"Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister"
-Patti LaBelle, Lady Marmalade
Soul Sister Pinot Noir (2016)
Does anyone else think about Lady Marmalade when they hear the name of this wine? Or is it just me? There is also that song by Train, too. I think it is called Hey, Soul Sister. You know, it goes "Hey, soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?" Okay, enough singing. My voice is awful, even in my head!
A friend of mine gave me a bottle of Soul Sister over a year ago for my birthday. She said she liked the name. Whether the wine was good or not, it was a great gift. Now every time I see this wine, I smile. As it turns out, the wine is pretty good too!
The name of the producer says a lot. Save me, San Francisco made this wine with grapes from California's central coast (which includes the San Francisco Bay area), This pinot noir is different than Primarius pinot noir I previously reviewed. When you smell the wine, it gives the impression of berries and fruit. However, on first taste it was more smokey and woody. It was a bit surprising. This wine improves a lot from sitting in the glass. Giving it time to "open" reveals the fruit you may have initially smelled. After opening up, there are light tannins (that dryness you feel in your mouth in a lot of red wines), dark berries and smoke. Smokey Berries kept coming to mind over and over again. What was nice about this wine was that it kept well over a few days. I stoppered it and popped it into the refrigerator after the first glass. The next day, I let the bottle warm up and poured another glass and it was great. If anything, it was better the next day. That has definitely not always been my experience! Full disclosure, I used the
stoppers that supposedly pump out the air during storage (Vacu Vin Wine Saver). Click here to check
them out on Amazon. I have never done a side-by-side comparison of vacuum savers vs. the cork or any other kind of stoppers. I will get back to you when I do! Using the cork is probably just as good.
Speaking of the cork. This is the perfect wine for a Monday or just after a bad day. In my case, it is summer break and the kids are off from school. It is like the cork read my mind!
I definitely enjoyed this wine. It was less fruit forward than some of the other wines I have talked about to date, so I particularly recommend this for anyone who wants a bit less fruit in their pinot noir.
I give this wine a 3.5 out of 5 Lady Marmalades. 🎶🎶🎶🎶
