Three Thieves Pinot Noir: $9.99, Rainbow Grocery

I reviewed the Three Thieves Zinfandel a few months back. It was great. Loved it. It was ten bucks, you got a liter instead of 75 cl, and it was a big, fruit-forward Zin. Mm mm good. Nice for a picnic, and I even didn’t mind the screw top. It was, after all wine in a jug.
So I was pretty excited when, while shopping for over $10 bottles of Alsatian whites for a crab feast, I looked down at the Three Thieves display, thinking “Hey, I’ve got room in my saddlebags, why don’t I get a bottle of that big fruity Zin?” What did I spy with my little eye but a Pinot Noir.
I had to get it. And drink it. And tell you all about it.
So it sat while I went through all the whites. Then it sat for another couple of days while I finished a fantastic three day weekend. And finally, I cracked it open. It was one of those “I could really use a glass of wine” days.
It’s got a nice nose. Smells like wine. It’s only 13% alcohol, which isn’t too bad, especially when you’re trying to keep your wits about you. It has almost no tannins, few legs in the glass. It’s a beautiful color– clear rubies through any light.
And the taste… It’s fine. It’s even kind of good, but there’s just not much to the taste. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s fine table wine. It’s just Pinot Noir without any of the hidden subtlety, the care in growing, the secret little flavors that sneak out each day.
Don’t get me wrong: I like this wine. I just think that it could be a little more… well, just a little more. I think that plain jane works out a little bit better with a Zin than with a Pinot Noir. I’d drink it again– but I’d probably open it after a couple of bottles of Heron, Echelon, or, better yet, David Bruce Pinot Noir.