Harlow Ridge Pinot Noir – Gold Medal Wine?

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

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