Castle Rock Pinot Noir Wine Review

Castle Rock Pinot Noir is a red wine from California.

For this review I tasted the 2012 vintage of this wine.  Specifically, the California Cuvee Pinot Noir which now has a screw top.

This particular Castle Rock Pinot Noir has fruit that is sourced from multiple vineyards in California.

According to Castle Rock these vineyards are selected because their “climate and soil conditions provide excellent growing conditions.”

Castle Rock Pinot Noir Review

In appearance, this wine is medium cherry in color.  A pretty good amount of light shines through this wine.  Which is as you would expect for a Pinot Noir.  Light shining through leaves red reflections on the table.

Initially there were no significant legs to this wine.  It seemed the wine barely coated the inside of the glass.  As the wine had a chance to breathe, I did notice that it got a bit more leggy.  But at no point were there a lot of legs.  Those that did appear fell slowly.

The wine was not overly aromatic.  I noticed hints of red cherry and perhaps some muted mineral.  The aroma was enjoyable and there was little to no sting of alcohol in the nose.

Castle Rock Pinot Noir alcohol content 13.5% by volume according to the bottle.

The wine had the classic “pure Pinot” taste that I enjoy.  It was elegant without being washed out.  I noted flavors of red fruits and light juicy plum.  As the wine had a chance to get some air, some of the brightness in the flavor faded a bit.  This allowed more of the deeper plum and red fruit to come through.

The wine’s mouthfeel was silky.  Tannins are delicate.  They start surfacing on the sides of the tongue and then linger with the finish behind the lower lip.

Finish is medium to long with no bitterness at all.  Just that lingering pure Pinot flavor.

Overall, I really enjoyed this wine.  There were no extra surprises, good or bad.  It just appealed to what I tend to look for in a Pinot Noir, which is the more classic flavor of a true unblended Pinot.

Castle Rock suggests pairing this wine with lamb, salmon and light pasta dishes.  I agree.  Hearty or spicy dishes would likely overwhelm this wine.

I’d just as soon have it as a sipper on its own!

Castle Rock Pinot Noir price $9.99.  Given that it’s not overly pricey, this wine would qualify as a great “value Pinot.”

Recommend!