As it is, the wine is in a heavy squat bottle that I believe is meant to look like something from the 1800s, and the theme, “King Chancho,” refers to an infamous wild boar which roamed where these vineyards are in the 1860s. In their defense, this facility also makes the wine for Snooki.
Ignore all that, though. What’s IN the bottle (if not what’s on it) is really quite sophisticated Pinot Noir…and WAY better than any sub-$20 Pinot Noir has a right to be.
But then, show me another Pinot Noir from Sanford & Benedict fruit (THE grand cru of the Santa Rita Hills, itself the top-quality AVA of Southern California) that’s under $20. (Wine-Searcher has the average price for a Sanford & Benedict Pinot at $57, with $40 the lowest.)
