New Years 2011 at Pickberry

New Years gathering at Pickberry Vineyard

Chips, hummus and Carrot/Orange soup from Wells and Mary

• 2006 TR Elliott Pinot Noir Hospices of Sonoma Hallberg Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Soft and round, very pleasant Sonoma pinot noir

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• 2009 Simi Sauvignon Blanc 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  crisp and clean, but not a lot of complexity there....

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• 2009 Wind Gap Wines Pinot Gris Windsor Oaks Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill

  Lovely rose shade...must have had a bit of on the skins extraction; crisp and clean

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Never fails to be a crowd pleaser...easily served the group of 15 as an appetizer, doubled the basic recipe available at Google: mussels corfu frank stitt
http://books.google.com/books?id=7QaIb8xamoIC&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=mussels+corfu+frank+stitt&source=bl&ots=D1_uzY9SQy&sig=lEzxARb-xdKdf9vDhlD9e_7BrLI&hl=en&ei=HosfTaDtMInUtQOq3MWLCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

• 2008 Domaine Jean Teiller Menetou-Salon Blanc 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Menetou-Salon

  Terrific Northern Loire effort...clean, crisp with minerality and some honey, apple and citrus flavors; outstanding QPR even by Garagista standards!

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Tenderloin was prepared perfectly, slow cooked to perfection, served with Bernaise sauce and risotto with spinach, peas and home made chicken stock

• 1993 Ravenswood Pickberry 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain

  Lovely effort, served at the source in a Magnum format! The blend in 1993 was 51% merlot, 44% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. The alcohol is a manageable 13.7%. Mouthfeel is lovely, great balance between the merlot and cab. Stemminess not an issue. Complex and engaging, long finish, great balance

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• 1988 Château Lynch-Bages 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Elegant Lynch Bages...really has come forward from previous notes. Tannins rounded, and flavors alive and vibrant...long finish. Fairly heavy sediment, 2 bottles were double decanted about 2 hrs before serving. Long finish, with some persisting stemminess. Cork intact and not stained but definitely funky up front so decanting was helpful

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• 1988 Ravenswood Pickberry 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain

  WOTN! This has really stepped up its presence, and provided the perfect comparator to the 88 Lynch Bages. With the 1990 vintage or so, the Pickberry took on a right-bank personna, but the 1988 is more akin to a left bank style, but note the amazing presence of cabernet franc (56% Cabernet; 34% Cabernet Franc; 10% Merlot). Elegant wine, and not at all stemmy or olivey, out-performed the Lynch Bage. Enjoyed at the source (reserve du patron), with pristine cellar conditions since bottling.

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All chevres~!! triple cream, gouda-style, blue and fresh chevre

• 2004 Dow Porto Late Bottled Vintage 88 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Straight forward effort, young by port standards but quite serviceable

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Lovely time had by all, bring on 2011!