The 2024 Thesis Pinot Noir from Sonoma begins with a back label explaining why it is called Thesis. I immediately lose interest. I did not come here to defend dissertation. I came here to drink wine. Thankfully, after the name explanation, the label gets around to describing the wine with all the usual flowery language about aromas, flavors, and elegance. Fine. We shall test this hypothesis the scientific way—with repeated sampling.
First glass…very nice. Good body, quite a bit of fruit, and an excellent amount of puckeryishness—yes, the experts call them tannins, but my word is more accurate. Everything was in balance. The fruit did not try to become jam but made its presence well known. The tannins did not try to sandblast my tongue. The oak stayed in its lane. By the second glass, I was pleased to discover it was every bit as good as the first. This is not one of those thin Pinot Noirs.
The only problem with this wine is that it is dangerously easy to drink. In fact, somewhere between the second glass and the empty bottle, I completely forgot what food I was eating—assuming I was eating at all. There may have been dinner. There may have been snacks. There was definitely wine. At $9.99, this is the sort of bottle that inspires repeat purchases. I will absolutely be going back for more. Next time I plan to pair it with a proper meal. Whether I remember to do so is an entirely different thesis.
