Gallo Family Vineyards, Sonoma Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2006 (California) - It's rare I list just one wine in a blog entry but in this case I have a lot to say.  Gallo is one of the top 2 historic names which come to mind when you think of Californian wine, yet believe it or not this is the first Gallo product I've tried since starting this hobby.  Largely known as a bulk wine producer I've simply passed over most wines with their name in the stores, but this bottle was handsome, enticing, and upscale.  Granted, I saw it in a supermarket and it was the last bottle they had of it so I was still braced for a cheap trick.

First, the bottle is beautiful.  Dark smoky green, extra thick neck with gold foil, burgundy shape but with sharper shoulders than usual, and a classy label showing off gold medals.  Once I cut through the foil it revealed a composite cork (sure it's made of cork but of tiny bits glued together) and when I tried to extract it of course it broke in two.  Second, the wine itself... Much like the back label says it is "rich and balanced with dark fruit... and a smooth, silky finish".  Really it's quite enjoyable.  So I'll tell you right now even in a blind taste testing I believe I'd score this decent.  Ironically though that blind taste test would reveal something else... Frankly this pinot noir has a heavier body than usual and even some of the silky red fruit flavors you'd more likely get from a cabernet sauvignon.  In a blind taste testing I'd in fact guess this was a cab.  And that my friends is what's wrong with this wine.  My suspicion is the giant grape juice machine of Gallo is fudging on this upscale wine.  I doubt it's only pinot noir in the bottle, and even if it were just pinot I suspect their labs have gone haywire trying to zing up the flavor and texture.  The taste in fact reminds me of when I added a sugar cube to a cheap bland cab just to make it more palattable and finish a bottle.  Well, I think they chapitalized (added sugar if I have the word right) this wine, fudged the grape content somewhat, and they also probably did other tricks to get that silky smooth texture and layers of fruit flavors right.

So when all is said and done I think they took grape juice which would normally be a 4 out of 10 and doctored it to taste sort of like a 7 out of 10.  But you're getting a fakeout and my personal rating then will simply be a 6 out of 10 (upper average). 

Would I drink this again?  Sure, but only if someone else were buying it.  I mean I enjoyed it but I hate feeling like I've been tricked.