2018 Vinum Cellars The Insider Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 750 ml

In a lineup of $50+ Pinot Noirs from the best sites on the North Coast, The Insider didn’t stand out at all. Before its humble price tag was revealed to us, we pegged it as another high-end example of terroir-driven Sonoma Coast vibrancy and depth. But as Wine Enthusiast wrote, “This is a value-driven wine that over delivers on its price point.”

In a way, we were right: Despite its price, The Insider's origins are anything but humble. The Sonoma Coast vineyard source belongs to one of California’s oldest winegrowing families, and its bold Pinot Noir has been bottled by the likes of Auteur, Sojourn Cellars, Saxon Brown, and Ram’s Gate—each for $50+. 

You can’t put this bona fide family name on your bottle for anywhere near The Insider’s $25 retail price, so Vinum owners Richard Bruno and Chris Condos simply didn’t. They contracted super-premium grapes, eschewed the super-premium label—opting instead to call this The Insider—and delivered one of the top Pinot Noir bargains of the year for friends and family. 

In the glass, the ruby-hued 2018 boasts an aromatic bouquet worthy of Burgundy stemware that costs more than the bottle. Cinnamon drops decorate lively raspberry and black cherry notes, which are delivered in silky waves and mouth-filling lushness. Like its $50+ siblings, The Insider is generous and structured, finishing with earthy complexity reminiscent of the Côte de Beaune. 

Racy acid vibrancy and incredible fruit purity come from cool nights and fog-shrouded mornings in the Petaluma Gap, where this dazzling Pinot was grown. The grapes were hand-picked at night to preserve freshness, eventually coming to rest for a full 18 months in artisanal Burgundian barrels, crafted by François Frères. 

A high-end approach without a high-end price sums up Vinum Cellars in a nutshell. Owners Richard and Chris founded Vinum in 1997 with the goal of seeking out the best possible grapes throughout California. Their long-term relationships with growers—plus a series of tight-lipped NDAs—have allowed them to score luxury-level grapes and deliver them at a remarkable price. 

Case in point is the 2018 The Insider, every bit as savvy a pickup as the name suggests, and incredibly so at this price.