Wild Horse Central Coast Pinot Noir 2014: Ruby color, translucent; strawberry, cherry, hint of rosemary on the nose; strawberry, raspberry, cherry on the palate;
velvety in the mouth, subdued tannin, average acidity (3.65 pH), dash of French vanilla. This is very approachable, easy drinker; a supermarket pinot, it does not nail the perfect pinot profile, but it does very well as a nice drinking, lighter red wine for the price. The winery gets its name from wild mustangs that roamed the hills east of the vineyard in Spanish colonial times.
Winery website explains: “Wild Horse Winery founder, Ken Volk, originally selected the Templeton vineyard and winery location in 1981 for its low vigor soils, proven ground water table, proximity to Estero Bay and rural atmosphere. Situated at a midpoint in the Central Coast, this location is ideal for sourcing fruit from vineyards north and south of the winery. Wild Horse Winery remains a champion of Central Coast winegrowing, committed to sustainable viticultural practices and creating fine wines that express the region’s diversity.”
The Central Coast AVA stretches from Santa Barbara County to San Francisco Bay, over six counties and some 100,000 acres planted in wine grapes. Located west of the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast includes many notable sub-AVA’s—Paso Robles (where Wild Horse winery is located), Santa Barbara, Monterrey, Santa Cruz are just some. The region makes great wines in the $12-20 range, staples for folks moving up from bottom shelf to mid-level pours. Typically, Central Coast pours are consistently tasty, fun-to-drink, dependable values. Wild Horse Central Coast Pinot Noir easily fits the mold; try it instead of Mark West. $16-19
Wild Horse Winery website
