17 Best Pinot Noirs for $25 or Less
Bargain Pinot Noir that you'll actually want to drink still exists, but you have to know where to look.
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Conventional wisdom tells us that in order to find a really good Pinot Noir, you have to be willing to spend a bit. That may have been true at one point, but it hasn’t necessarily been the case for years. It’s true that Pinot Noir can be challenging from a growing and winemaking standpoint due to its thin skin, aversion to overly hot temperatures, and generally finicky character. Yet producers around the world have been dialing in where and how to grow it best, how to vinify it to tremendous effect, and proving, in the process, that delicious Pinot Noir doesn’t have to cost a fortune. All of the ones below can be found for less than $25, and overdeliver for the money.
2020 Argyle Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Courtesy Argyle
This SIP-certified (“Sustainable in Practice”) Pinot is upfront with its wild strawberries and rooibos tea notes, which are joined by clementine and sweet spice, as well as a suggestion of caramelized pineapples.
2018 Cline Family Cellars Sonoma County Pinot Noir
With floral and almost meaty notes kissed with vanilla, this has concentration and excellent structure. Great with grilled meat.
2020 Decoy Pinot Noir
As part of the Duckhorn Portfolio, Decoy consistently offers well-made wines for very fair prices. This California Pinot is no different: It’s layered and elegant, balancing mountain-berry fruit and flowers, sweet spice and orange oils, as well as a subtle savory bass note, with remarkable precision at this price point.
2018 Drouhin Bourgogne Laf?ret Pinot Noir
From one of the great families of the region, this everyday-priced red is a lovely introduction to the charms of red Burgundy, vintage after vintage.
Related:Forget Everything You Know About California Pinot Noir
2019 Domaine de l’Aigle Pinot Noir
Gérard Bertrand has produced an outstanding Pinot Noir from the Pyrenees foothills in the IGP of Haute Vallée de l’Aude, a shimmering wine with brambly berries and vanilla spice, clementines and figs, cooked honey and white cardamom. It’s Demeter-certified biodynamic, too.
2019 Elouan Pinot Noir
This is part of the Copper Cane group, Joseph Wagner’s collection, and it’s very well made. This is a dense, ripe, crowd-pleasing style of Pinot Noir, as might be expected, plummy and sweetly spiced with vanilla and clove, as well as a touch of brandied black cherries. It’s a lot of wine for less than $20.
2019 Falernia Pinot Noir Reserva
Produced in the Valle de Elqui, more than 300 miles north of the Chilean capital Santiago, comes this earthy, mouthwatering Pinot Noir. Tart cherries and raspberries are excellent counterpoints to forest floor and mushroom notes.
2018 Hacienda Araucano Pinot Noir Edición Limitada
Crafted from organic grapes that were biodynamically farmed in the Lolol Valley of Chile, this 2018 is fresh and silky, with loads of purple plums, dark cherries, and sweet woodsy spices that season the long finish.
Related:The 30 Pinot Noirs to Drink If You Want to Be a Real Expert
2019 Head High Pinot Noir
This Sonoma County Pinot is ripe and dark, with ribbons of pomegranate molasses lending the black cherries and dried figs further depth and richness; it also shows enough acidity to keep those richer flavors fresh.
2020 J. Lohr Falcon’s Perch Pinot Noir
Courtesy of J. Lohr
Certified sustainable and reliably delicious vintage after vintage, this Monterey County Pinot anchors purple plums and blood oranges with forest floor, woodsy spice, and bittersweet cocoa powder flavors, all of it framed by medium-grained tannins that linger through the long finish. For well under $20 — and often closer to $15 — this is one to stock up on.
2020 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir
The red plum, rhubarb compote, and orange marmalade notes here are ripe and sweet, yet they’re sliced through with a sizzle of cracked peppercorns, lending balance to this widely distributed and readily available New Zealand wine.
2021 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Courtesy of La Crema
Year after year, La Crema over-delivers with their Sonoma Coast Pinot. This one is no different, and its brambly berries, sweet vanilla and cinnamon, and subtle pulse of earthiness lend it both energy and balance.
2019 Landmark Vineyards Overlook Pinot Noir
Courtesy of Landmark
Savory, rich, and unabashedly spicy, this excellent Pinot is crafted from grapes grown in Monterey County, Sonoma County, and Santa Barbara County. The final blend is marked by the savory notes of golden chanterelles and plum pits, which are balanced by higher-toned hits of black cherries, pomegranate, and wild strawberries, with just a hint of carob on the detailed finish. As a side note, I’ve recently had the chance to taste several well-aged bottles of Overlook Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and these wines also reward time in the cellar.
2019 OG de Négoce Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Courtesy of de N??goce
Good Russian River Valley Pinot Noir often costs much more than the suggested $24 of this one, which is fermented using native yeast and around 30% whole clusters, but that’s the beauty of the model behind the de Négoce wines: The value for the money is tremendous…no surprise, given the fact that it’s Cameron Hughes behind the project. The 2019 is velvety and long, with Amarena cherries, blood oranges, dried dates, a hint of black walnuts, and grilled vanilla lending it richness and length.
2021 Raeburn Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Courtesy of Raeburn
Effusively fruit-forward, spicy, and dripping with boysenberries, huckleberries, and strawberry fruit leather, this under-$25 bottling seems custom made for summertime picnics, grilled hearty fish like salmon, and even tamarind-sauced pork loin.
2020 Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
Courtesy of Siduri
Siduri produces reliably well-made Pinot Noirs throughout California and Oregon. This one can be found for under $25, and its strawberries, mixed mountain berries, and whiff of fresh herbs make it a serious steal.
2020 Veramonte Pinot Noir
Certified vegan and made from organic grapes, this is lively with cranberries, pomegranate seeds, red cherries, and black raspberries, and savory with suggestions of oregano and leather. The spicy finish lingers with notable balance.
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