Burgundy color with translucence; strawberry, raspberry, cranberry on the nose; strawberry, plum, raspberry on the palate.
Medium-light body, low acidity, low tannin, somewhat subdued fruit; balance and harmony within the limited range of flavors. This is very serviceable, simple pinot noir that avoids the over-extracted commodity California pinot noir pitfalls in similar price range, but Astoria’s product does not achieve what quality pinot noir can be.
That’s OK, not everyone can plunk down $30-plus for a bottle of wine, and this is far from undrinkable. Pinot noir particularly has this problem. At its best is can be so sublime that when it is just red wine you don’t appreciate it for being what it is, but recoil because it does not soar. Let it be what it is. This is very serviceable as a pizza night pour or a second-third bottle in a more serious setting. Interesting bottle and label, too—a characteristic of Astoria wines in general.
Astoria was founded in 1987 by an old family of winemakers, Paulo and Giorgio Polegato. Located in the Conegliano–Valdobbiadene region of northeastern Italy, best known for Prosecco. Astoria makes a wide range of Prosecco wines in addition to reds.
Astoria Caranto Pinot Noir delle Venezie IGT 2015 is an acceptable lower-end pinot noir. It does not achieve the ethereal delights of Burgundy or Washington-Oregon, but it also costs only a fraction of those bottles. $11-14
Second photo: Paolo and Giorgio Polegato
