There’s no question that California winemakers have made great strides in crafting pinot noir. A pleasing benchmark of their progress can be found in this pinot from Beringer.
The ’99 vintage has been anointed as very good to exceptional, and this $16 beauty will do nothing to sully its reputation. It displays an arresting, earthy aroma: dark cherry with some hints of prune and fall leaves. In the mouth, a strawberry element comes to the fore.
But what really sets this wine apart from earlier California pinots is its complex texture and a hint of the velvet elegance that is the hallmark of fine Burgundian pinot noir. Drink this wine now, or in three to five years, with grilled or roasted salmon or halibut, poultry with red wine sauce and ripe cows’ milk cheeses.