Chardonnista clued me in to Banshee Wines not long ago.  As Banshee says on its site, the winery “owns no vineyards of its own (yet!) but works in lock-step with high-end vineyard owners and wineries to produce wines of depth, purity and balance.  We spend ridiculous amounts of time working on finalizing each blend to make them just so and then we try to convince people that it’s ‘a tough job but someone’s gotta do it.'”

I haven’t yet been able to find bottles in my local liquor stores, but the wonderful 80 Thoreau restaurant (@80Thoreau) in Concord, Mass. offers Banshee’s 2010 Sonoma County Pinot Noir by the glass and bottle.  Pinot Egregious and I treated ourselves to a bottle recently.  It’s a big Pinot Noir, with a wonderful berry aroma and a long finish.

Banshee describes the wine as such: “The initial aromas have a certain lift and definition highlighted by small wild strawberries, cranberry, and rooibos tea.  On the palate one finds Ranier cherries, jasmine, plum, cranberry and again that wild strawberry note floating on a silky structure.  It’s lines are cut like a Varvatos suit.  The bass note is provided by a subtle framing touch of brown baking spice.”

Give it a try – and if you see a bottle of Banshee on the shelves, grab it.  These wines are crafted from grapes from some of the premier vineyards available.  You’ll enjoy a great quaff at a good price.