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Markstone Pinot Noir Carneros 2013

Pinot Noir is a Thanksgiving tradition at our house and Trader Joe's is featuring several Pinot Noirs in their current "wine insider" e-mail.  One of the more interesting selections is the Markstone Pinot Noir Carneros. 

Carneros, in the southern portion of Napa County and Sonoma County, just north of San Pablo Bay near San Francisco, is noted for a distinctive style of Pinot Noir.  The cool foggy climate imparts a special flavor to the grapes.  When I tasted the Markstone Pinot Noir I knew it was from Carneros without even reading the label.

In the glass, this wine is lighter in color than some Pinot Noir.  The color is consistent with the cherry and strawberry flavors in the initial taste.  The wine finishes with some oak and earthiness making it more complex than first expected.  This well balanced wine will be a nice accompaniment to your holiday turkey or ham.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol and costs $10.99 at Trader Joe's.

I have now tried the Markstone Merlot and Pinot Noir.  Both have been excellent.  If you are a Trader Joe's fan, you will want to pay attention to wines from Markstone.

SC Wine Joe rating - 89 points




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