Erath Pinot Noir Review
For this review of Erath Pinot Noir from Oregon, we had two tasters. Myself, and a friend with previous experience working at a nearby winery. She brought a great perspective to the tasting. At times our opinions were the same and at other times they weren’t.
We tasted the 2010 vintage of this wine.
Per Erath, when they craft their Pinot Noir they “combine time-honored practices and new technologies to capture the unique character, or terroir, of the vineyards.”
Erath Pinot Noir alcohol content 13.0% by volume and this wine comes from the Willamette Valley area.
Erath Pinot Noir Tasting
In the glass, it’s immediately evident that this is a light Pinot Noir. The color appeared garnet to brownish/red and a slight brownish ring was noticed on the edge. Light easily shines through the Erath Pinot Noir. Legs are long and slow to fall. As my friend stated, “they go on forever.”
On the nose, we both agreed that the wine had a pronounced aroma of alcohol. However, our opinions diverged from there. She felt the aroma was also damp and woodsy with no fruit. I didn’t pick up on that, but did notice subtle notes of cherry or raspberry.
On the palate, Erath Pinot Noir is a smooth wine with tastes of vanilla and delicate fruits. Most definitely a light body wine and softer than other Pinot Noir you may find.
Mouthfeel is cottony and a bit dry in texture. Mild tannins were noticed in the back of the throat, cheeks and both on and in front of the gums.
My friend and I differed on our opinions of the finish. I thought the finish was short to medium. She thought the finish was long and round. We both agreed the alcohol was less overpowering at the finish than it was on the nose. Additionally, it should be noted that we let the Erath Pinot Noir breath for a good 15-20 minutes before our tasting.
Overall, my friend thought this was an OK wine. My opinion was that I liked it a lot. Especially, the smoothness and softness. I would call this wine a great summer sipper and believe it stands best on its own. If paired with food, we both agreed it would not stand up to a spicy meal. However, it would go well with a light fish or pasta with a light cream or olive oil based sauce. This was an enjoyable wine to review. Give it a try!
Erath Pinot Noir price about $19.99.
For a higher end but more pricey Pinot Noir from Oregon, take a look at Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
My experience with this wine was quite different. I purchased the 2018 vintage. It earned the “distinction” of being the first bottle of wine I’ve dumped down the drain. It smelled off when we opened the bottle; letting it breathe didn’t help. We spit out the first sip. I’ve had more palatable boxed wine. I wasn’t brave enough to keep it for cooking. There was no cloudiness. Have you heard of problems with their 2018 vintage?
Hi there!
Thanks for commenting… No, I haven’t heard of any issues with the 2018.
It sounds like may have encountered a wine fault, given that the smell was off.
Wine Enthusiast magazine has a great article on this.
You can find it here: https://www.winemag.com/2018/01/24/wine-faults/
Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully it’s a one off and Erath isn’t encountering bigger problems.
Cheers… Hoping your next wine is better!
Jon
Hi Jon!
Unfortunately, I just opened the 2019 vintage and it was terrible :(. It definitely isn’t the same wine I remember when I used to sell it at my old wine bar. It was so bad that I immediately looked for reviews and came here! Not a total loss though, I’m gonna use it for the blueberry sauce I pair with my lamb chops tomorrow ;). I am curious if you have tried it recently. Hope all is well.
-John
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience, John.
I haven’t tried a recent vintage of this wine.
With that said, it’s looking like this particular wine is experiencing some issues (according to the comments on this review).
Also, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (in general) got some lower marks (85) from Wine Enthusiast for the 2020 vintage. 2019 got a 91.
I know your comments were for the 2019 vintage, but just kind of wondering what’s going on with Oregon Pinot in general, now.
Something to watch…
Agreed, just OK. Opened April 2020. Hot on the nose and throughout. Some structure but thin on the finish. Some fruit-forward but lost quickly on the palate. Alcohol is the distinguishing feature.
Thanks for commenting Paul!
I have to concur this is an “okay” wine. It loses marks for the short finish and aroma. It is very important this wine be given at least 10 minutes to breath. Straight out of the bottle at a dinner table will not give the taster a chance to taste its true character. I wish the finish stretched longer. That would take this wine up to a July-on-the-lawn-at-dusk sipper, for this is definitely a light pinot that could not carry the chilly seasons. The aroma had some pepper, little fruit, and no woodiness. I have to leave this one at just “okay.”
Thanks for commenting and taking time to share all the details you experienced. Much appreciated Rob… Cheers!