A Screaming Deal On Oregon Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris

Made by our friends Linda and Art Lindsay at Stone Wolf in McMinnville, the two Rascal wines are true rarities. They're under $10 ($6.99 in some places) and they're varietally correct; a combination that almost never exists, especially with pinot noir. Typically, pinot noir this inexpensive reflects the grape only in that it's red and liquid, commonly because it has another wine - usually something cheap - blended into it. In California that can be as much as 25% of the finished wine but only 10% in Oregon, and that contributes to the difficulty in finding drinkable Oregon pinot noir in this price range.

It's possible there's something besides pinot noir in the Rascal, but given its flavor profile and knowing Linda and her passion, I seriously doubt it. This guy looks like pinot noir, smells like pinot noir and tastes like pinot noir. Ditto on the pinot gris which, though it has a little residual sugar in it, drinks fat and dry. You can't do better for the price and, in some instances, you won't do better for twice or three times the price.

If you see some, buy a couple of bottles. You won't be sorry.