As a man on a quest to find the best wine bargains out there, I keep an eye out for awards won by inexpensive wines and make a note to check those out for myself. Just a couple months ago, right here in Cincinnati, the 2007 Harlow Ridge Pinot Noir was awarded one of only nine gold medals in the Cincinnati International Wine Festival. I was a judge for that festival but the Harlow Ridge was not in the group of wines that I evaluated, and so I thought I’d give this one a shot.
The Harlow Ridge brand is part of the Bronco Wine Company portfolio of wines. This is the company best known for producing 2 Buck Chuck, and they have a number of bargain wine brands. Speaking of bargains, this wine sells for about $10, which is why it caught my eye when it won a gold medal.
So, how does it measure up?
The aromatics are surprisingly rich for a wine of this price. Violet, cherry, cola and truffle bring good complexity at a reasonable intensity. Right out of the bottle the nose is prevalent, which is pleasantly surprising. The palate doesn’t measure up as strong as the nose for me. It seems a touch off balance to the acidic side, but not dramatically so. There is a good fruit flavors with cherry, rhubarb and plum. And a hint of coffee adds more complexity. The finish is relatively long and the tannins are soft.
It doesn’t quite seem like a Gold Medal wine to me, but it’s a good Pinot Noir… particularly for the price. But due to the fact that I found it slightly acidic, I’m not surprised that it stood out to the judges. I have found that when tasting a lot of wines in one sitting, after you get a little palate-fatigue, wines that are more acidic tend to pop and stand out from the other wines.
Regardless of whether it’s just a good wine or a gold medal wine, it’s only 10 bucks. So I’d say, if you’re a fan of Pinot Noir give this one a shot to see what you think for yourself.
Wine: Harlow Ridge
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $10.00
Find Harlow Ridge Pinot Noir with Snooth