Drink: A 'game-changer' from Oregon
This bottle of 2013 Underwood pinot noir stands on its own.
In the holy quest to craft a pinot for the people (that is, a decent bottle at $15 or less), the up-leaning wineries of Oregon have been largely absent.
This bottle of 2013 Underwood pinot noir, however, is something of a game-changer - and not only because it's being rereleased this summer in novel 375 ml cans sure to shake your I-only-drink-beer-nerd friends awake.
This pinot stands on its own, because unlike some overripe syrah-injected California bargain bottles, this one actually still tastes like real wine that varies from season to season.
The 2012 vintage brought riper dark fruit, but the late rains of 2013 kept grape sugars in check, and resulted in red fruit flavors (strawberries, cherries) edged with a juicy acidity I love and an earthiness and herbal spice from the Willamette grapes that make up 40 percent of the blend. (Most fruit comes from warmer Umpqua Valley.)
For affordable spring drinking that doesn't cheap-out on the quality, this Underwood is hard to beat.
- Craig LaBan
Underwood Pinot Noir Oregon 2013, $12.99 for a bottle (code 38900) in Pennsylvania.