Here's one for all you Pinot Lovers

I have a back-log of bottles to write about so I thought I would pick my favorite Pinot Noirs that I have had recently and write about them. The first two are from a Pinot tasting my group did and the last one was a special bottle I opened while my mom was in town. All great bottles of wine.

MacMurry Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2004.
$15.00 (cheaper in CA)

This was a great wine, I chose it as 1st in our Pinot Tasting. It's a typical Sonoma Pinot Noir with lots of Cherry fruit but it has a complexity that puts it above the rest.

Color: Deep garnet, red color. This wine and the 1st place wine overall (see below) both had a darker, richer color than the other pinots in the tasting.
Nose: As I said above, the typical Cherry aroma with strawberry and and a tart rhubarb character combined with an earthy dusty character. The oak showed through in well integrated vanilla and spice characters, not an overly toasted character that you can get from some poorer made pinots.
Palate: Like other Pinots from the region this is a big one in the mouth. Covers the whole palate and lingers long enough to have a drunken conversation and then recall what you were just swishing in your mouth. The tannin is noticeable but not overextracted. The finish is smooth and isn't too hot. The alcohol is 13.5% and the wine holds up to it well. Some Pinot Noir producers mistake the varietal for Zinfandel pump out 15% alcohol Pinots that are flabby and taste like cherry cough syrup. Thats a no-no. Pinot should have a finesse that makes it food friendly social.
Overall: Great wine A- excellent value, will go well with anything off the BBQ, try chicken, or Salmon, and lighter meats like my favorite, lamb.



RVTZ Cellars, 2004, Maison Grand Cru, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir.
$18.00

I rated this Pinot lower than the rest of the group mainly because its spicy kick from the 14.5% alcohol but it came it 1st for the whole group. It was a very good wine.

Color: Also very dark, typical of a good pinot from the Russian River Valley.
Nose: Beautiful. Cherry, floral violets and rose petals, vanilla and a pipe tobacco, very much a California Pinot.
Palate: Its a biggy with a long finish too. Like I said, a bit too hot on the finish for me but it has smooth tannins and a nice viscosity.
Overall: I had this wine at 2nd place behind the MacMurray Ranch but the group loved it. I think more because of the riper characters. I really liked too and give it an A-, if it had a little less EtOH, I would give it an A.

720 Wine Cellars, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2003
$18.00

This wine is a bit harder to find. I got it from a friend up in Corvallis Oregon, after a night of drinking some great Pinot Noirs. This one was one of my favorites. The case production is minute, winery is bare-bones, and you can taste every bit of it in the wine. If you are interested in this wine you can buy it online or by phone from Avalon wine shop in Corvallis, ask for Chris, tell him David sent you.

Color: Dark, holding up well with a few years under it. Not necessarily as dark as a Pinot from Sonoma but not the light washy color either.
Nose: Amazing. I put this wine in a decanter and it changed every twenty minutes. It was awesome. IT started out very ripe; cherry, strawberry, raspberry, sweet vanilla. Then as it got some air it started getting more interesting. The earthy-mushroom notes that I love in Oregon Pinot started coming through backed up by oak and vanilla spice.
Palate: This wine never stopped. It kept delivering on the palate too. Soft tannins were plentiful, giving a long smooth finish. Alcohol is at 14% and the wine backs it all up well. The acidity was great and made it very food friendly. I had it with shepherds Pie made with minced lamb.
Overall: One of the best Pinots I have had in a long time. If the winery keeps it up, its wines will start to cost much more than $18.00. Excellent value. A+

Cheers!