Today’s Bench Wines 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is one of the best under-$20 Pinot Noirs we’ve featured all year. This wine is loaded with darkly juicy fruit that expresses the best that the Sonoma Coast has to offer. In fact, there is more great fruit here than you might be used to from a SoCo Pinot.

This exciting, budget-priced Pinot Noir was made by winemaker John Harley, who works under the supervision of former Williams Selyem winemaker, Dan Fitzgerald. John has made wine for one of our favorite small producers, Ottimino. He developed his Pinot Noir chops at Arcana and the Donum Estate. Wines from those wineries top out at just over $100 per bottle.

You’ll revel in lush aromas of Blackberry, black cherry, red plum, wild strawberry, violet, India black tea, cola, subtle red licorice and subtle oak.

Delicious and full on the palate, with flavors of Black cherry, blackberry, India black tea, toasty oak, forest floor, dried violet, dusty rose, cherry cola and a hint of very subtle anise.

At just $19 (a savings of $7 per bottle), today’s wine is expected to go quickly so please acquire yours soon.