The answer is, not a whole hell of a lot. I found one though. Turns out that they are actually growing Pinot Noir right here in my own back yard. I talked about this with the guys at Pheasant Ridge winery in my video interview the other day. The winery provided me with samples of their Pinot Noir and of their Chardonnay to review. In addition to the text review that I have here, you can also view a video review that I did for these wines in the video section of the Vinotology Facebook page.
2005 Pheasant Ridge Chardonnay
The 2005 Pheasant Ridge Chardonnay comes in at 13% alcohol and will probably cost you somewhere between $13-15. This wine is fermented in oak and then spends another 6 months in oak.
On the nose you can definitely tell that this is an oaked Chardonnay. It has the aromas that you would expect, the vanilla and oak. I don't find the oak to be overpowering, but it is definitely a factor in this wine. I also get a lot of pear and Granny Smith apples, along with a touch of banana. The taste of this wine is more oak and vanilla, along with some citrus and tropical flavors.
Overall, I think that this is a really nice wine if you like this style. It's not going to be for everyone though. On average, I will say that this is definitely worth a try, but for those who enjoy oaked Chardonnay, I think that this is a great wine. Personally, I like this wine and will be buying it in the future.
Legend – Skip it
Meh
Worth a Try
Give it a Go
Run Get Some
2006 Pheasant Ridge Pinot Noir
The 2006 Pheasant Ridge Pinot Noir comes in at only 12% alcohol, and runs only $15. This Pinot Noir cellars for 2.5 years.
On the nose I get red fruits, with strong strawberry and raspberry components, as well as just a touch of mint, and a little bit of earthiness. On the palate I get some nice sour cherries and raspberries. This wine has some really great acidity that works well with food. I enjoyed this wine with some pork chops, and it paired really nicely.
I found this wine to be an excellent value, especially when you factor in the normal prices for a good Pinot, not to mention the fact that this was a very limited release from the winery, with approximately 70 cases being produced. I am going to have to go out to the winery and pick up some more of this wine. If you want to try this wine, you better act fast – there isn't much left of this vintage. Definitely give this wine a try if you have a chance. The only thing more rare than a Pinot Noir in Texas, is a good Pinot Noir. This is definitely a good one.
Legend – Skip it
Meh
Worth a Try
Give it a Go
Run Get Some
Love Pinot Noir. It’s up there with my favorite varietals. Looking forward to giving this guy a try.
Yep, I think we have the first selection for our exchange now. I’ll be interested to know what you think. I was so surprised by the whole Pinot Noir in Texas thing, I’m hoping my objectivity wasn’t compromised.
I love your profiles of wine and vineyards from a state that rarely makes an appearance on wine lists or in hoity-toity magazine articles. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Megan. There is definitely no room for Texas in hoity-toity magazines.
I think I’m going to be reviewing a wine from a state that you are familiar with next. It’s about time to pop the cork on some AZ wine!
Excellent, I can’t wait! Is it the Stronghold wine you have been saving?
It is indeed. It’s going to be the most rock and roll post yet.
Wanted to get it out before “Blood Into Wine” debuts.
I really hope Blood Into Wine plays at the little artsy theater here in Eugene. You can’t go wrong with movies + wine. Maybe all the wine bloggers need to schedule a night where everyone goes to see the flick and we share our thoughts about it via Twitter.
I think that would be cool. It will be interesting to see how wide of a release it gets. We miss some really great movies here, so I’m not terribly optimistic about it playing in my home town. Keeping my fingers crossed though.
I really love Pinot Noir, but I noticed that most Michigan Pinots are milder, more subdued and maybe even more food friendly than a bold Oregon Pinot. Where do you feel Texas Pinots (or this one specifically) falls?
Oh, I think that this definitely falls on the more food friendly side. It was a fairly mild Pinot. I don’t think that anyone would describe this wine as “bold”. When I talked with the guys at the winery, they told me up front that it was not a New World style Pinot like what you find in a lot of the West Coast wines of this variety.
Great post and comment string. I’ve said it b4 but I love your ability to distill the important stuff down into less than 500 words. I know I can come here and get a feeling for the wine w/o having to trapse through 1500 words of text. Don’t have any plans to be in Texas soon, but will certaily keep my eyes open for it. Maybe you could coax the guys to expand their production, start sending out more samples (to me). LOL
Josh
Thanks Josh. I really appreciate the comments. I’ll see what I can do about them expanding production.
Maybe I can bring a bottle up for the Wine Bloggers Conference in June, assuming my totalitarian state government will allow me to cross state lines with anything.
I’m always amazed by the fact that wine is being made in even some of the most unexpected places in the world!
That Pinot sounds very nice and I also like the fact that it’s reasonably priced!
Cheers!
Yeah, it is fun finding wines from different places. I should be getting my first taste of VA wine sometime in the next couple of weeks!