Tasting - Angels Ink Pinot Noir

 

 

 

Name: Angels Ink Pinot Noir

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Central Coast, California, United States

Year: 2021

   Price: $18   

 

     

Online Tasting Note Review: "Earthy mineral nose…a consistently good sleeper…opens with juicy raspberry and tobacco …mid palate notes of slate, vanilla, and minerals…intense milk chocolate and black pepper on the back end…always enjoyable…not very complex but drinks well above its price point…deep garnet color and light bodied…" - https://www.vivino.com/US/en/angels-ink-central-coast-pinot-noir/w/8374824?year=2021&price_id=32941296#all_reviews

 

Wine Folly: At first glance, most Pinot Noir wines are pale to medium in color due to their thin skins. Pinot Noir has a unique profile dominated by aroma compounds known as esters. These give it a complex array of flavors, from ripe cherry and raspberry to intriguing undertones of forest floor, tea leaves, and sometimes even clove.

On the nose, Pinot Noir is all about the symphony of red fruits. Yet, it also unveils layers of earthiness, spice, and, when oak-aged, gentle wafts of vanilla and smoke. As it ages, you might catch hints of mushroom and leather.

On the palate, Pinot Noir is usually light to medium-bodied, with lower tannins (thanks to those thinner skins) and high acidity, making it a wine of grace and subtlety. The alcohol levels tend to be moderate, usually around 12-14%, contributing to its silky and elegant mouthfeel.

Source: https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/#knowledge 

My review: For my first wine tasting, it took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to taste. I went to the nearby wine store close to my house and browsed for a bit, speaking with the employees about what I like the best, or what I potentially would like to try first. After a while, I was able to land on the wine you see me holding above. 

    The wine that I landed on was Angels Ink - a light red wine. The wine is a varietal wine containing the Pinot Noir grape. The wine originated from the California in the United States, the specific region being the Central Coast region, which is contained to six counties; Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. The vintage year of the wine is 2021, and the price of the wine at the store I purchased it from was just $18. 

    To do my tasting, I did not have the wine with any food - I had this wine about two hours after I had eaten dinner. My first wine tasting was certainly an interesting one, I'll say that. I took my first sip and was immediately hit with a very strong taste in the back of my throat - I was quite surprised as I knew that even though it was a red wine and a stronger taste was expected, I was not quite expecting the taste as strong as I got. As I continued through my tasting, I was able to pick up several different types of flavors and aromas through the wine. The most notable flavor(s) I first picked up were cherry, raspberry, and even some blackberry. As I continued further into the wine, I also picked up an aroma of vanilla essence in the wine. I would also say I was able to get some flowery essence out of the wine, although I could not quite put my finger on what kind of flower I was sensing from this wine. These were really all the flavors and aromas I had been able to pick up while drinking this wine. 

 

    I do believe that the reason this wine, despite being on the lighter side for a red as Pinot Noir wines are, had a strong flavor profile hitting the back of my throat upon first taste, is because my personal flavor profile has not come into fruition yet. This was the first wine tasting I have ever done in my life, so at the end of the day it would make sense. As I continue to expand my wine profile with each tasting, I believe this will change heavily and eventually, a wine like a Pinot Noir wine will not feel as strong as it did on my first tasting. Overall, I did enjoy this wine and thought it was quite delicious and would give it a solid 7.5-8/10 in terms of overall taste and profile.  I would definitely taste this wine again at some point in the future.