Etude Pinot Noir 2007

This Pinot is my no fault go-to option every time I want to treat myself. Its warm and round personality offers plenty of cherry notes, wood spice and pomegranate. It's so smooth that you can easily skip food and enjoy it all by itself. Runs for around $40, but is worth every penny.

I am having hard time with Cali pinots. Too much fruit and lack of depth in anything i've tried so far, this one including. And for this price range - i would continue searching for gems in the Burgundy rubble, which is not easy either.

Inexpensive, sweet, great with cheese. I think this is the way to end a perfect day of work or stress!

Excellent texture. I really like the simple exterior of the bottle. I would say it definitely ranks up there among Napa wine. Try it for yourself =)

Etude is one of the few wineries in California that produces both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a true French Burgundy style -- stainless fermentation tanks and storage (no strong, smokey oak); no malolactic fermetation (crisp whites rather than creamy butterscotch bombs). The Pinots are subtle, earthy and have distinct mineral tastes, very different from what you might find in the Russian River Valley or Central Coast, where the Pinots tend to be very fruit forward and a bit more tannic. The Chardonnays are very crisp, with lots of citrus like apple, lemon and pear. In both, they definitely are looking for balance, rather than knock you out fruit. Best to let the Pinot sit for 1-2 years, too. 2007 was a perfect climate year in the valley, with even mediocre wineries making really good stuff. If you like French style Burgundy, this is a good match for you. If you like lots of berries, check out Gary Farrell, Merry Edwards or the the Twomey Russian River Valley Pinots for great wines that will fit your taste better at the same price point.