A Christmas gift from my folks, the Cambria Julia’s Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir was the red of our birthday weekend.  Friday night, the date of my wife’s celebration, we started this velvety red–decanted–with cheese, cracker, and veggie snacks.  It meandered for a time and ultimately found its way over to our pizza dinner.  She enjoyed a slice or two of pepperoni and mushroom (and a birthday Miller Lite kicker), and I with a straight-up pepperoni.  The Cambria went well and we were, quite literally, in good spirits.

Tonight this Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir accompanied a meal I’d never had before: sweet and sour pork with pineapple, over jasmine rice.  The breading on the pork was interesting–I really liked its taste, but its texture didn’t hit as high a mark for me.  The pineapple, peppers, and onions were great, and jasmine rice is always a favorite of mine.  The Cambria rolled with the punches throughout, and was a great nightcap as we watched a flick.  Here’s what the Cambria folks offer:

“While this Pinot Noir may seem innocent at first, wit bright, fruit-forward flavors of cherry and strawberry; it gives way to its seductive side with velvety layers of blueberry and blackberry and subtle hints of delicate vanilla and spicy cinnamon.  Located in the cool climate of Santa Barbara, my family’s vineyard produces an elegant Pinot Noir with a silky mouthfeel that I hope you enjoy.”

That’s obviously a bit of marketingspeak at play, but the light berry layers are fairly well described.  As cataloged in this blog, however, I’m usually a fan of darker berried-Pinots, and darker spices too.  If you’re a strawberry or vanilla fan, this is going to be a hit for you.

Big debate for the evening was whether to ring in 2013 with an old favorite (i.e., a Buena Vista Pinot Noir as we did last year) or a new Bordeaux favorite…either possible just because we decided to hold the champagne for New Year’s Day.  After some waffling, it was the pinot that made the cut–specifically the 2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir.  I uncorked it while enjoying some monstrous shrimp shumai, continued to savor it with some delicious steaks and potatoes (pan seared to perfection), and ultimately polished it off after dinner.  Make no mistake; this baby was dry long before the ball dropped at Midnight.

2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, California, USA.

This from the folks at Buena Vista: “This Swan Selection Pinot Noir offers aromas of bing cherries and pomegranate, along with spice and floral characters.  Notice the candied cherry flavors and delicacy balanced by broad structure and a long finish.”

Now, I can’t express all that headsy analysis but I can confirm it.  Seems like a very appropriate description of a fun drink.  Buena Vista has always been great and this is no exception.

Broke open this bottle of Buena Vista pinot in the stretch run toward Christmas and a much-deserved vacation. You could tell the difference between this bottle and others as soon as it was uncorked–the fragrance of this Pinot Noir was immediate and stunning. I had it with a medium-rare Omaha steak, a great green salad with onion, bleu cheese, and apple, and a baked potato that had in it bits of bacon. Perfect pairing. I know the coming week will be packed full of great wine, delicious food, and plenty of good company, but this sets a pretty good standard to measure against.

2010 Buena Vista Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma, California, USA.

Here’s the skinny from the guys at Buena Vista: “The 2010 Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir is a beautiful deep plum color, with concentrated aromas and flavors of raspberry, chocolate, and just a hint of toastiness. With a balanced structure, medium acidity, and an overall plush mouthfeel, this wine finishes with a medium to long, silky finish.”

This numbered bottle (#2741) is from just 247 total cases and the varietal is named for the fourth child (first daughter) of Count Agoston Haraszthy–the founder of Buena Vista and the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, which he formed in 1863 to advance the winemaking prowess and expand its vineyards. The BVVS has been restored as a collection of small-production wines that, according to their press, “honor the winery’s pioneering spirit and contribution to California winemaking. Available only at the winery and for club-members, the diverse selection of Vinicultural Society wines explores clonal selections, varietals, vineyards and the incredible terroir of Sonoma County.”

All I could say is that it was the perfect end to a crazy work year…or perfect start to an enjoyable holiday season.

Once we put away that amazing d’Issan bordeaux, the three of us turned our attention to this Hanzell Pinot Noir and our entres.  Of course we had a couple filets on the table, and a New York Strip graced the plate of my pal–who also brought this tasty gem for our consumption.  The steaks–to the usual impeccable standards of Morton’s–were perfectly cooked and a great backdrop for this berry-tinged treat.  We did some family style brussell sprouts and creamed corn too as part of a heart-unhealthy dinner.

Hanzell 2006 Pinot Noir, Sonoma, California, USA.

The pinot was a part of our dinner courtesy of Hanzell, a Sonoma County vineyard from our favorite region in California.  Here a few of the winemaker’s notes:

“Blackberry, strawberry compote, and blueberry pie give this vintage a very prominent fruit character, but there is the darkness of tea leaf, humid forest, and a feral quality, like the fur of an animal or the nape of a neck. Clove and cardamom are warm spice notes that give the impression of sweetness to balance the firm presence of ripe tannins.”

Great accompaniment for the great steaks.

Tonight was a good livin’ night.  Broke out a new pinot noir–this 2009 Clone 5 Pommard–to celebrate the end of the work week from the comfort of our deck.  We snacked on some favorites (e.g., olives stuffed with jalapeno peppers, cheddar/colby cheese) and broke out this red and some Miller Lites to enjoy the sunset and great temperature here in New Jersey.  Buena Vista remains one of our favorite Sonoma wineries, and it’s in no small part due to great pinots like this Clone 5 Pommard.  Perfect for a barbecue and outdoor grillin’.

2009 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Clone 5 Pommard, Buena Vista, Carneros, California.

This bottle was a screw top (still getting used to this trend) and was promising even from the first pour.   A deep lovely red, and all kinds of great berry smells wafting up even as it splashed down, inviting, into a stemless glass.  I didn’t let it sit at all, simply swirled it around the Reidel for a quick second, and then took a first sip.  Great stuff!  I’m pretty sure I got a feel for some cherry in this mouthful, and all kinds of amazing undercurrents that you know I don’t have the palate or experience to better describe.

I can say that we enjoyed this bottle with a lovely salad (arugula, onion, corn, real bacon [and cooked perfectly], blue cheese, and pepper) that didn’t even need dressing it was so good.  Our main course were grilled filets that helped bring out some of the character of our pinot.  Wish we could enjoy ambiance and tasty treats like this every night!

Not being familiar with this Clone 5 varietal, I thought I would share with you here the winemaker’s comments on it:  “Our Ramal Vineyard Estate in Carneros includes 112 vineyard blocks and 13 Pinot Noir clones.  Each vintage, winemaker Jeff Steward crafts small bottlings of clones that display distinct style and character.  The Clone 5 Pommard shows intense aromas of red cheery, black plum, and jasmine over opulent red and black fruity with a forest floor base.  Note the depth of color and remarkable intensity.”  If you’re reading this post because you’re thinking about grabbing this bottle for yourself, know that I am nodding vigorously.  Enjoy!

It’s the Memorial Day weekend and no better time to barbecue.  Fired up the grill and some fun snacks while we readied some steaks with Mediterranean sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and filled up our glasses with some 2008 Smoking Loon Pinot Noir.  This California pinot was in our ‘regular’ rotation of pinot noirs a few summers ago and was like an old friend stopping by to visit.   We didn’t allow it to sit upon uncorking but went straight to the pour.

2009 Smoking Loon Pinot Noir, from California, USA.

Very consumable, with a soft fruity red that left you an enjoyable berry aftertaste. I’m sure the experts have more erudite comments about the wine so I’ll simply remark that the second bottle always tastes just as great as the first. That should be testament enough.

A nondescript part of Mom’s birthday celebration was enjoyment of this 2010 Pinot Noir…nondescript in part because I was the only one tasting and in part because it just…blended in with the evening’s fair.  It wasn’t stellar, and it wasn’t a disappointment.  It was just a solid, dependable red.  This California (North Coast) pinot from Mendocino County accompanied a meal that was indeed memorable–a light arugula and pear salad finished with a light honey/EVOO/mustard vinaigrette; an orange-tinted quinoa; sesame ginger snap peas, and roasted scallops on skewers.  All of those were great, so maybe it’s just in comparison that the pinot was just adequate?