2012 Artesa Pinot Noir Carneros $24
Plump, round, and direct, this attractive Pinot is textbook Carneros, but with a bonus cache of lithe acids that keep it dancing on your palate. Yum. Gains in appeal as its fabric loosens up. This will do nicely with a variety of dishes between now and Turkey Day from balsamic-glazed salmon to the Thanksgiving meal itself. Though just above the magic $20 watermark, Artesa's Pinot is fairly priced. Savvy shoppers will note the appearance of the 2012 vintage bottlings on the shelves - a marked improvement over the past two years in Northern California - especially for fruit-forward Pinots.
Plump, round, and direct, this attractive Pinot is textbook Carneros, but with a bonus cache of lithe acids that keep it dancing on your palate. Yum. Gains in appeal as its fabric loosens up. This will do nicely with a variety of dishes between now and Turkey Day from balsamic-glazed salmon to the Thanksgiving meal itself. Though just above the magic $20 watermark, Artesa's Pinot is fairly priced. Savvy shoppers will note the appearance of the 2012 vintage bottlings on the shelves - a marked improvement over the past two years in Northern California - especially for fruit-forward Pinots.