Grayson Cellars is a rarity in California today, a family-owned winery that produces small lots of moderately priced wines. Mike O'Connell heads up the winery. Grapes are purchased throughout California, and the wines are made at Mike's state-of-the-art Napa Valley facility.  

Mike hired Larry Levin, one of the most experienced winemakers in Napa Valley. Armed with an Enology degree (UC-Davis), Larry spent seventeen years at Dry Creek Vineyard producing more than 15 varietal wines. He then worked at wineries in New Zealand, Chile, and Australia before spending nine years as head of winemaking at Icon Estates overseeing the Franciscan, Mt. Veeder, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Ravenswood, Quintessa, and Ruffino brands.

Grayson Cellars Pinot Noir is all one could hope for at this price. Aged in mostly used French and American oak barrels, it shows good color and a much nicer bouquet than other Pinots at this price. The light-to-medium fruit is bright and surprisingly varietal with a mix of strawberry, violets, dark cherry, and a hint of leather. The texture is pleasingly softened by just a hint of residual sugar. This is the perfect red wine to accompany fish, chicken, and veal.

Robert Parker: "The delicious, straightforward 2008 Pinot Noir Lot 5 (an 8,000-case cuvée of 100% Pinot Noir) tastes exactly like a Pinot Noir should. Neither terribly complex nor deep, it is a soft, velvety-textured effort displaying lots of sweet cherry and boysenberry fruit, no evidence of oak, and a hint of wild strawberries in the finish. Enjoy it over the next year. It's about time Grayson Cellars receives recognition for the extraordinary bargains it is creating. There is a lot of high quality fruit available given the economic hit California vineyards have absorbed, and Grayson Cellars appears to be exploiting that to their advantage as well as to that of consumers. Winemaker Larry Levin is doing remarkable work here, turning out wines that defy belief given their price points. Kudos to him and the owner of Grayson Cellars."