   |  Hocus Pocus Pinot Noir 2006A remarkable Willamette Valley pinot noir for $22.99 -- it just doesn't happen much anymore. But this might just be the best under $25 pinot we've ever had. Add on the fact that the winemaker behind this bottle is part of the winemaking team for Holus Bolus, Piedrasassi, and Stolpman Vineyards, and his partner in the company is his girlfriend, Amy Christine, Sommelier at A.O.C., Master Sommelier-in-training, and all around cool person, and you've got a good wine, a good team, and a good story. Sometimes when you see a great label and a great price, it means some gigantic wine conglomerate decided to test a niche market. Black Sheep Finds however is quite a different beast. Amy Christine, co-owner of Black Sheep Finds, describes the origins of the company like this: "I met Peter at Stolpman Winery in Lompoc a few days before Christmas in 2004. A casual wine tour turned romantic. He drove to LA a couple times and we went on a few great dates and then I dumped him. I thought, "Ugh! Santa Barbara is so far away!" In late February 2005, one camera man and studio executive later, I came to my senses. I sat awake at 4am in my crappy Koreatown apartment and listened to Ryan Adams and called Peter 3 times and left 3 messages about what an idiot I had been. By 8am, when he heard the messages, Hocus Pocus, we were a done deal. " Yup, that's where the name came from. This pinot has a great, ashy, earthy nose with a soft, elegant texture and cherry notes from the middle to the very long end. That is pinot noir in a nutshell when done right, and these guys nailed it. Past Wines
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