Pinot Noir Night

Peter B. was gracious enough to host this one and he decided on a Pinot Noir theme. This grape has stumped our group from the beginning. No one in our group has built their cellar around it, like some have done with Bordeaux, California or Rhone, and what little we have in inventory has tended to be young and somewhat random. On several occasions we have lamented how it takes a lot of "hundred dollar mistakes" to start a proper education in Burgundy.

Tonight we took a solid step forward. Although the only Burgundy wine was a severely corked Volnay, we had an excellent selection from Oregon, California, and Austria. By coincidence we had both a 2005 and 2008 Aubert and saw first hand the wondrous benefits of aging these wines. We had a fifteen year old Oregon that was just starting to show age. And I thought the Austrian Pinot was full of Burgundian character.

It also reinforced what a great wine it is for food, particularly flavorful, medium-weight dishes. The mushroom and duck risotto was absolutely sublime with the wine and then the lamb chops put it over the top.

All of the tasting (and notes) were blind.

Two food courses with the red wines. The risotto came first: risotto of smoked duck breast, dried chantarelles and black trumpet, and fresh shiitake mushrooms; pan deglazed with Blanc de noirs. Thanks to Matt D. for this dish that paired perfectly with the wine. Next came the main course: lamb chops, with dry salt and fresh thyme paste, wild rice with cranberries, broccoli rabe sautéed with garlic and onion and a touch of red pepper spice. Also an excellent pairing.

• 1997 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir The Beaux Frères Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, Oregon, Yamhill County

  This was my contribution to the tasting. Opened at 9am and then decanted for five hours. Young coloration of solid red core and brown fade at the rim. Old rose petals, rubber tire, leather, dried cherries, menthol, and grilled fruit. The group unanimously thought this was a ten year old Burgundy. Balanced with secondary notes and still very gritty tannins which resolved somewhat by the second hour.
  
  This received 1 x 2nd place and 2 x 3rd place votes.

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• 2006 El Molino Pinot Noir 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Young wine with nose of over-ripe strawberries. One person said "you could spread it on toast." Plump and somewhat sweet and bloussy, but with low tannins and a hint of earthiness which lead us to guess that it was a cool climate wine. Overall one dimensional to my taste and lacking structure and complexity.
  
  This received 2 x 3rd place votes

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• 2008 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Far and away the biggest and youngest wine of the night. Immediately identified by the group as California, this was extremely primary on both the nose and palette and to me at this stage came off as relatively generic and extracted without specific Pinot Noir character. Ripe almost roasted fruit showed Hostess cherry pie filling and orange peel. Not a big finish but good persistence.
  
  I'm withholding a rating because this was too young. We later had a 2005 Aubert Reuling which, with some beautiful complexity on the nose, probably showed where this will go with more time in the cellar.
  
  This received 1 x 2nd place vote.

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• 2004 Wenzel Pinot Noir Kleiner Wald 91 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland

  This was the most subtle and elegant wine of the night. Dr. Pepper cola, camomile, floral, and other cool climate-type notes. Compared to the California wines, this one "whispered" but still had plenty of grip and delivered a solid and flavorful finish. I guessed this was an off-year burgundy and overall it drank wonderfully. Would pair with a wide variety of medium weight foods.
  
  Universally enjoyed, this was the group's #2 overall with 2 x 1st place, 2 x 2nd, and 1 x 3rd place votes.

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• 2005 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  unfortunately it was severely corked.

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• 2008 Chehalem Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyards 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

  We pegged this as a cool climate wine, guessing it was from New Zealand. In that style it was ripe and fat with dried cherries, crushed black pepper, and damp soil. Flowed beautifully across the palette with a full load of luscious red fruit and silky tannins. Somewhat one dimensional with a medium finish, the group agreed this was a wine that you could drink every day.
  
  This received 1 x 2nd place and 2 x 3rd place votes.

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• 2005 Aubert Pinot Noir Reuling Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Deep, intoxicating nose filled with secondary notes. I got pine tar, rotten cherries, Armagnac, dried figs, slight black licorice, and anise. Beautiful. Its California origins revealed themselves once it hit the palette with a full blast of super concentrated, almost candied fruit. I'm not one for the super-ripe cali pinot and I found it to be a bit of a hot mess in the mouth, almost to the point of burning the tongue.
  
  Personally I think this wine will be great in a few more years, which will allow the fruit to mellow and integrate.
  
  Overall this was the group's #1 and it got 4 x 1st place, 1 x 2nd, and

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Pete popped the dessert wines and we enjoyed cheese followed by dessert. The cheese flight included a soft blue, an alpine swiss, and a Morbier.

The three wines were:

- 1990 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen Riesling Auslese and,

- 2005 Chateau Guiraud

- 2006 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

Thanks again, Peter. It was an amazing night!!