Proprietors Richard and Claudia Smith are longtime Monterey County grape growers, and they’ve sold grapes over the years to many of California’s most well known wineries. So it stands to reason they could put an excellent wine in the bottle at an attractive price, and they’ve done just that with this 2009 vintage of Paraiso Pinot Noir. This one is supple and smooth, with notes of black cherry and strawberry. At $25 it’s a steal of a California Pinot.
Paraiso Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey County, California) Pinot Noir 2009
By Robert Whitley