February, 2009:

Yes it’s true.  It’s another post about Pinot Noir.  What can I say?  I love it!  Recently, I was invited to participate in a tasting selection committee for an upcoming Twitter Taste Live.  The illustrious Wine Spies, and the luxury wine company Wilson Daniels were our hosts, as we tasted our way through 6 premium Pinots from California and Oregon.

Since this tasting was blind, I will review them blind and then reveal the secret at the end including what we will be tasting on March 14th, for the Passion for Pinot TTL. I hope you will join us as we taste wines A, D, and E live across the country!

Wine A – I love Pinot Noir.  I mean i REALLY love pinot.  This 2005 Sonoma Coast example was no disappointment.  This juicy little number had a bright cherry nose, with hints of Jolly Rancher, a bit of spice, and characteristic cherry cola aroma.  I also found a slight vegetal & herbaceous quality, which had a touch of mint & ceder on the initial sniff, but opened up in to bright fruit and mushrooms.  I tasted bright strawberries, cherries, and raspberry juice, and really liked the long lingering finish with baking spices tingling my tongue.   A tasty delight that I will seek out and buy again!  I gave this wine an A-, high praise from this lush since I am a picky pinotphile.

Wine B – Pale ruby purple color, with candy apples and strawberries on the nose.  A floral, spicy wine that tasted a bit hot, with a ton of pepper and spice on the finish.  I detected a hint of smoke, and black raspberries along with dusty earth.  B+

Wine C – Minty fresh,

like toothpaste, on the nose.  The palate seemed to have less fruit than A & B.  Lots of evergreen and eucalyptus aromas.  Earthy and forest floor, with a sweet note on the finish.  Finish was not as long as the others, but still enjoyable.  It seemed a bit sharp.  B

Wine D – Nose had a classic cherry cola and baking spice smell.  Almost like a mince meat pie at Thanksgiving.  The palate tasted slightly flat to me, with dust and earth.  A lot of dusty pepper.  There were tons of dark baking spices in the palate, which I normally like but this had a lot of alcohol that was obvious in the taste.  There was a bright berry profile underneath.  C

Wine E – Cherry co

la, strong berry and cheery flavor with strawberry and raspberry.  White pepper and spice, with a slightly dull finish like dusty nutmeg.  B+

Wine F – Deep reddish purple color, with rich spices and black cheery aroma.  The palate has rich black cherries and bark in the background, with notes of Dr. Pepper and oaky spice.  I detected a slight sour cherry finish but mainly enjoyed the dark cherry cola.  B

In our crew of tasters, wine A came in first place, followed closely by wine E and D.  I am excited to taste these again with our friends at the Twitter Taste Live Event!

Now for the reveal:

• Wine A – 2005 Sonoma Coast Vineyard
• Wine B – 2007 Willakenzie Estate Cuvee (Willamette Valley)
• WIne C – 2007 Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard
• WIne D – 2006 Gainey Santa Rita Hills
  
• Wine E – 2006 Willakenzie Pierre Lyon (Willammette Valley)
• Wine F – 2005 Sonoma Coast Freestone

If you need help locating any of these pinots, wander on over to Vinquire for some search help.  I was on the ball, and grabbed the 2005 Sonoma Coast from The Wine Spies, but will be seeking out the Gainey and Willakenzie for future imbibing soon.

One of the interesting things I discovered from this exercise is that, YES, i actually DO like Oregon Pinot.  I had a suspicious this was true a while ago, but I have had so many examples that are not my style, that I was wary every time someone said “Willamette”.  I am pleased to report that there are some delicious examples that even I enjoy!

Cheers!