS
Bewitched 2020 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
14.2% $19.00.
USA
Chloe 2020 Pinot Noir, Monterey County
92 POINTS
Chloe 2020 Pinot Noir, Monterey County
14.1% $17.00.
USA
Pampa 2021 Estate, Pinot Noir, Mendoza
92 POINTS
Pampa 2021 Estate, Pinot Noir, Mendoza
12.5% $9.00.
Argentina
Chevalier Du Grand Robert 2021 Pinot Noir, Pays d
92 POINTS
Chevalier Du Grand Robert 2021 Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc IGP
13% $13.00.
France
Mark Nicholas 2022 Artisanal Winemaking, Pinot Noir, Monterey
90 POINTS
Mark Nicholas 2022 Artisanal Winemaking, Pinot Noir, Monterey
13.6% $18.00.
USA
Member
90 POINTS
Member's Mark 2022 Private Reserve, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
14.2% $12.00.
USA
Duck Pond 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
90 POINTS
Duck Pond 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
13.3% $15.00.
USA