Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
And that's the important thing. ^
I think that lhgreengrd1 was just suggesting potential alternatives to check out, since it seems your tastes steer to the "name brand" new world wines.
In your price range for new world Pinot noirs, what do you think of Shea and Beaux Frères?
I think Shea and Beaux Freres are nice pinot noirs, but IMO merely solid chardonnays that lack punch. The pinot noirs have nice fruit and bouquet on the nose (much more strawberry than I get from Sonoma), but they aren't terribly complex for me. (For me, complexity is a dance on my tongue, giving multiple sensations at the same time; for others, it likely can be different.) I also have not often liked either beyond 5-6 years of bottle age as much as I've liked others (or ours)...but it's been about a year since I last tried one. They remind me of younger and simpler Sonoma Coast versions of Williams Selyem.