This light yet lively Pinot Noir wakes you up like the first cool breeze of autumn on a late summer night. Westward epitomizes the concept of an earthy red, there’s something so essential about it, the kind of wine that makes you understand exactly how and why humans have been drinking wine for as long as they have. The nose is savoury and mineral, crying out for a salty hard cheese, giving way to a “BC does Burgundy”-style palate that calls to mind the aromas one might encounter on a formidable hike: notes of tart cherry, pine needle, and forest floor. A five-o-clock shadow of tannin is anything but overbearing, impeccably balanced by classic cool climate acidity and a kiss of oak. This wine simply begs to be drunk outdoors, in as remote of a location as possible, preferably fireside with grilled steak and s'mores for dessert. GOOD FOR — A post-horseback ride nip with an attractively disheveled cowhand Reading a tattered Hemingway paperback on a cross-country train ride Bob Dylan and Hank Williams on vinyl Leaving at your phone at home and setting up shop in a remote cabin for an indefinite amount of time
