15 Great Pinot Noirs for Less Than $50

It’s easier than ever to find seductive examples at affordable prices.
Photographer: igorr1/iStockphoto

Great pinot noirs, as a friend once put it, have a near-sexual allure. The first taste can turn you into a bottle stalker, which is why the world’s pinot lust has pushed prices of the most coveted to three- and four-digits. Today, though, it’s easier than ever to find seductive examples with those rose-petal aromas, silky textures, and layered flavors at more affordable prices.

In Burgundy, still the grape’s ur-territory, global warming has (mostly) ensured riper grapes every year. That, along with better vineyard practices and young ambitious winemakers has upped the quality of non-snob generic Bourgogne Rouge and little-known village appellations like Santenay.