When the cat’s away, the Green Dragon will play! I discovered this when I returned from my trip to Austin to find the upstairs wine rack stocked with a number of new wines.
Green Dragon had visited the Andersons in Maumee and picked up several everyday wines being sold at close-out prices. I’ll be visiting there soon as well since their year-end deals are always great.
The Sonoma Oaks 2012 Pinot Noir is from Russian River Valley, a classic California AVA. I was interested to see what $11.99 could buy in terms of taste and I received a surprise.
This wine has a complex taste and veers to the earthy end of the Pinot Noir spectrum. Green Dragon zeroed in on the primary flavor – raisins. Mixed with the raisin there is a bit of vanilla and spice. That actually sounds like a great dessert, but of course this is a dry wine.
The Sonoma Oaks label pays homage to the namesake trees that grow in pockets throughout the vineyards where these grapes are grown. Sonoma Oaks is designed to be affordable access to the unique wines of Sonoma County. At $12 to $16, this is a great casual sipper from a region famous for its cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sonoma Oaks Pinot has a great texture and has oak that enriches the body. For this price point, it is a score. PN from RRV is better than just OK.
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Value: 4 of 5
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