Handcraft Pinot Noir

Wine: Handcraft Pinot Noir

Grape: pinot noir

Region: Northern California

Vintage: 2010

Price: $8.99

In the glass: Handcraft Pinot is a vibrant, semitranslucent garnet color with a firm deeply colored core going out into a fine, slightly tinged light-garnet rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: There are good amounts of crushed black plums, cranberry juice, cherries jubilee, milk chocolate and licorice root. Then bright red flowers, herbs and earth-driven minerals round out the layered toasty nose.

On the palate: The wine is very forward for a pinot noir in this class, without masquerading as syrah, which happens a lot in California. There are fresh crushed red berries, cherries, plums, raspberry coulis, cranberry fondant and copious amounts of phenols and earthy minerals, with underlying hints of aniseed powder. The midpalate seems rich and forward with good amounts of balance between fruit and acidity, as well as good tannin structure that reflects the relatively cool climate from which the wine comes. The finish is very fine with hints of candied cranberries and faint oak references.

Odds and ends: Pinot noirs have come a long way since the movie "Sideways" put them on the map and established that it is OK to drink the American versions, rather than only their French counterparts. The movie introduced this grape variety to a large swath of the American population and gave momentum to the United States’ move into the world’s largest wine market. Following the movie’s release in 2004 and the switching of huge numbers of consumers from more traditional cabernets and merlots into pinot noirs, there was a grape glut in California, and prices plummeted. Only at this moment are the grape growers in California talking about a return to normalcy, following the aptly coined "Sideways Effect." Handcraft Pinot is a fairly classic example of a California Pinot that is a great value for the money. It’s easy to quaff by the glass or drink with a salmon, chicken or veal dish. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.