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April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by David M. Bueker » Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:56 pm

Joy - be on the lookout for Pinot from Arcadian as Jenise mentioned, but also Wind Gap and Anthill Farms.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Jenise » Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:04 pm

Tom NJ wrote: I can't believe you remember me, let alone my cupboard! Sad to say, the late Mr. Rogov's quote in your sig came true for me shortly after my last post here - I clung on as long as I could after the Crash of '08, but finally went under. They took almost everything I had other than my house, a car, and...my Pans Of Many Colors! Fools! If only they'd known. So yeah, it's still a riot of enameled colors everywhere you look in my kitchen :D

Wow, I had no idea Siduri had such a pedigree! What a fascinating backstory. That is too cool! I can see why those "boatloads" are on board despite the 14%. It really was a tasty wine. I hope someday I can try others.


Tom, I always remember the people I like! It made me so happy to see your name. And, sorry to hear you had problems; I do hope your marriage survived along with the pans. But yeah, it's fun to remember being one of Adam's first customers. It was really just home made essentially, he didn't go commercial until a year or so later. My first tastes of California's new great pinot vineyards like Pisoni, Garys' and Cargasacchi were all Adam's wines. He's really become an excellent winemaker (you might want to seek out his syrahs, too, under the label Novy.)

But I get Joy's concern over alcohol. So to Joy: do whatever you have to to get your hands on Arcadian pinots. These should/will change your thinking. My cellar holds more Arcadian than any other domestic producer. California fruit, burgundian style, ageable. We just drank our last 03.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Joy Lindholm » Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:23 pm

Thanks Jenise and David for the recommendations. I will see what I can do to track down Arcadian, although looking on their website, most of their wines are out of my everyday drinking price range. Heck - most (good) Pinot Noir is out of my everyday drinking price range! :(
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Tom NJ » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:00 pm

Oooo, you sold me! I'll look for that Novy. Thanks, Jenise!

And yeah, me and NewWifey(tm) are tighter than ever if anything after all this. She's like the Le Creuset of wives (er...though not in the "big and heavy" way. More like the "brightly colored with a lifetime warranty" way. I think.)

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Re: WTN: Domaine Dujac Chambolle Musigny 2006 13%

by Joshua Kates » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:55 pm

WTN: Domaine Dujac Chambolle Musigny 2006 13% (first Dujac)

Slightest bricking around the edges; nose starts w/floral notes turns big mushroomy, loamy, w/ violets in the background.

Same combo in the mouth: mushroom on the front followed by violets, pastilles, more dirt. Extraordinary. Some raspberry and other red fruits—long finish, stays on the palate, yet nimble.

After this, drank some Kutch 2011 Sonoma left over from the night before. It was interesting, as the Kutch had lost some of the bell pepper youthfulness it showed on opening. It definitely had more presence and weight than the Dujac, so I could see how some might prefer it, but way fewer surprises.
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WTN: 2003 Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselotte

by David M. Bueker » Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:14 am

2003 Domaine Georges Mugneret/Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (4/18/2013)
I have frequently been less than thrilled with the performance of the 2003 Burgundies, but this one was a happy exception. There was certainly a lot of ripe fruit, but it also showed layers of flavors beyond the fruit. Spice, earth & mineral all came through, especially as the wine opened up with air. Quite good, even if the vintage does not give my preferred style of wine.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Tim York » Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:28 pm

Some more Loire valley reds from Pinot Noir were on show at this afternoon's tasting.

Domaine des Chézelles - Touraine

Touraine Pinot Noir 2012 - (€7). I've had PNs, including from Burgundy, which are thin, bland or acidic but this is the first time I've had one actively unpleasant. The nose was closed and the light/medium palate was disfigured by absence of fruit and by a bitter and spiky caramel like flavour dominating the finish. The vigneron rather diffidently said "give it a few weeks and the griotte cherry aromas will come out". Even if they do, I really wonder if it will ever be balanced??? Poor now 11/20.

Just to show that this vigneron can make drinkable wine from other grapes (indeed in previous vintages his Pinot was pleasant but light and a touch bland) -

Touraine Gamay 2011 - (€6). The nose showed some lively Gamay fruit with a prune like tang. The ample and quite generous palate confirmed the fruit and also the tang. Fairly good but I might get tired of that tang 14.5/20.


Further east along the valley vintage conditions in 2012 were better.

Domaine de Coquin - Menetou-Salon (appellation adjoining Sancerre towards the west; whites, good at this estate, are from Sauvignon blanc and, to my palate, very similar to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé but less pricey)

Menetou-Salon (R) 2012 - (€12) - The nose was discreet but did show signs of griotte cherry. Fruit of rather dark complexion was present on the medium weight palate and there was noticeable but quite smooth tannic structure. The enthusiastic young vigneron, Francis Audiot, claims that the fruit will brighten in a few weeks as the aromas develop; this is credible here. Good 15/20.

Menetou-Salon Mathilde (R) 2010 - (€19), made from old vines and matured for a year of 700 litre barrels. I approached this with some misgivings because of the barrel ageing but the wood proved to be well integrated with just that touch of velvety texture that reveals its use. The nose was becoming more expressive here with explicit sweeter cherry notes and the palate was fuller and more structured than the previous with the fruit necessary to carry the structure. This one needs two or three years, I think, though it could be enjoyable now with a rare marbré steak. Good now 15.5/20 with perhaps very good potential.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by David M. Bueker » Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:15 pm

Interesting stuff Tim. You're definitely casting a wide net!
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Mon Apr 22, 2013 3:16 am

David M. Bueker wrote:Interesting stuff Tim. You're definitely casting a wide net!


Tim is too close to Loire Valley for our comfort!! :lol:
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Tim York » Mon Apr 22, 2013 5:36 am

Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:
David M. Bueker wrote:Interesting stuff Tim. You're definitely casting a wide net!


Tim is too close to Loire Valley for our comfort!! :lol:


True, but I hope to cast my net much further afield this coming weekend at the tasting of a very enterprising importer who has good names from Oz, NZ, South Africa, Italy and Chile in his portfolio, all of which are PN producing countries, as well as from Argentina, Spain, Austria and Portugal, which are not.

Note the absence of the USA. For various reasons (price is one) very little hand crafted American wine makes it over here and I don't recall ever having seen a Cali PN or one from Oregon, except Drouhin. The only Cali PNs which have transited through my cellar were some Sanford brought back from Santa Barbara in 1995, some Saintsbury bought in London and a couple from Russian River brought over by Jim Dove. (BTW does anyone know where he hangs out nowadays? I haven't seen him on any of the boards where I lurk.)
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:00 am

This was so good I went back for two more bottles!

WTN: 2010 Weingut Josef Leitz Rheingau Pinot Noir Rose.

SC, $19.00, 12% alc, served quite chilled with roasted pork tenderloin.

Light salmon pink in color with reddish tinges
Nice aromatic nose, apples, strawberry, perhaps some cranberry too?
Off-dry entry, strawberry, gd acidity, not high in alcohol as some report on CT. Refreshing, very good value and of interest for sure.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by David M. Bueker » Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:32 pm

Sounds tasty Bob. Not surprised by the acidity given that it's a 2010.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Mark Lipton » Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:25 pm

Jenise wrote:Good to see Siduri mentioned. Adam Lee has done good things. Once upon a time, the wine internet was a tiny place and the guy who makes Siduri, Adam Lee, was just another poster along with Robin, me and others you'll meet here. He worked at Benziger, and talked about his plan to start making his own pinot noir. He wanted to be the next William Selyam. He finally made one barrel, and we his internet friends were among his first customers. I bought a six pack. I believe it was the '94 vintage and I know the grapes were from a cooler site in the Anderson Valley, either the Cerise or Rose vineyard. Anyway, the wine was stunning and he's been doing great work ever since. His wines very accurately capture the personality of the vineyards he works with and I know he's done a lot of experimenting with different yeasts and barrels in order to fine-tune his product. Quite admirable. Yeah, the alcohols are usually on the high side, but he has a boatload of customers who don't think that's a problem.


Interesting back story, Jenise. I bought some of those early Siduri Pinots on the strength of the reviews they got in CGCW, and they were the first wines to introduce me to the problems of aging wines under plastic cork. I'll never forget popping the plastic cork on one of those early Siduri Pinots and getting a totally dead wine, one of the very few that I could classify that way.

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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Tom NJ » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:09 am

FWIW, the one I had was screwcap. You probably know they switched to that, but thought I'd mention it just in case. It was splediferous.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Jenise » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:52 pm

Mark Lipton wrote:
Jenise wrote:I'll never forget popping the plastic cork on one of those early Siduri Pinots and getting a totally dead wine, one of the very few that I could classify that way.

Mark Lipton


I forgot about those! A real pretty shade of violet, weren't they. I never managed to test those corks as my first six pack (Rose Vineyard, I'm now certain of that) was too beguiling to leave alone for very long, we drank them all within two years. Later bottles were mostly consumed fairly early too. How old was your totally dead bottle?
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Mark Lipton » Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:30 pm

Jenise wrote:
Mark Lipton wrote:
Jenise wrote:I'll never forget popping the plastic cork on one of those early Siduri Pinots and getting a totally dead wine, one of the very few that I could classify that way.

Mark Lipton


I forgot about those! A real pretty shade of violet, weren't they. I never managed to test those corks as my first six pack (Rose Vineyard, I'm now certain of that) was too beguiling to leave alone. Later bottles were mostly consumed fairly early too. How old was your totally dead bottle?


I wasn't keeping meticulous records back then, but I'd guess that it was around 2000 or 2001. It was a '96 IIRC, though the vineyard has been lost in the mists of my beleaguered memory.

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[WTN] Four sundry Pinot Noirs

by Robin Garr » Thu Apr 25, 2013 12:01 pm

From last week's 30 Second Wine Advisor:

The Seeker 2011 Pinot Noir Vin de Pays du Puy de Dôme ($11.99)

Clear ruby with a light edge. Dark cherries add a whiff of jammy berries on the nose. On the palate it's fresh black cherries, juicy and appealing, shaped by crisp, food-friendly acidity and an astringent edge of tannins. It's grown in the Auvergne, not an area known for "Burgundian" Pinot, but there is good varietal character here in a fresh, appetizing table wine at an attractive price. U.S. importer: Kobrand Corp., NYC. (Sept. 21, 2011)

FOOD MATCH: Excellent match with "The Forager," an 18-inch New York-style thin pizza from Louisville's Papalino's, topped with Capriole Farmstead Indiana goat cheese, Sheltowee Farm Kentucky mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh thyme and white truffle oil.

WHEN TO DRINK: Fresh and clean under a Stelvin-style metal screw cap; it should fare well in the cellar or wine rack for a few years, but it's fine for drinking right now.

VALUE: This is about as good as Pinot Noir gets at the $12 price point. It's widely available, and worth checking Wine-Searcher.com, where pricing ranges from $10 to $17.

WEB LINK:
Here's the Pinot Noir page on The Seeker's Website. Frankly, it's more than a little promotional, but artful and entertaining nonetheless.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for The Seeker Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com


Joseph Drouhin 2011 "Laforet" Bourgogne Pinot Noir ($17.99)

Garnet, with a clear edge. Simple but typical Pinot scent, ripe cherries, a whiff of roses, and a touch of tomato skin. Tart red fruit, zippy acidity and soft tannins. Food brings it around, but even at a traditional 12.5% alcohol, it's a bit rough-edged for sipping by itself. To be frank, when you're in the market for generic Burgundy for less than $20, you're not going to get a wine that makes you hear choirs of angels sing. Still, this one gives a sense of Burdundian Pinot and is certainly more than drinkable with dinner. U.S. importer: Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NYC. (March 22, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: I fashioned a "Marco Polo" Italian-Asian fusion dish of snow peas, onions and green peppers in a lightly spicy roasted red pepper velouté over mezze rigatoni. It was decent, although its rough-hewn style might have found a better match with rare red meat or a fatty cheese. Indeed, it mellowed a bit with a taste of simple, buttery cheese.

WHEN TO DRINK: It will keep under good conditions for a year or three, but I wouldn't cellar it with any real hope for significant evolution over time.

VALUE: My local price is close to the median U.S. retail listed on Wine-Searcher.com, but comparison shopping may pay off, as some vintages in some locations go for considerably less. Frankly, although it's drinkable, the upper teens is pushing its quality-price ratio in a competitive market.

WEB LINK:
Here's the producer's fact sheet in English on the Laforet Pinot Noir.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Pinot on Wine-Searcher.com.


Pirie 2009 "South" Tasmania Pinot Noir ($29)

Dark purple with a clear garnet edge. Good black and red cherry aromas are joined by a hint of blackberries on the palate, very appealing balance of fresh but not overwhelming fruit with crisp and food-friendly acidity framed by soft tannins. Definitely a fruit-focused Pinot, but its cool weather origin keeps it from going down the blockbuster road, and that is a good thing. Stated alcohol content 13.5%. U.S. importer: American Estates Wines Inc., Philadelphia, for California Wine Club's International Selections

FOOD MATCH: Like all good Pinot Noir, this one is versatile with a range of fare, from red meat to grilled poultry, wild salmon, vegetarian bean and cheese dishes or even spicy Asian fare. It was fine with gently spicy Sichuan shredded beef with carrots and celery.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's delicious and ready to go right now, but I wouldn't have any qualms about cellaring it for up to five years, bearing in mind that Pinot frequently shows unpredictable ups and downs in the cellar.

WEB LINK AND FINDING THIS WINE ONLINE:
Here's California Wine Club's fact sheet and order page for the Pirie Tasmania Pinot.

Check prices and availability for Pirie Tasmania South Pinot in vintages from 2005 through 2012 on Wine-Searcher.com.


Le Grand (Pinot) Noir 2010 "Black Sheep" Pays d'Oc ($11.49)

Some wine wits half-seriously advise, "Never buy a wine with an animal on the label," although this counsel, taken to the extreme, would bar the world-class Chateau Cheval Blanc ("White Horse") from our cellars, not to mention the outstanding Northern Italian wines of La Spinetta with their rhinoceros label. Seriously, though, this modestly priced Pinot is almost secretive, with limited front-label info, the wine's Languedoc origin almost buried in tiny type, and the bottler, "11N129 at F11160" (Rieux-Minervois), encoded into anonymity. And yet ... the wine is pretty good for a Languedoc Pinot. Dark garnet almost all the way to the edge, it offers cherry compote, cooked sweet dark cherries and a hint of brown spices, on the nose and palate. Food-friendly fresh-fruit acidity, 12.5% acidity and a soft touch of tannins come together in a wine that's on the simple side but clearly recognizable as Pinot and good with food. U.S. importer: Prestige Wine Group, Pronceton, Minn. (April 4, 2013)

FOOD MATCH: Just fine with an Asian-accented teriyaki chik'n, onion and green pepper stir-fry.

WHEN TO DRINK: Drink up and enjoy within the next year while the flavors are fresh.

VALUE: I have no complaints about value at this price, but canny shoppers will check Wine-Searcher.com, where some vendors offer it as low as $8.

WEB LINK:
Click here for the producer's English-language fact sheet on Le Grand Black Sheep Pinot Noir.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Le Grand Black Sheep Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Rahsaan » Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:59 pm

Last night had a couple of red Burgundies. The 2010 Fourrier Chambolle Musigny was juicy fragrant fun, but it was served in such close proximity to more aged and mellow wines that it was hard to take it on its own primary terms. Other folks said the same thing about the 1996 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin but I paid plenty of attention to it and was rewarded with a fresh but harmonious stream of silk. Delicious.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by JC (NC) » Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:05 am

Mid-month I opened a 2007 Alex Gambal Savigny Les Beaune Vielles Vignes. Dark purple and opaque. Dark fruited with an earthy touch. Plenty of acid. Not particularly rewarding--may have been closed or dormant. I think I liked it better upon release.
Tomorrow I will post on two 2008 Oregon Pinots and then finish off the month's focus with a Mercurey from Burgundy.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Tim York » Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:55 pm

Rahsaan wrote: Other folks said the same thing about the 1996 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin but I paid plenty of attention to it and was rewarded with a fresh but harmonious stream of silk. Delicious.


I have 6 bottles of these buried in a stack of Burgs. Time to get them out, it seems :D .
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Rahsaan » Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:43 pm

Tim York wrote:
Rahsaan wrote: Other folks said the same thing about the 1996 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin but I paid plenty of attention to it and was rewarded with a fresh but harmonious stream of silk. Delicious.


I have 6 bottles of these buried in a stack of Burgs. Time to get them out, it seems :D .


Depends on your preferences. It was far from tertiary and many folks might prefer to have it more aged. But I don't have to worry about making that decision, the bottle was passed and I enjoyed it.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by David M. Bueker » Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:21 pm

Rahsaan wrote: The 2010 Fourrier Chambolle Musigny was juicy fragrant fun, but it was served in such close proximity to more aged and mellow wines that it was hard to take it on its own primary terms.


Just picked up my 2010 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin the other day. I am seriously debating cracking one in its youth.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by Rahsaan » Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:40 pm

David M. Bueker wrote:Just picked up my 2010 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin the other day. I am seriously debating cracking one in its youth.


Different folks have different preferences and cellaring strategies and all, but for my tastes I certainly enjoyed the '10 CM and would be happy to drink it again and again right now.
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Re: April Wine Focus - Pinot Noir from Anywhere!

by JC (NC) » Mon Apr 29, 2013 12:11 am

Two from Willamette Valley, OR.
2008 Scott Paul "La Paulee." Stelvin or screwcap closeure. 13.1 % alcohol by volume. Grapes include blocks from Maresh, Ribbon Ridge, and Momtazi Vineyards. Dark purple-red color; nearly opaque. My reaction to yellow pine pollen made it difficult to assess aromas. When it does penetrate the congested nose, a cherry perfume enters the nostrils. The flavors suggest both cherries and plumskins. Am I stretching to find a subtle hint of pine needles or is that really present? Not sure. Smooth, elegant presentation. On the tart spectrum but not off-putting. Midweight but with a lingering, pleasant finish. One of the better Pinots of recent months for me. Refreshing to see the abv around 13% instead of over 14%. This wine is a winner.
The first evening I had this with leftover chicken, artichoke and seedless grape salad with poppyseed dressing. The second evening I paired it with breaded veal scallopini. I have two of the 2009 vintage La Paulee and at least one 2010.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir. 13.3% abv. Label says crop levels are kept low. Very dark opaque purple color. Dark berries and pine forest on the nose are echoed on the palate. A suitable amount of acid to keep it fresh. Well made and satisfying but not quite up to the standard of the Scott Paul La Paulee IMHO. This paired well the second evening with bites of Manchego and Cheshire cheese pre-dinner.
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