Tasting - Juggernaut Pinot Noir

 Part 2 of tasting with Adam on the final day of the first month of the 4th year of the 3rd decade of the 21st century, AD. Important to note this tasting was directly after Yellow Tail's Merlot

Wine: Juggernaut's Pinot Noir

Location: Russian River Valley, California

Year: 2020

Cost: $15.99 at Kroger

Color: darker than the merlot, with less red highlights. far purpler, almost brown/ruddy on the edges

Legs: looked thicker or the same as the merlot. suggests more viscosity, which should mean less alcohol, more sugar, right?

Smell: picked up a citrus zest flavor deep in my sinuses with a big whiff. Very faintly like when grapefruit peel is squeezed. No alcohol odor, didn't smell bitey or acidic like the merlot.

Taste: LOTS more tannin than the merlot, despite online reviews suggesting it was light in tannin. Certainly more substantial body. Not very sweet. Cherry flavors, and again feeling like there is grapefruit character, mayber from a general bitterness? Because I frequently say "bruised black/raspberries" for red wines, I specifically tried to find that, but couldn't detect it.

General Notes: I want to come back to this on a different day when my palate hasn't had wine on it yet. We were very surprised by alcohol percentage on this! With more viscosity, and less odor of alcohol, we expected 12.5-13%, but it is actually 14.5%!

Wine Folly lists Pinot Noir as having cherry, raspberry, clove, hibiscus, and mushroom characteristics. Definitely got the cherry, but I specifically found no raspberry flavor, and no mushroom. I regretfully don't know enough about cloves or hibiscus to recall the smells from memory.

I like the hardcore marketing on this bottle - cool bird of prey design, and this inscription on the back: 

"Juggernaut grapes are grown in challenging conditions, where true grit and determination yield spectacular results. Steadfast Pinot Noir vines endure, unwavering, amidst inhospitable conditions, battered by wind and fog, struggling to utilize every precious hour of warmth and sunlight over a long growing season. The reward is a balance of intensity and grace, with unrelenting flavors of red cherry, berry, and spicy, floral notes. Overcoming hardship builds character"

What compelled someone to write this on a wine label?