Penguin scores again with pinot noir

The Little Penguin Pinot Noir (2006)
Origin: Australia (South Eastern)
Price: $9

Nobody can resist the Penguin, and I'm not talking about John McCain here. It's not the first time you've heard me talk about The Little Penguin wines, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Previously I reviewed their shiraz, but this time it's on to pinot noir, my favorite cold-weather wine.

First off, I can't stress enough how much its branding and packaging does for this wine. (Oh, and bonus points are in order for having tiny penguin footprints all over the cork.) Without fail, every time I break out the Penguin, people flock to the adorable bottle. Apparently Americans love penguins as much as puppies. Who knew?

Now for the goods. It's a very drinkable and jammy wine, with plenty of cherry and strawberry notes. And here's a perfect example of what a little air can do -- if you let this one breathe, the flavor opens up quite a lot. Oh what a difference an hour or two can make. That time unlocked a whole lot of vanilla oak and smokiness. Well worth waiting for, and quite surprising for a budget wine. While it's not an overly complex wine, you sure can't go wrong with this one for drinkability and affordability, not to mention its cuteness factor.