The StoryLoudenotte Pinot Noir 2018The Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive sourced from grapes from the south of France. The Oc in Pays d'Oc refers to Occitania which runs from the border with Spain to the Rhone Valley to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean.The wines from this region are designated as IGP wines which is a step below the AOC classification. IGP wines are the wines that folks in Europe drink every day. They are usually well made and produced in large enough quantities to keep the price down.This part of France is not well known for Pinot Noir, many of the Red wines are blends. But here is a link to another Trader Joe's Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir that has been a solid value for the last several vintages.The Pays d"Oc region of France has a wine history going back to Ancient Rome. They have found evidence of winemaking that goes back 2,600 years. That they still produce wine here a couple of thousand years later, says a lot but the area.There is no technical information available for the Loudenotte Pinot Noir and the label gives no clues. It says bottled in France, also bottled with care, and product of France, not exactly detailed information. The back label says the grapes came from selected vineyards, but every wine has grapes from vineyards that somebody selected.So, to learn more about this Pinot Noir, we are going to pour and glass and take a sip. At $6.99 we are not taking much f a risk. the alcohol content is 13%.Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a dark, but still clear garnet red. The nose is black cherry, spice, light herbs, plum, and black licorice. Yes, I know licorice is supposed to be black, but I was raised on red Twizzlers. This is a Pinot with a silky mouthfeel, but a more challenging flavor profile. It tastes of ripe black cherry, black pepper, a slightly rough edge from herbs, and then smooth plum. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry and a good slap of Altoid's spice. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is balanced.The Summary* The Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 is a decent Pinot Noir, I can't say it is my favorite Pinot, but it is well worth the $6.99 price tag.* There are few sub-seven buck Pinot Noirs this good. Though there are several Pinots in the $10 range that I prefer.* Expecting a world-class Pinot Noir is silly, it's all about exploration and they Loudenotte is worth a stop on your wine journey.

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