2021 Meiomi Pinot Noir (review)

Drink What You Like

2021 Coastal Collection Pinot Noir - An Indifferent Review & Dispassionate Discourse

From Meiomi's elegant, yet refined, label:

Lifted aromas of jammy fruit and toasty oak are followed by expressive dark berry, juicy strawberry, and toasty mocha flavors. With a soft, plush palate, the well-integrated oak provides a unique structure and depth seldom seen in Pinot Noir.

First try: I should have read the above so as to have been prepared for the sugar bomb that followed. Jammy, dark, juicy, and plush: each a mass-marketed buzzword. (And what in the world is a "lifted aroma," anyway?) Plum cola transitioned into raspberry jelly and popsicle sticks. Eventually, the popsicle stick turned fully into grape popsicle. Nothing was integrated, seemed either too young or not very well made. Medium to heavy bodied. Drank and smelled hot, even at 13.5% ABV. This sample was tried at work, about an ounce and a half out of a plastic souffle cup. Since we were running an almost half-off sale, I thought I'd buy a bottle and give it a more in-depth review.

Second try: Poured about the same amount into a wine glass, gave it a couple of swirls. The nose was black pepper and alcohol which turned into must. Palate this time was closer to plum chutney, cooked raspberries, and boysenberry syrup. Grainy tannins on tongue and roof of mouth. Finish was predominately wood. The nose on the empty glass was caramelized brown sugar with a touch of cassis. Not the same abomination I tried at work.

Third try: Poured a full glass this time around, about two hours after the second try. The nose was still the same. Cooked plum and cola still dominate the palate, with minor licorice root notes. That warm tummy feeling I get when the ABV is above 12% was present, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of this entire endeavor. Mid-palate is seedless raspberry jam with baking spices, mostly cinnamon. A little bit of green, like grapevine tendrils, on the back palate, which I usually get with West Coast Petite Verdot. Supposed to be all Pinot Noir, though, from Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. This is also where I get the acid, even though it is high enough to strip most of the residual sugar off my tongue. Kind of get the mocha, or cocoa, thing when I concentrate on the tannins. Speaking of, they do smooth out with a little glass time. Finish does hang around a little, but is mostly fresh-hewn oak. The nose of the finished glass was chocolate and toffee {think Heath bar). I never did find toast or toasted, let alone toasty. Overripe, over-extracted, and overcooked? Yes, just not toasty. Not even going to mention the lack of strawberries and/or cherries.

Final thoughts: This, for me, is one of those "chocolate cake" pinots that aren't my preference at all. In my world, pinots should be lighter-bodied than cabs. Not as thick as some (Looking at you, Mark West), this wine should pair decently with Mole Poblano de Guajolote, as well as pork, beef, and game even if the wine is more filling than I'd want with such dishes. Please decant before drinking. As a cooking wine, I'd use it for recipes that called for red wine and featured any of the meats listed above. Should also be good to poach pears with, especially with recipes that also call for cinnamon and star anise. Likewise, it is a good choice for mulling, and cold would make a great Sangria. Pairing it with cheese? Try Zamarano or Comte. With dessert? Chocolate cake, of course. Overall, it's drinkable - neither swill nor good juice. Take it to get-togethers, only the snobs will care you didn't bring better, the uninitiated will be impressed, but drink what the wine geeks brought. As Mrs. Mary Eaton wrote,

"The most consummate cook is seldom noticed by the master, or heard of by the guests, who, while they eagerly devour his dainties, and drink his wine, care very little who dressed the one or sent the other."

Caveat: I'm not a sommelier, just a professional cook of some twenty-plus years, and a retail wine buyer for about half that long. Cheers.

Contains Sulfites --- 13.5% Alcohol by Volume

GOVERNMENT WARNING:

1. According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects.
2. Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.