2013 Angeline Reserve Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California, USA.
2013 Angeline Reserve Pinot Noir
Category Archives: Pinot Noir
2013 A to Z Pinot Noir
Rarely, it seems, do I take an opportunity to point the compass north from California and its bounties in order to sample some of the goodness that hails from the northwest corner of the country. This weekend, however, I’ve done just that and set my sights on the 2013 A to Z Pinot Noir. The A to Z originates in Oregon and did not impress right from the start.
2013 A to Z Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA.
To be fair, I picked up two of these bottles in my latest wine adventure so perhaps it’s just this first one that came off as lackluster. I had high hopes going in, as the northwest has a great reputation for wine because of its climate, terroir, etc. Is it crazy that I found the A to Z bland?
Yes, it eventually gained some momentum with me, both over time and repeated sampling–we all know how that goes. I am used to Pinot Noir that has a characteristic pale red color, and the A to Z answered the bell in this respect. Aromas of cherry, strawberries, and often vanilla. But I’m also accustomed to spice nuances, a whiff of raspberries, that swirls in your glassware and gives a deeper layer to your tasting experience. And the A to Z really didn’t do this–it was sort of flat by contrast.
I had the A to Z with two different meals–a dish of salted-and-buttered penne pasta, and pecan-encrusted chicken breasts (with accompanying vegetable sides). The 2013 vintage held up more effectively with the chicken, but it was almost too light to match up with the pasta. Didn’t really anticipate that outcome.
Reading about this wine after the fact, I realize how much my tasting experience has differed from that of others. One meaningful comment from a tenured wine aficionado read, “The 2012 A to Z Pinot Noir invites with vibrant aromas of juicy berries, cherries, lavender and violets, evolving to clove, game, smoke and cherry tobacco. A succulent, focused attack has flavors of blue and red fruits, flowers and earth, then deepens with hints of mocha, gingerbread, green tea and cacao.”
Sounds fantastic! That profile would be right up my alley, and would be a drink I’d be pleased to share early and often with guests, family, friends, you name it. But the 2013 A to Z that I sampled was just…even…measured…and felt like it took no risks. Rest assured I’m going to be paying close attention to bottle two when it’s eventually cracked, but the wine has a lot of recovery to do in my book. Good luck and tell me what you think. It’s readily available at your local wine store I’m sure.
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2012 Mark West, Pinot Noir
The Mark West Pinot Noir has long been a staple of Notes Of Note, and several vintages have been covered in these pages (just do a quick search) previously if you’ve got some Magellan in your blood. This is the first 2012; somehow we went from the ’11 to the ’13 until this weekend.
2012 Mark West Pinot Noir, California, USA.
Compared to the 2011 Stemmler Pinot covered here last week, the West is much lighter in color and in its fruit forwardness. Yes the West is even, but I’m slightly biased toward the Stemmler in overall quality. The 2012 Mark West is a fine, affordable option for Pinot Noir but when you have others to compare and contrast it doesn’t quite measure up. And that’s okay; not every wine can be an over-the-top tasting experience.
I had a glass Friday evening after returning home from work travel, and the rest found its way to our Saturday evening bonanza. The latter consisted of grilled turkey burgers, treated generously with blue cheese, sautéed and/or raw red onions, and a mustard-washed lettuce mix along with one of our potato favorites. The Mark West did not fill you up; that role was covered by the delicious (and healthy!) burgers.
Next trip to our local store I’m going to grab another bottle of this Pinot Noir as it’s a safe, middle-of-the-road option whenever the prospect of a Malbec or Cab is just a bit heavier. You’d do well to do the same.
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2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir
It’s easy to think Notes focuses exclusively on grilled steaks and red wines, but that’s only partially true. The blog does share occasional feedback on whites, and sometimes shares great foodstuffs that far outshine the grapes. This is one of those times.
2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, California, USA.
The 2011 Robert Stemmler is a great Pinot Noir; no question about it. No rough edges, it is light berry and polished all the way, a rich and fragrant treat any night you uncork one. On this evening, it accompanied a special meal–cheese grits, sautéed shrimp, Italian sausage, and a mix of red, yellow, orange, and green peppers. Swirled all together and topped with home-grown parsley and chives, this was an immensely enjoying evening; it had just the right punch of heat to offset the cheese (and yes this was my first cheese grits tasting experience).
Great textures, intoxicating blend of hot and cold, and medley of colors…a good night for the memories.
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2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir
2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, California, USA.
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The Ones That Got Away – Spring 2015 Sampler
2013 Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA; Santa Margherita Prosecco, Italy; 2012 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Ruffino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezia, Italy; 2013 Trivento Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina.
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2013 Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir
This week, a record-breaking scorcher for June (or Hell, for that matter), I found myself craving Pinot Noir as I thought about a good red to wedge its way through the heat. The 667 from the Delicato family answered the call, first with a down home Thursday meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn, and again tonight with grilled steaks and crispy crowns.
2013 Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir, Monterey, California, USA.
The 667 Pinot Noir is a bit deeper in color than the Buena Vista on which I often comment (see here, and here, and others that should be in the Related Posts below), and it had a little more of a cherry vibe instead of a strawberry taste. This Pinot Noir, harvested and produced in Monterey, California, also has some earthiness to it and vanilla too. I know, I know–since when does this guy give a nod to vanilla? It works here. You get an easy finish, and ripe flavors that are very enjoyable. Thursday night is a “school night” so it took some restraint to have just a glass(ish) of the Noble Vines and leave the bottle for the weekend.
I read of the awards it’s won (i.e., the 2015 Monterey Wine Competition; 2015 Consumer Wine Awards; 2015 Toast of the Coast Wine Competition) and understood how the 667 performed so well. Several other Pinots are now here in the house so it’ll be some time before I get to circle back to this one, but that will be a good day too.
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2013 Pinot Noir, BV Coastal Estates
The 2013 Pinot Noir from Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates lasted several nights at our place, which says several things about a wine. Usually it means a bottle that we opened on a weeknight. It can also be a more tannic red, particularly a Bordeaux or Malbec that needed some extra time, or even a wine that just didn’t stick the landing for one reason or another. In this instance, however, it was that the wine was opened on a night prior to a long work trip. If you’re a reader who also knows the joys–and poor night’s sleep–of an early morning flight, you know what I’m talking about here.
2013 Pinot Noir, Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates, Rutherford, California, USA.
BV has been producing wine for more than 100 years, and the Latour name has long enjoyed a strong reputation for its Cabernet Sauvignons. A quick bit of research revealed that its founder Georges de Latour even sold wine to the Catholic Church during Prohibition (the only working Napa winery during that dark period of U.S. history), and his viniculturist Andre Tchelistcheff developed the first “cult” Cab in the first half of the 20th century. So you know they know grapes and how to get things done with a bang in the wine business.
Alas, this is not one of those smart-sounding Latour Private Reserve Cabernets but rather the 2013 BV Pinot Noir. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. As a matter of fact it was nice and smooth, and a bit more of a cherry finish than a strawberry taste. I rushed through the pre-trip glass, and was too tired upon returning to make better notes of its profile. I do know that I finished off this 2013 vintage with some pepperoni pizza, and that the wine was enjoyable.
This is how the Beaulieu team describes the 2013: “Classic in style, our Pinot Noir is elegant and graceful, showing intense varietal character over a soft, supple profile. Fresh cherries and summer plums open the aromas. On the palate, the fruit gains complexity and depth, adding subtle layers of leather and forest floor. French oak stitches the bright fruit together, leaving just a hint vanilla.”
Forest floor? Missed that. I’m interested in another bottle of this, particularly a Friday night bottle, but even more so one of the Latour Cabs! I’ll be ready with my signature any time the good folks at BV decide they want to ship one to this humble writer.
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The Ones That Got Away – Winter 2015 Sampler
2012 Biltmore Estate Merlot Limited Release, North Carolina, USA; 2013 Relax Riesling, Schmitt Sohne GmbH, Germany; 2007 Virgen de Aguila Artigazo, Edicion Limitada, Carinena, Spain; 2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA; 2012 Red Blend, Bell Canyon Napa Reserve, Napa Valley, California, USA; 2012 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Private Reserve, Sonoma Valley, California, USA.
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2013 Votre Sante Pinot Noir, Francis Ford Coppola
Delicious evening cocktail, the Votre Sante. This delicious Pinot Noir kept me company during a busy week of NJ travel; it greeted me throughout after the day’s toils and was great on each occasion. I had to look up (guess I’m far from worldly) the name–it’s the toast one traditionally offers in France when raising a glass.
2013 Votre Sante Pinot Noir, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Valley, California, USA.
And raise a glass I did, on Sunday evening, on St. Patrick’s Day, last night, and again this evening. The 2013 is excellent; it’s a bit darker than my favorite Buena Vista Pinots, and it throw off great smells of raspberry and cherry…with just a hint of spice that I’d attribute more to a Cabernet Sauvignon than a Pinot Noir. Yet it was still very light and offered an easy finish. I was immediately thrilled my wife had selected it–thanks love.
I’ve recently taken to carrying a corkscrew on my travels, and the extra attention you get in an airline security line is worth it when a drink like the 2013 Votre Sante awaits at your final destination. I was reading about the 2012 Bordeaux crop on my flight into the tri-state region so the Pinot Noir was a course correction of sorts but a really enjoyable one.
If you’re interested in further tasting notes from the winemaker, simply click here for details. I’m a big fan of Coppola’s movies (hard to pick a favorite…but I’ll go with The Godfather: Part II by a slim margin over Part I and his take on Dracula) and, though this is my first wine of his, I’m going to be a fast fan of his grapes too. Votre sante to you all as well.
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