La Crema Pinot Noir
From the Sonoma Coast, La Crema Pinot Noir is a well known Pinot Noir. A little pricey at $24.99. However, I’ve had La Crema Pinot Noir before and was pretty sure I would be in for a treat.
From the La Crema Pinot Noir bottle, “Cool climate vineyards. Artisan winemaking. Classic Pinot Noir.”
La Crema Pinot Noir alcohol content 13.8%.
La Crema Pinot Noir Review
The cork came out easy and was in fine shape. There was a slight bulge where the wine was touching the cork.
In appearance La Crema Pinot Noir pours ruby colored. Not surprisingly, light does shine through the wine.
In the glass the wine displayed thin legs. Similar to the Oregon Pinots, there was a sheeting action on the inside of the glass.
This wine was very aromatic and the aroma was easily noticeable over a foot away from the glass. The nose was of raspberry with a woody whiff from a distance. The alcohol in the aroma was barely noticeable, similar to the La Crema Pinot Noir I’ve sampled in the past.
On the palate La Crema Pinot Noir gives you the delicate flavors of smoky berries. What I found especially remarkable was that this wine, although a 2011, gave no indication of its age. It seemed as though I was drinking a wine that had been in the cellar for a few years. Along with the flavor of smoky berries was a hint of plum and perhaps even a little vanilla. Very complex and very enjoyable.
The mouthfeel of La Crema Pinot Noir provides a texture of silky cream. The wine finished medium to long with well balanced and delicately rounded tannins that were experienced all over the cheeks and tongue.
Overall, I very much loved this Pinot Noir. It’s so worth the price and is definitely one of the best Pinot Noirs I’ve experienced over the years. The winemaker figured out how to get rid of anything that could have gotten in the way and delivered a wine that is complex, smooth, aromatic and finishes perfectly. Highly recommend!
La Crema Pinot Noir price about $24.99.
Just curious. If I like La Crema, what are some other similar wines to try? Could I branch to a Merlot or Cab and get the same feel?
Hi Holly! Well, if you like La Crema Pinot Noir you might also like other Pinot Noirs with some smokiness or full flavor to them. Like, for example, Mirassou Pinot Noir or David Bruce Pinot Noir.
Yes, you could branch to some lighter Merlots or Cabs and get a similar feel. Maybe 14 Hands Merlot or Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon.
Your best bet is to experiment and keep notes on what you’ve tasted. Over time you’ll find your favorites.
Hope that helps… Cheers! Jon
Sorry, but I found La Crema Pinot to be cloyingly sweet and overoaked. It’s a shame that the Sonoma Coast AVA extends so far inland to reach Hearldsburg. As a consumer looking for restrained fruit, medium acid, and a sense of place; it seems like false advertising. I hope that CA fixes their AVA maps to exclude wineries like La Crema from Sonoma Coast for the sake of typicity.
Thanks for sharing your opinion John! This is a bit unrelated, but I heard there’s a new Malibu Coast AVA in the works for CA. So, changes can always happen. Cheers!
Hi, I loved your review. This is the best red wine I have tried, I am quite new to wine, I was wondering if you could recommend me some more reds that are similar to this one? Thanks in advance!
Hi Olivia… Glad you loved my review! I have a couple suggestions for you to try, though La Crema Pinot Noir is hard to beat!
Check out Rodney Strong Pinot Noir and Erath Pinot Noir.