I usually only recommend rated wines because to put it simply I see no reason to reinvent the wheel by trying to rate wines myself.  When a wine is rated you can check its rating against the rating opinion of several other reviewers to see if it deserves your further consideration.  The scale is a 100 point scale with the two most important ranges to me being 85-89 for a very good wine with special qualities and 90-94 for an outstanding wine that has superior character and style.  

     Pinot Noir is a popular wine that can be expensive but if you do your research some good examples can be purchased at a reasonable price. Louis Latour Volnay 2007 is Wine Spectator rated at 89 and can be found as a Chairman’s Selection at PA L.C.B. stores for $19.99, a sizable discount from its quoted price of $55.oo.  This Pinot Noir is broad and sweet with a juicy ripe fruit body that offers cherry and raspberry flavors plus a silky texture.  Look for it with the product code 13223 in the store or online. 

Pinot noir Grapes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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