Lately I’ve hardly been drinking Burgundy at all, so even a somewhat minor label like this tends to raise my expectations. Still, no matter how generously I try to judge it, this one is underwhelming. It simply doesn’t show what Pinot can do. The color is a dense ruby with little transparency, the rim still tinged with purple. On the nose, smoky notes dominate, layered with dark fruit, earthy tones, and spices like clove and nutmeg, along with a pronounced roasted character. On the palate, the acidity hits first and feels quite sharp, with a noticeable spiciness. The clarity and transparency one hopes for in Pinot are largely absent, and even allowing for the fact that the oak influence is still quite strong, the balance is off. It might evolve somewhat with a few years of aging, but it doesn’t feel like a wine that will dramatically improve—and in any case, it’s not easy to justify long-term cellaring for a wine at this level. Wines included in “lucky bags” can be fun in that they expose you to things outside your usual range, but when it comes to styles you care about, they often end up feeling a bit unsatisfying. Updating my “weekend sale picks,” I often come across reasonably priced and intriguing Pinots from regions outside Burgundy, which makes me think it might be worth picking up a few of those here and there and giving them a try.