Savvy wine buys: Castle Rock Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir ‘00

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003 | 8:19 a.m.

Don't be misled by the fact that Castle Rock is in Napa. The grapes for this delicious wine were grown in Sonoma County, where the cooler, mistier climate is known to be a boon to fine pinot noir.

This wine is produced from grapes grown in small quantities, and the juice spends up to 14 months in French oak barrels. The result is an elegant, nicely structured wine with balanced tannins, complex layers of fruit and spice, and a velvety smooth finish. The wine is shot through with notes of cinnamon, cherry and vanilla, and should last a good five years at its peak.

What's more, this is a pinot with a price that won't lighten the wallet unreasonably, for a change.

Available at Viaggio and International Wine Co., $9.95.

-- Max Jacobson

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