$5 Barefoot Pinot Noir California Stater Bros.

It has a nice purple-red tone, but a closed, tight nose. If I really have to dig, it's slightly jammy with a berry. Not any particular berry, just a generic single berry note.

And the taste doesn't vary to much from the smell. A bit of nearly imperceptible fruit, followed by a bitter tobacco flavor. Even though it is lacking flavor, it's still a bold, in-your-face wine but with an immature arrogance. It stutters with the faint taste of green chiles and unripe plums and ends with a long, tart finish. Overall, it is somewhat drinkable but I would not buy it again. Try the Barefoot Zinfandel, which is much better.

I give this wine a 3 out of 5 stars

$3 Crane Lake Pinot Noir 2009 California Henry's Market

Oh my, does this one smell good! Super-berry aromas with plenty of cherry notes, yum. Smells like something I might taste at a fancy-schmancy winery. But did it deliver? Why yes, it did. This Pinot Noir is very nice, I am impressed. It is full of cherries, strawberries and plums with a lingering finish of dark chocolate and coffee. For a mere $3 a bottle, this one is right on the money. Drink this now, its at it's peak! Henry's better watch out, I'm going to be stocking up on this bad boy.

I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

$5 Pinot Noir 47 Pound Rooster California Albertsons

I have yet to find a great Pinot in the value range. This one has some nice peppery aromas with a bit of raspberry buried in there. I was trying to pick up something besides the pepper and I almost inhaled it, so I am now moving on to tasting it. Rich, deep blackberry flavors with that signature pinot peppery-ness greeted my tastebuds followed by a medium finish with a tart bite at the end. This is definitely one of the better affordable Pinots and I would buy it again and probably recommend it.

I give this peppery Pinot a 4 out of 5

$4 Pinot Noir 2006 Lindemans Bin 99 South Eastern Australia Safeway

The fragrance of this wine is smoky and peppery and it has brown tones to it's rich, deep red. I swirled it around for a moment and for those of you who care, it had nice thick legs that took their time dripping back down into the glass. The first taste is a bit bland. The second and third tastes brought out some subtle pinot flavor and.... not much else. I'm a bit disappointed, it smells so much better than it tastes. Still a drinkable wine though.

I give this uneventful wine a 3 out of 5 stars.


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$5 Pinot Noir Pepperwood Grove South East Australia 2006 Albertsons

This wine had a particularly brownish tone to it upon pouring. It had an astringent berry fragrance to it and thin, spindly legs. I was expecting an earthy taste because the color was so rich, but it actually had a light and fruity flavor. It is very smooth with a strong melon flavor which is quite nice for a red. There were also greenish flavors to it like green grapes, grass and tomatillos. This was a great wine for a great price!

I give this fruit-foward wine 4 out of 5 stars.