2006 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir - Santa Barbara County

According to the Au Bon Climat website, the 2006 Pinot Noir – Santa Barbara County is “… just easy to drink. There is nothing pretentious here, just well balanced, nicely textured, brightly fruity wine that seems to go with everything.” This is the winery’s entry level Pinot Noir that sells for a reasonable $20 or so and I wouldn’t argue too much with their statement. This is an average wine as they also attest but there are a couple of characteristic that make is a little less easy to drink in my opinion.

It’s cherry red in color with a very strong cherry cola taste, too much so in my opinion. That’s the first thing that stands out. It also has a bit of a tart edge to it and the combo between to two moves it from “easy to drink” and “goes with everything” to something that stands out and not always for the right reason.

I don’t want to be too harsh on the wine because it is drinkable but I would be more pleased with it if it kind of “faded into the background” as their website notes tend to suggest.

I think it’s a C- wine. It was purchased at T.B. Ackerson Wines in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn for $24.