The 2024 Aldiano Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley comes with a back label that is half wine description and half story about three friends. Hmm. Three friends, yes? Perhaps they drink wine together and discuss feelings. Very touching, but I do not care. I want to know if wine is good. So we skip the friendship portion and get directly to important business: drinking.
First impressions are good. Nice flavor, light puckeryishness, slightest touch of oak, and pretty smooth. Very respectable. But then the fruit arrives. Not knocking on door—fruit kicks door down and enters with luggage. Definitely not a weak-flavored Pinot Noir. There is plenty happening in the glass, perhaps more fruit than one expects from Pinot. Still, not bad. I paired it with a giant sausage of mystery meat from the local meat shop, one of my favorites. This is serious food, not little cheese cubes arranged like modern art. The wine held its own against the sausage, which is no small achievement.
Bottle disappeared, naturally. Giant sausage requires liquids, and I am not man who leaves a job unfinished. The wine was absolutely drinkable, with good flavor and enough structure to keep things interesting. But at $9.99, I think there are other Pinots I will reach for next time. Aldiano did the job. It simply brought more fruit to the meeting than I had invited. Sometimes this happens. We forgive, we remember, and we move on to the next bottle. 🍷
