Full Review

Wellsley Farms

Wellsley Farms
2021 Pinot Noir, Tri-County

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
87 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$9
Best Buy

Wellsley Farms
2021 Pinot Noir, Tri-County

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
Dark ruby color. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, candied pomegranate juice, and Cavendish tobacco with a satiny, lively, dryish medium body and a warming, interesting, medium-length finish that shows overtones of cherry, chocolate, clove, and orange and baking spices with medium tannins and light oak flavor. Lovely concentrated red berry fruits from start to finish.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: New World
Aroma Aroma: black cherry, candied pomegranate juice, and Cavendish tobacco
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with overtones of cherry, chocolate, clove, and orange and baking spices
Sweetness Sweetness: Dryish
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Baked Ham, Meat Loaf, Lasagna
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Lovely concentrated red berry fruits from start to finish.

The Producer

Plata Wine Partners

The Producer
855 Bordeaux Way, Suite 100
Napa, CA 94558
USA
1 707-261-8740

Their Portfolio

91 Abrupt Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
91 Abrupt Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
87 Butterfly Fields 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $11.00.
90 Crossways Winery 2019 Pinot Noir, California 13.5% (USA) $32.00.
85 Crossways Winery 2020 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $28.00.
86 Dark Cherrycream 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey 13.8% (USA) $13.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Monterey County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Mendocino County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 High Roller 2021 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County 14.1% (USA) $14.00.
89 High Roller 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
88 Laurel Cellars 2021 Pinot Noir, Monterey County 14.2% (USA) $12.00.
85 Laurel Cellars 2021 Chardonnay, Monterey County 14% (USA) $11.00.
87 Pink Moon 2023 California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
BR Popcorn 2019 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $16.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Sea Wave Wines 2020 Low-Alcohol Rose, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
87 Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Pinot Noir, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
BR Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Chardonnay, California 7% (USA) $4.00. - Bronze Medal
90 Seven Rings 2020 Chardonnay, Napa Valley 14.2% (USA) $21.00.
94 Seven Rings 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
94 Seven Rings 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $39.00.
88 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $26.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $32.00.
86 Smith & Elliott 2021 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $15.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $26.00.
90 Smith & Elliott 2022 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 14.1% (USA) $15.00.
88 Thirty Degrees 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
90 Tributus 2018 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $44.00.
89 Tributus 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.8% (USA) $24.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $39.00.
89 True Oak Estate 2020 Red Blend, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $34.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
94 True Oak Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $28.00.
89 True Oak Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $66.00.
90 True Oak Vineyards 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $56.00.
87 True Oak Vineyards 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
86 Verada 2019 Tri County, Merlot, San Luis Obispo, Monterey 13.5% (USA) $16.00.
85 Verada 2019 Reserve, Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.2% (USA) $18.00.
87 Wellsley Farms 2021 Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.1% (USA) $9.00.
85 Wellsley Farms 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $6.00.

Pinot Noir

Wine Glass Burgundy.jpg
Serve in a Burgundy Wine Glass
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most fascinating red varieties. While many red grapes produces wines of power and youthful intensity, a wine made from Pinot Noir is often more refined with higher acidity and lower levels of tannins. The spiritual home for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, where it is produced in many styles, from very light to examples that can age for two to three decades.

Pinot Noirs tend to have aromas and flavors red cherry fruit, while some offer notes of wild strawberry, plum or even floral notes such as carnation and red roses. As tannins in Pinot Noir are not as pronounced as in a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, most Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed upon release, which is usually two to three years after the vintage.

Burgundy works extremely well for Pinot Noir, as it is a cool climate; a warm or hot climate would not bring out the perfumes of the variety. Thus growers in several countries have planted Pinot Noir in their coolest regions, looking to emulate Burgundy. These include the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills in California (among others); Central Otago in New Zealand; Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys in Chile and the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden in Germany (where the grape is known as Spatburgunder). The concept of terroir – a wine is the producet of its specific environment – is most often associated with Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noirs tend to pair well with poultry (duck a l’orange is a classic match), game birds and even certain types of seafoods (as tannins are low), such as salmon, tuna and halibut.