2013 Louis Latour Pinot Noir “Les Bastides”

I was very happy to see this wine when it appeared in various Costcos a few weeks ago. The only other two red Burgundies that have been in stock near me are $20 & $60. The $10 price for “Les Bastides” is a lot friendlier to my wallet.
This is a little young but still ready to drink now. I let it open for about an hour and could tell no discernible difference from the first few sips that I had right away. The nose is barnyard, black pepper, oregano, & strawberries. The palate is light, dry, & simple. The tannins are somewhat elegant for this price point and the wine is well structured. The finish is tart and slightly bitter. I happen to really like bitter foods and don’t mind this in a wine, so I could drink this all evening. I think the takeaway is that this wine is simple but of good quality. I will definitely buy it again.
I would hesitate to serve this at a party where food wasn’t involved. A dry Pinot Noir like this calls for hard cheeses, roast chicken, and pizza. It would go well with an interesting green salad I think also.
For those of you who love a good Oregon Pinot, I would give this a try. It’s a light-bodied and fairly smooth expression without the back-end sweetness that you often get from California Pinot Noir.
This wine has been in stock for a few weeks already and has been popular, but there is still a decent amount left in the few clubs that I frequent. Drink it now or hold for the next few years.
CostcoWineBlog Rating: 88 points
ABV: 13%
Costco item number: 1021686
Note: a reader pointed out that this wine, from well known Burgundy producer Louis Latour, is actually from Coteaux du Verdon, which is not Burgundy, but instead in Provence.
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