wine review: La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2019

Ottawa, ON

September 2023

Matt’s review: La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2019. This value-priced Pinot from California’s Monterey AVA gets its refreshing and ripe characteristics thanks to the cool maritime climate influenced by the nearby Monterey Bay, which brings cool breezes and fog into the vineyards effectively moderating temperatures and preserving the acidity in the grapes. This cooler climate (for California) allows for a longer growing season, promoting slow grape maturation and the development of complex flavors in the grapes without losing the refreshing characteristics one expects in a premium Pinot.
2019 Monterey Pinot is very approachable with impressive complexity on the nose and palate, something you don’t always get that this price point. Look for cherry, raspberry, plum, fragrant herbs with a subtle earthiness and flinty minerality on the nose and palate. Ripe, refreshing, and polished, it’s showing beautifully now and will be great over the next few years paired alongside braised grouse with bacon and sage, grilled pork tenderloin with a cherry compote, or wood-fired Margherita pizza. All great pairings with this value-priced Pinot. Tasted September 2023. 92 points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

Available at LCBO and other wine shops across Canada