The flipflop Pinot Noir is sourced from grapes that are, according to the front label, from the Left Coast of Chile. The last time we tried a flipflop Pinot Noir is was a vintage designated (2010) California wine, this time around it is a non-vintage wine from Chile. As a California wine it was $7 and from Chile, I found it for $4.99 (regular price). This is a young wine, meaning it has little or no aging and the back label suggests you drink it within 2 years of release, which isn’t that easy to figure out with a non-vintage wine. There is a mention (on their website) of vanilla as a flavor, vanilla is imparted from aging in oak barrels, so it is possible this Pinot Noir had some oak barrel aging (but if it did, they probably would have mentioned it, since oak barrels are expensive), it is more reasonable to expect oak chips or staves to be added to the wine to impart some flavor, but no aging properties. flipflop is one of The Wine Groups many labels, you may not have heard of them, but they are the 3rd largest wine producer in the world. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is a see-thru strawberry jelly red. The nose is sauteed mushroom, herbs and cherries, with a hint of smoke from the grill. The flipflop Pinot has a smooth mouth-feel, with a hit of alcohol (it fades after the first sip). It tastes of ripe black cherry, faint herbs, tart cranberry, french vanilla, along with orange peel and a little earthiness. It is not the most balanced Pinot in the world, but that is hardly criticism for a 5 buck wine. This is not a wine with a second act, what you get upfront is all there is, but what is upfront is fairly complex and there is some decent length to this Pinot. The finish is full and hangs around for a while.
The flipflop Pinot Noir while not exactly delicious is not bad. I can remember a time, not all that long ago, when $5 buck wines were a crap shoot, maybe it’s ok and you finish the bottle, maybe its undrinkable and you pour out the wine. But here you have a $4.99 Pinot Noir, the hardest Red wine to get right, and it drinks fine. Pair it with burgers and brats and it will do a very nice job, buy 4 or 5 bottles for a party and everybody has a good time or have a glass or two on the porch or balcony on a tuesday night. The flipflop Pinot Noir is not a Friday or Saturday night wine, you need to step your game up a bit on those nights, but it was never meant to be. For $5 it will make your weeknights happy.
