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The Aldi’s California Heritage Pinot Noir is a $4.95 non-vintage wine sourced, at least for now, from California’s Central Coast AVA.
This brand is produced by International Wine Merchants who make Burlwood and Moiselle wines for Aldi. They are a division of E & J Gallo make Winking Owl and Hwy 5 Aldi wines. All these brands are under five dollars.
The California Heritage line of wines includes a Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and a Sparkling wine.
These are probably non-vintage wines to keep the price low. They can source grapes from where they can get the best deal and they do not have to change the label each year.
E & J Gallo is a huge wine company and has vast vineyard holdings. I typically am skeptical of non-vintage wines, but a $4.95 wine from a company with great grape sourcing may alleviate my concerns. The alcohol content is a mild 12.5%.
The Aldi’s California Heritage Pinot Noir Tasting Notes
The color is a clear, see-through strawberry jelly red. The nose is cherry, herbs, some crushed fall leaves, and a little spice. The Aldi’s California Heritage Pinot Noir is cherry, herbs, dusty spice, and sweet raspberry. This Pinot Noir offered more flavor than I was expecting.
This Pinot Noir tastes like cherry, black pepper, a slap of spice, a shot of herbs, orange zest, and tart cranberry. The mid-palate mirrors the body of the wine.
The tannins are subdued and the acidity does its job well.
The Summary
- The Aldi’s California Heritage Pinot Noir, to me, is a major upgrade over the Winking Owl wines, and while this is the first California Heritage wine I have tried has more style than the Hwy 5 wines.
- It is a wine that will be hard to beat at the $4.95 price tag.
- You can get better wine for a few dollars more, but this is a contender for the $5 wine KING!
