The top under $35 Pinot Noir on the market today
Pricing is available while supplies last.
SALE CLOSES MONDAY, JULY 14, 2025, at noon.
ALL WINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP starting THURSDAY, July 17
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Drop the mic.
Hi everyone –
I’ve had a revelation in the last seven days. There’s a special wine on the market today that is exceeding all expectations. I would honestly say it’s the best Pinot Noir under $35 in the market.
I’ve been lucky enough to pour it at four classes/events/trainings in the last seven days. And each time I tried it, I stopped in my tracks. Not a lot of wines do that to me anymore. There is something truly special about this wine, and the details are provided below, along with my tasting notes.
It’s a stock-up wine if you’re into Pinot Noir, and it’s drinking perfectly right now and will continue to sing for years to come. Enjoy now through 2035.
If it seems like I’ve been talking about Mark Vlossak and St. Innocent a lot lately, you’re right. He’s simply the best winemaker in the Willamette Valley today. This was emphasized to me in May when we took a group there for a tasting and lunch with Mark, who went through current and past releases while his wife presented one of the best lunches I’ve ever had to our group.
Mark Vlossak and I, March 2025
What’s so special about this wine?
Three qualities have converged on this bottling, making so freaking good.
First, the 2023 vintage.
This is one of the most exciting Willamette vintages in the last ten years, IMHO. A very cool spring suspended budbreak and flowering, allowing some extra energy to build up in the vines. As soon as things warmed up, the vines were off to the races. Summertime was warm to hot (especially August), but dry, and the diurnal temperature swings kept acidity levels very intact. For a winemaker like Vlossak, this was perfect: ripe fruit, bright acids, consistent clusters. It was a dream-come-true vintage for the best winemakers in the valley.
Second, the vineyard sources for this wine.
Check out the back label:
14% from the legendary Shea Vineyard;
34% from Temperance Hill, arguably the best vineyard in the valley;
24% from Freedom Hill, where Mark has more experience than anyone;
and 28% from the new Enchanted Way Vineyard, Mark’s newest vineyard, and his “secret sauce” for this wine
I can’t possibly imagine a better combination of vineyards for a wine like this. It’s like a great rock band: Shea is the bass, Enchanted Way is the new young lead guitarist, Temperance Hill is the legendary drummer, and Freedom Hill is the singer.
Every one of those vineyards, bottled on their own, commands prices far above what we’re charging for this wine.
Third, the long history and knowledge that Mark brings to his winemaking.
I’ve been honored to know Mark for over fifteen years and became quite close to him when I attended Pinot Camp in 2012. He has had a profound influence on my wine thinking, from terroir to winemaking, and on the Willamette Valley and Burgundy. When it comes to raw wine knowledge, he’s essentially a genius.
Mark Vlossak is a fanatical, obsessive, detail-oriented, stubborn, humble, and genius winemaker.
Mark and the team at Solo Vino
Tasting and pairing notes: 2023 St. Innocent “Villages Cuvee” Pinot Noir
Only 996 cases were produced. Minnesota received a substantial allocation, but it will likely be depleted at the wholesaler by the end of summer.
Tasting notes from Mark (always right on point):
“The Pinot noir, Villages Cuvée has robust sweet spice aromas with lovely black cherry, smoky berry and dark rose notes. Juicy and pungent flavors of dark cherry, wild strawberry, allspice, cinnamon with a touch of smoke fill your mouth. Beautifully balanced with soft tannins and fresh acidity, the finish slowly fades into supple dried fruit and spices. Still young now the wine will fill out through the winter and into the spring. This is my favorite wine for Thanksgiving and flavorful white meat dishes. It is just as good with burgers, brats, pizza, grilled salmon, quail, pork tenderloin, and pasta dishes with full-favored preparations. Enjoy now through 2030.
For the first time ever, our 2023 Villages Cuvée Pinot noir includes fruit from our estate, Enchanted Way Vineyard. This inclusion has elevated the flavor profile of the resulting wine, with the character of our estate vineyard dominating the nose and the palate.”
My tasting note
Is this wine young? Yes. Is it too young to drink? I don’t think so, especially given that I’ve had it four times in the last week, and I’ve observed the reaction from the students I pour it for.
It’s sassy and bright, with loads of wild strawberry and raspberry, hallmarks of great Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The touch of pepper and leather (from 8% new oak) is a whisper in the air, adding dimension to the flavor. My greatest joy about this wine is its taste profile, with a richness and wonderfulness that doesn’t wane in the mid-palate. The finish is long and silky with a little fireworks burst of acid at the end.
My real excitement is watching the short-term evolution of this wine. It was good a month ago, but still a bit awkward. Suddenly, it found its footing and began to run. It will be even better this fall and winter. After a couple of years, I think it will be outrageously delicious. And five to ten years from now I look forward to pulling it out with my geekiest of wine geek friends and watch their eyes roll into the back of their heads.
That is, if I can hold onto the bottles that long. This is not bullshit … this wine is the kind that you consume faster than you expect to, and convince yourself that popping another bottle is, of course, the right thing to do. In other words, don’t just buy one bottle. Trust me. 😉
Jason Kallsen
Sommelier and founder/owner of Twin Cities Wine Education
Offer and special pricing are available as inventory lasts