Mark West Black Pinot Noir California Red Wine

The stores we checked in September 2026 had this California Pinot Noir between $18.99 and $19.99. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned red grape, used for still wine and, in many traditional-method sparklers, as one of the main blending grapes; regional category guides commonly point to red cherry, berry and plum in it, and call it lighter in color and lower in tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon.

We do not have a shopper rating for this wine. Mark West says it has kept Pinot Noir at the center of its work since 1978, and points to Modesto, California as its home.

Mark West's page for this bottling, labeled Pinot Noir Black, describes it in the producer's own words as a full-bodied, dark red wine with layers of black cherry compote, mocha and caramel, a rich mouthfeel and a long finish with hints of toasted vanilla. Behind that description the winery lists specific choices: fruit picked in the cooler morning hours, then destemmed and cold soaked before fermentation, some lots blended with a small amount of Teroldego for added color and flavor, and every lot carried through malolactic fermentation and six to eight months in French oak. The brand's own history page adds where the name comes from: Mark West is a spot in Sonoma County the winery calls one of the world's best places to grow Pinot Noir, where the company got its start in 1978, even though its offices today sit in Modesto.

Our call: worth trying if the producer's description of a bolder, darker Pinot Noir matches what you already look for; the winery states the winemaking choices behind that style plainly, French oak aging and a small Teroldego addition for color among them. Pass if you want a shopper rating or a stated alcohol level to lean on; neither has reached our record for this bottling, so the producer's own account carries the full case for it.

The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.