Rascal Pinot Noir 2010 continues our exploration of the Oregon wine scene with this wine from The Great Oregon Wine Co.
The front label on Rascal Pinot Noir 2010 shows a dog (presumably named “Rascal”, an angel in Doggie Heavan) vs. the stone wolf from another Oregon wine review. Great labels!
According to the winemaker, Rascal Pinot Noir is purposely set at a price point to compensate for the oversupply of grapes and wine from that area.
The approximate $7 price is much below most Pinot from Oregon and considered necessary to compete in the market.
You have to give them credit for their aggressive strategy to survive a tough climate and compete in a national market.
A great deal for us!
Rascal Pinot Noir Tasting
The cork of the Rascal Pinot Noir was in exceptionally tight and showed very little wine penetration.
Upon pouring I saw that this wine was somewhat light in color which I pretty much expected. So far, this seems to be typical of the Oregon Pinots.
The wine had some legs and I again noticed the bubble phenomenon that I’ve seen before and have mentioned in a previous review.
Rascal Pinot Noir had a delicate aroma with no overwhelming nose of alchohol. According to the bottle, it’s 13.9% by volume.
The taste was light and, similar to Stone Wolf, had cherry overtones. The texture was soft like cotton.
The wine finished light and smooth with a buttery flavor that lingered.
Overall, I really liked the Rascal Pinot Noir. Delicate, smooth and easy drinking. Would be perfect with Lobster Ravioli. Recommend!
Hi Jon thank you for this review! I noticed that the wine you tasted was the 2010 vintage. I am glad to see that the wine held up so well over 9 years!
If you would like to review our current Oregon offerings (Rascal, Great Oregon Wine Company, Duck Pond Cellars, Lifevine Wines) I would be happy to arrange for you to receive samples of the current vintages.
Ari Walker
CEO
IBG Wines, LLC
Hi Ari and thanks for commenting!
I do have a soft spot in my heart for Oregon Pinot Noir and its terroir.
I’m always impressed with how the winemakers there have to content with the climate and soil, yet stil seem to produce such fabulous wines.
I’ll be in touch!