Scotch whisky – when served neat, with water, or on the rocks – often comes in a “rocks glass”, sort of a low straight-edged tumbler. This serving style is fine with me, though it lacks pizazz. Some argue that rocks glasses give short shrift to the whisky’s aroma, too.

The recent crop of glasses designed specifically for Scotch, including Riedel’s (introduced in 1992), tend to be tulip-shaped – like what whisky makers use when nosing samples to make blends. The Glencairn Glass (introduced in 2001) and CelticMalts Spirits Glass (introduced in 2003) also follow this design.

Riedel’s “O” Chardonnay glass is more of a snifter. Somehow it makes drinking Scotch feel elegant but not pretentious. The glass is thin enough to put the focus on the liquid inside, but not so fragile that you feel like you can crush it with your hand (something I’ve done several times to Riedel’s more costly Vinum Whiskey Glass). I suspect some people would argue that the bowl and opening of this glass are too large to properly focus the aromas of the whisky – those folks might look at some of the narrower “O” series glasses, including the new Spirits Glass in the line. I personally find all but the dedicated Chardonnay glass too closed at the top, hard to get a good solid drink out of – and this goes for the one they call Viognier-Chardonnay “O” glass, so be careful what you order.

Note that I have not tried this glass for mixed drinks. I suspect you’re better off sticking with traditional shapes for cocktails. And I don’t like the O Chardonnay glass for bourbon. Not sure why, but somehow bourbon tastes better to me out of a thicker tumbler.

As of this writing, it seems Riedel’s O Chardonnay Glass is generally sold in boxes of two for $24.95. Not cheap, but still good value for the quality you get.

(I owe a debt of a gratitude to the “real” whisky Ethan – Spirit Sommelier Ethan Kelley of New York’s wonderful Brandy Library. Ethan chose this glass as the Brandy Library’s standard for serving Scotch. He introduced me to it when they opened in 2004, and as of April 2010  it remains the standard at this peerless whisky bar.)

Pros of the Riedel “O” Chardonnay tumbler:

• Easy to find in stores
• Dishwasher safe
• Not so costly you’ll cringe when one breaks
• Nicely thin but not fragile

Cons:

• Shows fingerprints easily
• Not inexpensive ($10-15 each)
• Suitable for home only – don’t take it camping or to the beach!

This might be the only Chilean Pinot Noir I’ve ever seen. Chile certainly has no Pinot heritage, so I’m guessing this winery’s foray into Pinot is very recent. Perhaps inspired to capitalize on the Sideways Pinot boom or just to indulge the quirky passion of an individual winemaker.

I got this bottle from Garagiste in early 2009 for $19.99 – it’s worth nearly twice the price. (Drank it on Thanksgiving of the same year.)

The 2004 Casa Marin “Cartagena” Estate Grown Pinot Noir (Chile: San Antonio) is a wonderful hybrid of the Old and New Worlds. It leads with earth and funk like a Burgundy, but the middle palate and finish are thick and fruity, like a California Pinot. The texture tends toward the heavy side without heading into syrup. Even though it’s not overly viscous, this Cartagena Pinot has a brooding personality that is just wonderful. I wonder if that comes from the types of barrel they use, since there are hints of deep oak and even very faint smoke. This wine stands up well to air, asserting its distinctive dark characteristics over many hours.

A great find from Chile. I wish I had stocked up on this one. If you see other wines from this winery or other Pinots from this region, take the risk.

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I’m not super-familiar with the story of Anthill Farms, but it seems they’re some young winemakers specializing in vineyard-designate Pinot Noir from Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Brian Snelling at San Mateo’s excellent boutique wine shop 750ml first introduced me to Anthill Farms in 2008, but I recently (September 2009) bought the non-vineyard-designate Anderson Valley Pinots at two different stores and drank them the same week. Both were excellent.

I found the 2006 vintage at Santa Rosa’s Bottle Barn for $29.99 and am sorry I didn’t buy their entire stock. This is just a great Pinot for $30. Everything that’s special about the Anderson Valley: fruit-forward in the American style, but not thick or syrupy like some Carneros or Santa Barbara Pinots. A tiny bit of funky earth – maybe this is what wine writers mean when they say they taste “truffles” – but none of the watery thinness common to so many Burgundies. Very nice medium silky texture, less edgy than most Oregon Pinots. And while Pinot Noir is generally not “structured” in a Bordeaux/Cabernet way, this wine has a modicum of complexity that takes it beyond the juicy-fruit characteristics of lower-end Russian River Valley Pinots.

A week or two later I picked up the 2007 vintage of the same wine at K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City. This was much more expensive at $39.99 – a fair price, but not a bargain for a wine of this quality. The 2007 had similar Anderson Valley characteristics – forward American fruitiness, but leavened with some earthy character. This more recent vintage lacked some of the depth of its 2006 sibling – not sure if this was because of vintage or vineyard variation, aging, or what. Still very, very good.

The Anderson Valley is my favorite region for Pinot Noir, though its special qualities are ephemeral – not every Anderson Valley Pinot captures them. These Anthill Farms wines absolutely do. Don’t pay more than $40, but definitely try either one as an exemplar of the character (okay, “terroir“) of this great Pinot Noir appellation.

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Let’s just get it out of the way. The Bogle 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is ruined by an overwhelming buttery note. This wine has several other redeeming qualities, but they don’t outweigh the butter.

I’ve started to despair of finding a sub-$20 Pinot Noir that’s worth drinking. Certainly sub-$15 is even tougher. My requirements are not high – just something that tastes recognizably like Pinot (rather than the all-too-common “generic red”). Anything more than that is just icing on the cake.

The Bogle Russian River Pinot Noir from 2005 was an excellent easy-drinking, fruit-forward, all-Pinot-all-the-time wine. I downright loved it. And it sold for $11-14 wherever I saw it.

Unfortunately the 2006 was flat and lifeless, and while the 2007 has some character, it’s fatally flawed.

I bought a bottle of the 2007 in the spring (of 2009), and didn’t think much of it. But when I saw it again last week at The Wine Stop in Burlingame – for just $11.99! – I thought I would give it another go. I bought four bottles and have tried three of them.

Yes, there is red-blooded American Pinot all over this wine. From the smell to the taste, definitely there in a way few other budget Pinots ever manage. Very promising. And there’s no harsh “budget wine edge” to the texture, either – if anything, this is almost too viscous or richly-textured for a Pinot. None of those positive attributes overcomes the buttery-ness that’s obviously present at the beginning and just grows as the wine opens up, like a blight in your garden. In beer this character comes from a chemical byproduct of fermentation called diacetyl, and it’s often a ruinous flaw. Definitely kills this wine.

I don’t know Bogle, but I think they’re a big purchaser of bulk or declassified wine from name-brand wineries. Nothing wrong with that at all. But that generally means you get less consistency from year to year, so you’ve got to be careful.

Anyway, Bogle’s 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir is not worth even $12. If you want Pinot, then double your reservation price to $25. If you want good red wine in this price range, then try something from outside the US.

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• Bogle Vineyards Home Page
• Bogle 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Fact Sheet
• 2007 Bogle Russian River Pinot Noir at K&L Wines

The 2008 Pinot Noir from Valle Perdido in Patagonia (Argentina!) is the second-best under-$15 Pinot Noir I’ve ever tried. It’s actually pretty good. But that doesn’t mean I would recommend you buy it.

I purchased this bottle from K&L Wines in Redwood City, CA, in May 2009 for $11.99. Attractive label, screw cap. K&L’s description follows:

“Patagonia might be best known for its frigid weather and the U.S. clothing company that has capitalized on this image of a blustery, rugged tundra, but that may all be about to change. Seems it’s just such a climate that helps Pinot Noir to develop its characteristic bouquet and complexity. This 2008 displays a fragrant, pure, and explosive nose, which expresses vivid summer red fruit and juicy cherry aromas. There are also some tropical fruit notes. The attack is fresh and full bodied, with a harmony between acidity and structure. Balanced and elegant, with a long persistent finish.”

After many disappointed tries, I’ve found that the best you can hope for in budget Pinot Noir is a “varietally correct” character. That is, does it recognizably taste like Pinot Noir? Most Pinots in this price range fall into the “generic light red” category. You hope only for Pinot taste – anything more than that is a bonus.

Valle Perdido’s 2008 Pinot goes one step better than just Pinot flavor. As K&L reports, this wine actually puts the fruit front and center in a bright, exciting way. From the aroma to the attack, this is definitely assertive Pinot fruit in all its exuberance. You could mistake it for nothing else.

But it’s all downhill from there. A thin texture, with none of the velvety mouthfeel characteristic of this grape, nor any of the underlying subtlety that makes you want to spend time with the wine. And despite K&L’s claim, there’s no finish at all – this wine vanishes about 80% of the way through your mouth. Just when it starts to get enjoyable, it’s gone.

Regardless, the Valle Perdido 2008 Pinot Noir is very good for the price. Might be the kind of thing you get by the case for your backyard BBQ if you feel obliged to serve Pinot. However, in this price range there are far better overall red wines (the most obvious being the almost embarrassing plethora of excellent Malbecs, also from Argentina; but also look at budget French wines from good vintages – no kidding, great values to be found). And if you want Pinot Noir, you’re going to have to move up to at least $20 to get something with a modicum of complexity.

“Recommended”, with strong reservations.

And the best under-$15 Pinot Noir to cross my lips? Bogle’s 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was worth more than 2x the price. Unfortunately the 2006 and 2007 vintages of that same wine weren’t nearly as good.

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