Chemistry 2021 "Alliance" Pinot Noir

Bargain Pinot Noir: The four leaf clover of the wine world

Pinot Noir is easily among the most deeply considered grapes. It’s prone to obsession, with good reason. At its best Pinot Noir is truly inspiring. For awhile there, it’s possible it was too popular. It ended up getting planted in some questionable spots for Pinot Noir. There’s also that point at which a grape is so popular, brands look to make a “pinot noir” to fit flavor profiles they feel they can market. You know the ones, and likely recognize their tendency towards whimsical labels. Nothing against whimsical labels, unless there’s subpar wine behind it. So yes, there was a metric ton of bad Pinot on the market for awhile, there’s still quite a bit. In fact, you couldn’t pay me to drink some of the most popular (by sales) Pinots out there.

Pinot has a narrower breadth of acceptable conditions it can be planted in to produce genuine wine, that’s reflective of the grape, than say Cabernet Sauvignon. So a lot of those “bargain” Pinot’s out there are just cheap red wine, that quite frankly don’t distinguish themselves as much of anything. If all I can say after tasting something is, yes that’s red wine, we’ve got a problem. Finding truly good Pinot Noir that is also a bargain can be akin to spotting a leprechaun in the wild, or picking your own four leaf clover. Anecdotal evidence says they’re out there, but have you found any?

So when I come across a Pinot Noir that is easily discernible as such, with true character, and priced for everyday drinking, it’s cause to celebrate. Or at the very least tell as many people as I can about it. Such is the case with this offering from Chemistry. The Chemistry brand is a partnership between Chehalem and Stoller. Both Estate Wineries are part of the same ownership group.

Chemistry 2021 “Alliance” Pinot Noir ($20)

The fruit is from vineyard sites around Oregon. While there’s lots more that thrives in Oregon, Pinot Noir is the headline grape. There’s a great reason for that, it flourishes in numerous areas throughout the state. Alliance has a suggested retail price of $20, however, it’s often available for a few dollars less. Under $20 is firmly bargain territory for genuine Pinot Noir. From the nose to the toes Alliance is stuffed with lots of dark red fruit flavors that lean ever so slightly forward in nature. Underlying savory herbs are evident as well. Bits of cocoa dot the solid finish. There’s no mistaking this is Pinot Noir. It’s straight forward, goes down easy and will work well with myriad cuisine types, or, if you just want a glass of wine to contemplate your day alongside. It’s made for early consumption, so drink it over the next year or so.

I paired this Pinot with a Masala Tomato Soup. The recipe is originally from Clean Food Dirty Girl, but it came to me via Rancho Gordo. They often put postcards in their bean shipments. Some of them are recipe cards, and this was one of those. The only material change I made was using Cicerchia Beans instead of chickpeas.

I added some homemade croutons on top. The marriage between the tomato based soup and the fruity Pinot was spot on. They came together to achieve that sought after, third rail of flavor. Great soup, well paired with a true bargain Pinot Noir!