The Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 is an $11 or $12 wine available at supermarkets and wine shops. The Prophecy brand is one of E and J Gallo’s large family of wines. The first thing of interest you notice about these wines is the labels designed by Victo Ngai, a talented illustrator from Hong Kong. She has created a different label for each type of wine.
I choose this bottle because of the label. I have maintained that the label, especially for brand wines, tells you the type of wine in the bottle. The label for the Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 probably is not aimed at me. It is romantic and detailed; if you click on the link above, there is a section explaining the meaning of the illustration.
So, what does the wine label tell me? Romantic and detailed is a pretty good description of Pinot Noir. The colors are smooth and soothing, again a solid indicator for a Pinot Noir. There is a fantasy element to the label, and I am not sure where that fits in. The tasting portion may illuminate that.
This is an E and J Gallo wine, the largest winery in the US and the largest family-owned winery globally. They own many wineries and have vast vineyard holding, including some of the finest vineyards in America. They have not updated the technical sheet for the Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 since the 2015 vintage.
I am beginning to think that I am one of the few people who actually want to know a little bit about how a winery produced the wine and why it is different from the next wine. The 2015 vintage included grapes from around the San Fransico Bay Area, and they also named a Gallo-owned vineyard in the Clarksburg AVA.
The 2019 write-up says the grapes are grown in California, which does not tell you much. They say the wine has flavors of Tahitian vanilla and toasted coconut, which are oak barrel flavors, but no mention of how those flavors came to be in the Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019. So this is a Pinot Noir for casual Pinot Noir drinkers; they like their Pinot, but do not need too much information, just “does it taste good.”?
I think I have figured out what the label is telling me and who this Pinot Noir is aimed at, folks who like flavorful wine. I am included in that category. The Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 vintage is the current vintage, which tells you that this Pinot Noir had a complex enough production process that it took well over a year for the wine to age to the point it was ready for sale. The alcohol content is 13.8%.
Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 Tasting Notes
The Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 is both smooth and chewy; it is delicate and has some heft to the body. The color is a pretty, see-thru garnet red. The nose is not bad for Pinot, a mix of cherry and herbs, soft spice, black pepper, a whiff of smoke, cranberry, and faint tea.
The flavors start with cherry, of course, then spice, ripe plum, toasted vanilla, soft herbs, and the coconut from their tasting notes. The mid-palate adds a salty sensation, tart cranberry, and sweet raspberry, and a final slap of chocolate powder. The acidity is nicely balanced, and the flavors have plenty of room to unfold.
The Summary
- The label did not lie, the Prophecy Pinot Noir 2019 is smooth, has detail, and is as well conceived as the artwork.
- This is a reliable, Tuesday night Pinot Noir, it will not wow Pinot affectionadoes, but it will please most wine drinkers.
- A solid wine for the money, with a little bit extra.
