Get new year off to frugal, tasty start with California pinot noir

Occasion: Let's celebrate the new year with a great California pinot noir. Since pinot is the most versatile red wine for almost any kind of food and occasion, this Liberty School from a blockbuster vintage should make your resolutions easy to achieve. It is usually advertised at $20 on the Web, but here you can have it for half the price, so you can start the year off frugally and in style.

Wine: Liberty School Pinot Noir

Grape: Pinot noir

Region: Central Coast, Calif.

Vintage: 2013

In the glass: Liberty School Pinot Noir is a vibrant semi-translucent crimson color with a firm, deeply colored core going out into a fine, slightly pinkish light-garnet rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: There are good amounts of crushed black plums, strawberry crush, cran-cherry juice, milk chocolate, ground star anise, then bright red flowers, light mint and fruit-driven minerals round out the layered toasty nose.

On the palate: The wine has immediate nice grip without masquerading as syrah, which happens a lot in California. There are fresh, bright crushed red berries, cherries, plums, raspberry coulis, cranberry fondant and copious amounts of phenols and fruity minerals with underlying hints of aniseed powder. The midpalate seems rich and forward with good amounts of balance between fruit and acidity, as well as good tannin structure that reflects where the wine is coming from. The finish is very fine with hints of candied cranberries and faint oak references. It's a very Burgundy-like pinot noir.

Price: $9.99

Availability: Lee's Discount Liquor, Total Wine

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears on Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.