An Inexpensive French Pinot - Wow!

Call it Pinot Noir or call it Burgundy, you usually just don't find inexpensive French wine by either name.

I dropped some serious bucks on Pinot Noir when I visited Oregon July 2008, so imagine my surprise when browsing the Bottle Shop, W. Lafayette, and found a Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir for $15!

First, Drouhin is one of the major names in French Burgundy. Joseph Droughin founded the winery in 1880. And not only do they have their famous landmark winery in France, but also have one of Oregon's Wilammette Valley's most famous Pinot Noir wineries as well.

As opposed to many French wines, Drouhin recommends drinking this wine young. It's a bright and light-flavored Pinot. I got some raspberry on the palate and a very smooth, enjoyable finish. It definitely has some great structure and the taste is what I would call refined. It's not a big Pinot by any imagine, remember the price point! But this is a very enjoyable bottle of wine.

Though it is obviously Drouhin's lowest end wine, the fact outstanding winemakers are behind it really shines through.

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