Primarius Pinot Noir, 2007

I am a fan of Burgundy, but great Burgundy is, as every aspiring wine snob knows, "mad expensive." So I turn to the cheaper, still-tasty alternative producing nations, such as New Zealand, the United States, and Chile. For domestic Pinot, I generally turn to Oregon's Willamette Valley, or cooler mesoclimates in California like the Carneros Valley. These regions can produce Pinot with finesse and grace.

The 2007 Primarius Pinot Noir, bottled in Walla Walla, Washington but sourced from good vineyards in Oregon, is an example of domestic finesse, and also has great intensity. Good bang for the buck. A light ruby red in the glass, decent clarity, with a nose of ripe red cherries, floral and vegetal notes, aged meats, and a slight smokiness. This follows with a silky mouthfeel, expressing nice vanilla and spiciness, tinged with mineral. Very well-balanced, long finish. $14.

Cloudline Pinot Noir, 2005

A stellar example of Pinot Noir, much closer to home than the great Burgundies. The 2005 Cloudline, from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, shows an upfront nose of raspberries and floral aromas, particularly violets, with cherries and other red berry fruit in the mouth. This is then backed by soft, supple tannins and marvelous complexity, with a delicious earthy finish, tending towards mushrooms and dried leaves. True varietal character! It seems that 2005 in Oregon provided an extremely rainy September, extending the harvest into October; this in turn led to extra ripening. What results is a fascinating wine, and unusually good in balance and depth for a domestic Pinot Noir. $20. Pairs well with beef roasts or stews.