Category Archives: Pinot Noir

by

2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham

Three years ago we met Henry of Pelham on Christmas Eve, an international guest that made himself welcome in our family’s holiday celebration. He came back down from Canada tonight to bookmark our 2014 celebration and was once again excellent company for the short duration of his visit. What’s a Baco Noir, you ask?

2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham, Ontario, Canada.

2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham, Ontario, Canada.

Well, it is definitely not quite a Pinot Noir–at least the Californians that we often sample–and it’s lighter than a Napa or Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. I even remembered to pop a quick photo of the bottle this year. It’s less spicy than the Syrahs we’ve been tasting from the West Coast, but probably closest to that profile. The 2012 vintage has a deep, purple-red color and some nice woodsy flavors that lurk just below a fruity surface. A good beverage, and one that started our cocktail hour and merriment.

The winemaker pulls grapes for the the 2012 right from the Henry of Pelham family vineyard and handles the fermentation process in stainless steel tanks before aging the wine in American oak barrels for six to eight months. This wine enthusiast isn’t sure but believes oak often imparts some of the vanilla hints to a wine…a vanilla this guy doesn’t really relish. I’m happy to report that the 2012 Baco Noir doesn’t carry this taste to an appreciable extent. (And if you have a good, reliable resource that explains the process by which vanilla is infused into a wine please by all means share it in a Comment.)

The 2012 Baco Noir from Henry of Pelham was long gone before we sat for our excellent dinner–a glazed ham, cooked light and luscious, a potato medley consisting of white and sweet varieties, steam vegetables, and lots of great conversation with family. May the 2012 Baco Noir usher in your special occasion in similar, rewarding fashion.

by

2013 Mark West Pinot Noir

A Friday night beverage, one that I sorely wanted after a work week that left me battered, bruised, and extremely tired. I’m sure that feeling is not unique and was a holdover from an extra-long Thursday that had fewer wins than I’d hoped.

2013 Mark West Pinot Noir, California USA

2013 Mark West Pinot Noir, California, USA.

Mark West, particularly the Pinot, is no stranger in our home. The Pinot Noir is slightly overpriced in NJ and better here in NC–but the 2013 is still not a bargain. It’s ususally fruit-forward but this one just feels rushed. Less nuanced, less undertones. Less distinguished, and generally underwhelming.

To be clear, we did knock this bottle right back. In retrospect, I chalk that up more to having great food, conversation, and company than to the wine itself. With all the great grapes from which we can choose, Mark West–at least the 2013–will not be on our table again until the calendar (or vintage) flips.

by

2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir

A 2008–haven’t had the pleasure in some time, and a good one to be sure. This wine gets great marks for its smooth, velvety finish as well as the killer dish that accompanied the Mondavi Pinot.

2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir

2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir, California, USA.

The food was important to the overall picture, so let me paint in some details for you. You start with garlic, breaking that down in a small sauce pan, then you add some reconstituted sun dried tomatoes. Add some mushrooms into the mix, and then scallops.  When those are nice and opaque, add some lemon juice (and corn starch, itself mixed with a little water from the reconstituted tomatoes), and finally some chopped green onions. Voila. This fantastic pile of goodness goes on top of fettuccine pasta and next to a lovely green salad (bacon, egg, and blue cheese dressing–there are a LOT of likes in this meal).

So what about the vino, you ask? Really enjoyed it. It’s wild cherries on the nose and on the taste buds. The 2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir is supple and has no tart to it…yet it avoids the sticky sweet of a dessert wine. There are some spices in the mix too, a little hint or accent that winds throughout the red and plays well with the generous foodstuffs gracing our plates.

The winemaker states, “An enticing wine with alluring aromas and flavors of wild blackberries, sweet red cherries, a zing of fresh cranberry and a hint of graphite. Well-structured tannins are fine-grained and silky, and the wine ends with a long, smooth finish. Delicious and distinctive.”

In reading their summary now, I’m pretty happy with the takeaways I’d previously offered. I noted many of the flavors and smells they’d pointed out, and now I know it was ‘graphite’ that I sensed in my tasting. Hoping yours is good too and thanks for reading.

by

2012 Gracenote Pinot Noir

After a tiring flight from San Antonio, the 2012 Gracenote Pinot Noir was a welcome treat that marked the end of a six-day work week.  My wife had opened in advance of my arrival, and the aromatic Pinot Noir had had a good opportunity to breath while I was en route from the airport.

2014-03-15

2012 Gracenote Pinot Noir, Ubben Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California, USA.

This Russian River Valley red, aged in oak barrels, was created by Ubben Vineyards (and winemaker Reed Renaudin) and had a great fruity scent to it.  Great, vibrant color too.  Notes from the pros read as follows:

“This sublime wine offers impressions of dark cherry, strawberry, lavender, vanilla, cedar, and a hint of toast.”

It had a bit too much vanilla for me, but the strawberry (not exactly my favorite) was subtle and I tasted more of the cherry and cedar–gladly.  I consumed a glass with a chicken cordon bleu and delicious orzo salad, and the Gracenote was an effective medium between the two.  A nice bit of comfort after the Saturday night flight.

by

2011 Mark West, Pinot Noir

Mark West hadn’t visited our home in some time–not since we left the friendly confines of New Jersey–and, on several nights this week, stopped by to catch up.  West’s easy, casual style made him a welcome guest and I wistfully watch him leave us tonight.

This light, well-balanced red used to be a staple in our “wine cellar”; we never bought by the case but nevertheless in good quantity and/or frequency.  Our local NJ liquor store then started overpricing this California Pinot Noir, and we consequently started to explore other Bordeaux and Pinot options.  Despite missing the Mark West varietal, this market dynamic did ultimately compel my wife and I to find other good wines so it’s not all bad news here.

This evening, we’re having the 2011 Mark West Pinot Noir with an apple-blue cheese salad, “Golden Blend” quinoa, and herb-encrusted chicken breasts, pounded nice and flat for easy cookin’ and gnoshin’.  Smells fantastic and I’m sure this last glass of French- and Hungarian-oak aged red will nicely accompany our spread.  This is night three of the Mark West, and it was perfect on night two when it had had a chance to breath but not too much.  We’ll see you again, my friend…

by

Schug 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Fantastic meal to finish off this freezing January week–and featuring the Schug 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.  The wine is great, packed with red fruit smells that have to include some cherries for sure.  We cracked it to precede a fresh fish, a salmon that my wife selected right from the market, and she dressed it with a lip-smacking dijon mustard sauce that added just the right amount of zip.  A little fresh green beans and voila!

I know you’re raising an eyebrow on the Schug with a fish.  Not quite the usual approach, but then again we’re not usual.  And truth be told, the red was really dead by the time we finished hors d’oeuvres anyways.  Stay tuned for more information on the Chardonnay that followed closely on its heals.

The wine seller remarked, “Fresh aromas of primarily red fruit, especially cherries and raspberries…on the palette, dark raspberries, cranberry, pomegranate, and nutmeg.”  I don’t detect any strawberries in here (glad) and am pleased that I got at least a light sniff right on the cherries.  Still, the nutmeg escapes me…

…but a very easy-going Friday night standard.  Last one of this series.

20140113-220901.jpg

Schug 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California, USA.

by

2009 Madonna Estate Reserve, Pinot Noir

Glad to include the 2009 Madonna Estate Reserve in this year’s list of holiday treats.  This delicious Pinot Noir, crafted in Napa Valley, we busted out to accompany soup and salads–a much-needed change of pace after all the rich foods of the Christmas celebration.  Harvest vegetables, mixed with a rich blend of seasonings and spices, simmered in a big soup pot with some tender chicken; the soup accompanied a light salad (I had mine without dressing) of greens, fresh pears, and dried fruit–and the Madonna Estate Reserve.

2009 Madonna Estate Reserve, Pinot Noir, Napa, California, USA.

2009 Madonna Estate Reserve, Pinot Noir, Napa, California, USA.

I’ve read some unflattering remarks about the 2008 vintage, but the 2009 seemed excellent.  It was light, nuanced, and easy on the tongue.  This Carneros Pinot Noir helped flush a less-than-great (apologies for failing to document it here in Notes) Cab/Merlot blend from my Christmas Day memories and instilled itself as my favorite from our Rochester trip.  It’s hues were deeper red than those of my Buena Vista favorites; while I prefer those Sonoma options that’s a tough comparison for many varietals so no stone throwing against the Madonna Estate.

I’d love to link you to the winemaker’s website for additional details but seems like a non-functioning URL so you’ll have to double back again sometime soon.  Just as I hope to with this Pinot.  Enjoy…