2010 Spindrift Cellars Croft Vineyard pinot noir

This wine is a small production Oregon Pinot noir, so it is not very widely available. But, if you can get your hands on a bottle, consider yourself lucky. (A great source for Spindrift wines and many other terrific Oregon pinots is: http://www.northwest-wine.com/).  This wine is not one of those super premium pinot noir thrillers which the Williamette Valley seems to produce with amazing regularity, nor is it priced as such. Instead, this is a very good single vineyard PN displaying the rich fruit and acidic balance of top quality pinots from this area. It is a light-boded wine but is chock full of flavors and, at about $25 (if you can find it) this is an excellent value. Tantalizing aromas of dark cherry and black pepper leap immediately from the glass, but let this one breathe a bit and the layers keep opening. Flavors are lush and layerd with cherry & dark berry fruit most prominent, with prominent earth and a touch more black pepper on the finish.
I'm a big fan of Oregon pinot noir and I try a lot of different ones at all different price points.  Am always looking for wines that hit the "sweet spot" of quality-for-price.  This one really hits the mark. Haven't found too many pinots this good for under $25.