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The Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021 is $7.99 at Costco, it lists for $25, and internet wine sellers have this selling for anywhere from $12 to $25 with most on the higher end. This is a brand from Precision Wine Company.
Precision is a wine company based in Napa that produces 26 different brands plus has produced private label wines for Trader Joe’s and Costco. Their own wines tend to be priced at $30 and above.
Santa Barbara County is 100 miles north of Los Angeles. It should be too hot in the summer for growing grapes, but part of Santa Barbara jutes out into the Pacific Ocean so there is cool water and Ocean breezes on two sides. Plus there are Coastal Mountains to either trap or funnel the cooling wined. Morning fog is a daily event that stops the morning sun from heating the vines. So what should be a warm weather location is cool enough for finicky Pinot Noir vines.
The Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021 was aged in American oak, and 35% of barrels were new. American oak is a separate species from French oak and has a much wider grain. It imparts flavors such as chocolate and vanilla which are popular with American drinkers, but with the wider grain care has to be taken to not over oak the wine.
Modern Pinot Noir wines have more body and higher alcohol (14.5%) content than California Pinot wines of even 10 years ago. They can handle more oak aging.
The Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is a raspberry jelly red. The nose is cherry, dark chocolate, a little spice, a little dried fall leaves, mushroom, strawberry, and a light floral edge. The Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021 is smooth and a little complex.
This Pinot Noir tastes like black cherry, a hit of sharp exotic spice, bitter chocolate, and strawberry. The mid-palate brings cranberry, a touch of cream, dusty spice, and blueberry.
The tannins are sweet and the acidity allows the flavors to fully unfold.
The Summary
- The Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021 is a lot of Pinoy Noir for $7.99, yes it is selling at Costco for between 1/2 and 1/3 of its original price.
- This is a modern Pinot Noir with mid to full body and flavors on the bolder side, but it still has balance.
- Octopoda is the zoological classification species like octopus and other 8-legged sea creatures.
