On Fridays, I typically post a smattering of random samples that I have received, wines that have no particular connection other than they showed up on my doorstep roughly around the same time.

This week, however, I decided to focus on a group of four wines, all from the same producer since, well, that made a bunch of sense. The producer, Cherry Pie Wines, is part of a larger portfolio of several dozen labels owned by Vintage Wine Estates (VWE).

Over the years, VWE has been gradually expanding their portfolio and now includes several wineries that you may have heard of (e.g., Clos Pégase, Cosentino, Qupé) and several more that you probably haven’t (e.g., Bar Dog, Cowgirl Sisterhood, and Sabotage). 

When I first tried Cherry Pie Wines a few years ago, I thought “That can’t be a serious wine with a name like that” but I quickly realized I should put down the stone, lest I shatter my own glass walls.

This time around, I was sent a few single vineyard wines in the portfolio along with the broader three-county California blend and I was impressed. All of the wines were Excellent or above and I thoroughly enjoyed all four. I am still not crazy about the name or the label but I will get over it. The weight of the bottles, on the other hand…

2021 Cherry Pie Wines Pinot Noir, California: Retail $20. Under screw cap. Responsible bottle. 39% San Luis Obispo County, 37% Santa Barbara County, 24% Napa County. The last vintage of this wine I sampled was the 2017 vintage, which was curiously sent to me after I sampled the 2018 vintage. Regardless, I liked both of those wines (88 points, each). This 2021? I like even more. Fairly dark in the glass with mostly black fruit aromas: black cherry, black raspberry, black plum. There was also some earth and even a touch of anise. The palate is delightful: plenty of the aforementioned fruit, a zingy tartness, and wonderful balance. I have said many times that it is difficult to make a quality Pinot under $30. Well, here is a wonderful counter-argument. Excellent. 90 Points.

2021 Cherry Pie Wines Pinot Noir San Pablo Bay Block, Carneros. CA: Retail $58. Really Heavy Bottle (880g; 1lb 15 oz). Under DIAM5. OK, I will come out and say it. First, I am not a huge fan of the name (but people have said the same about this blog) but, in all honestly, this wine certainly has that cherry pie (albeit black cherry) thing going on the nose. And I mean a lot. The palate is big without being boisterous and the acidity is off-the-charts fantastic here serving to both balance out the fruit and whet the taste buds for some juicy Texas BBQ. Not much of a tannic presence on the medium to lengthy finish, so this bad boy is ready to be consumed now. And it gets a Whoa. Outstanding 93 Points.

2021 Cherry Pie Wines Pinot Noir Huckleberry Snodgrass, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $58. Really Heavy bottle (860g, 1lb 14.4oz). DIAM5 closure. Another wine in the Cherry Pie line, another really heavy bottle. Ugh. Lighter in both style and attributes than the San Pablo Bay Vineyard wine. Kind of by a lot. More, dare I say, Old World in approach? I know that has become a cliché, but in this case, it seems to be true. Subtle fruit (black cherry, duh) on both the nose and the palate with a side of à la mode thrown in. The palate, again, is balanced, but far from in-your-face with delicate fruit, hints of spice, and just a dash of earth. I like this wine, a lot, but I wish I had tasted it first. Excellent. 91 Points.

2021 Cherry Pie Wines Pinot Noir Toro Hills, Carneros, CA: Retail $55. Really Heavy Bottle (880g; 1lb 15 oz). Under DIAM5. This is now the fourth Cherry Pie wine I have tried in succession and it might be my favorite. Rather dark in the glass with aromas of black pepper, dark earth, and black cherry (as one might have guessed). Initially, quite tart and earthy on the palate with the fruit not coming in until just before the finish, but when it does? Yowza. Tons of ripe cherry (as one might have guessed) fruit but more than held in check by that tangy zinginess and engaging earthiness (if that makes any sense). Yes, this is a Carneros Pinot that tends toward the big side, making no apologies along the way. And I am perfectly fine with that. Outstanding. 94 Points.