I highly, highly disagree. I’ve had many pinot noirs, and this is, hands down, the best I’ve tried for under $20.

In fact, I did a side-by-side comparison of this and the 2009 VINTJS Willamette pinot noir, and the SL won by a long shot. In fact, I didn’t get ANY of that “sour water” flavor you describe… you sure you weren’t tasting the Willamette pinot? That one was all sour cherry and thin alcohol flavor and a little oak. The Santa Lucia was smooth, well-rounded, and a mixture of berry, cedar, and spice, but without the cloying acidity or sourness of many pinots. It’s on par with several $30+ bottles I’ve tried from Paso Robles, Carneros, Russian River, and Willamette

I went back to TJ’s to try to stock up on a case of it, and out of ALL their pinot noirs they have in stock, this is the ONLY ONE that had been decimated… plenty of everything else in stock, but only 4 bottles of this left (and now zero bottles of this left, because I bought all 4 of them)

I think you need to have your taste buds checked…