667 Pinot Noir Review

For this review of Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir, I enlisted help from a good friend and previous tasting assistant, “Big Al”.  He always does a great job and this time was no different in tasting this 2011 Pinot Noir from Monterey, California.

Per the bottle, “Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir honors the most coveted Dijon vine stocks of Burgundy, France.  These vines enhance the structure of the wine and thrive in our family owned, cool climate Monterey vineyard.”  Alcohol content of 667 Pinot Noir is 13.5% by volume.

I’ve reviewed a couple other Noble Vines wine brands as well.  Here they are:

181 Merlot (An uncomplicated Merlot with an interesting aroma)

337 Cabernet Sauvignon  (Featured on The Big Bang Theory)

667 Pinot Noir Tasting

In appearance, we described this wine as purple to dark garnet in color.  What we found most interesting was the wine’s legs.  They were evenly spaced.  However, on the sides of the glass, one set fell slowly and the other fell fast.  The quote of the evening was, “this wine has nicer legs than a chorus line!”

The 667 Pinot Noir aroma was earthy with hints of peat.  The wine was very aromatic and there was a slight whiff of alcohol.  A hint of spice was noted as well.

The wine’s taste was very light.  This was a surprise given the strong aroma.  We noticed tastes of cherry along with spice on the middle of the tongue and the slightest hints of cinnamon on the edges.  As the wine took on more air, a toasted oaky butteryness was noted.

We felt the wine had a mouthfeel of silky linen.

Finish for the 667 Pinot Noir was medium to perhaps long.  Also, the finish was much more prevalent than the initial taste.  Subtle tannins were felt on the sides of the tongue.  The finish stretched the sensations of spice and cherry.

Overall, we agreed the wine was complex.  We described it as “a wine you need to feel out.”  One of us determined it was better than average and the other liked it a lot.  At about $12.00 a bottle it’s certainly a good value.

For pairing, we thought the 667 Pinot Noir would go well with a NY strip steak, clam chowder or maybe a Chili Con Carne.  Typical New England “winter food.”  Give it a try!